Mercedes-Benz VLE production starts Mercedes-Benz Vans has started series production of the new electric VLE at its Vitoria plant in Spain, putting one of the brand’s most important van projects into regular build.
The VLE is the first model based on Mercedes-Benz’s new modular Van Architecture. It also gives the Vitoria site a more central role in the company’s next-generation van plan, with the Spanish plant becoming the first Mercedes-Benz facility to build the VLE in series.
The Fuzhou plant in China is due to follow later, producing VLE models for the Chinese market.
Mercedes is calling the VLE a “Grand Limousine”, which is a posh way of saying it wants this to be more than a van with seats.
Its selling points are limousine comfort, MPV space and EV long-distance ability in one large people carrier. It can be configured with up to eight seats and offers a claimed range of more than 700km on the WLTP cycle.
The VLE uses 800-volt electrical architecture and supports ultra-fast charging. The VLE 300 electric has preliminary combined energy consumption of 20.7 to 18.4 kWh per 100km, with zero tailpipe emissions.
Mercedes-Benz Operating System, or MB.OS, is also part of the package. It manages areas such as assistance systems, infotainment and driving functions, bringing the company’s newer software strategy into its van line-up.
Mercedes said the Vitoria site has been upgraded with investment in the body shop, paint shop, assembly areas, logistics and IT systems. The changes were made while existing models such as the V-Class, Vito and eVito continued to be produced.
Around 5,000 direct employees work at the plant. Mercedes said more than 160 training programmes were carried out to prepare staff for new technologies, materials, IT standards and production processes.
The Vitoria plant has been carbon-neutral on balance since 2022. It uses renewable electricity, geothermal energy and waste heat from body construction and the paint shop.
A new largely electric paint shop is scheduled to begin operations in autumn 2026, using renewable electricity and avoiding fossil energy sources in its building and production processes.
