BY Chris Bruce (with additional reporting by Marco Kathuria)—The European motorhome industry becomes more electrified from the newly launched Mercedes-Benz EQV conversion from the Swiss company Sortimo Walter Rüegg PLC. It gives customers the option of taking a zero-emissions camping trip.
The pop-up roof is available with solar panels to recharge the batteries while camping.
The EQV is the electric counterpart to the Mercedes V-Class van. Sortimo takes this vehicle and offers a range of modular upgrades that turns it into a compact camper. The offerings include a pop-up roof with available solar panels offering a 400-watt output for charging the starter battery and auxiliary batteries.
The pop-up roof also adds more standing room inside the van, and there’s a bed up there, too. The mattress contains metal springs rather than foam for greater longevity and comfort, according to Sortimo. In the lower area, there’s a fold-out bed that takes up the full width of the vehicle when deployed.
Sortimo have sourced TJM roof tents and awnings for the Mercedes EQV. According to Sortimo, they are can be installed in minutes with roof access provided with the supplied extendable aluminum ladder.
Offering quick assembly and disassembly, along with a small footprint and low weight, the rear tent offers numerous advantages when camping and traveling. The tent fabric itself is waterproof, UV resistant, mildew resistant and extremely light and is made of a sturdy and easy-care outdoor mesh fabric, says Sortimo.
Sortimo also offers a kitchen unit with a sink, two-burner gas stove, refrigerator, and drawers for storage.
More Electric Campers Are Coming:
There’s no info yet about how the added weight from Sortimo’s equipment affects the EQV’s range. Currently, Mercedes offers the van in two powertrains. The EQV 300 has a 90-kilowatt-hour battery with a WLTP range of 326 to 363 kilometers (202.6 to 225.6 miles). The EQV 250 has a 60 kWh battery that can go 213 to 236 kilometers (132.4 to 146.6 miles). Both are available in 5,140-millimeter (16.86-foot) and 5,370-millimeter (17.62-foot) lengths.
The EQV comes with an intelligent navigation system that features active range management so that owners don’t feel anxious about running down the batteries. It also has Mercedes’ high-tech MBUX infotainment software.
Sortimo’s site doesn’t yet offer any pricing info for camper conversion to the EQV. In Germany, the van straight from Mercedes starts at €67,818.10 ($76,922 at current exchange rates) for the shorter-length EQV 250. The most expensive variant is the longer version of the EQV 300 at €72,280.60 ($81,984).
Mercedes S-Camper Sale Brochure (Italian)
(Source: motor1.com. No copyright infringement intended.)
