Mercedes-Benz has announced that it will adopt combustion engines into its previously electric-only van platform.
Mercedes will introduce VAN.CA and says it will "expand its modular and scalable Van Architecture to flexibly meet customer requirements", rowing back on its previous assertions that the 2026 VAN.EA platform would be electric-only.
In a statement, Mercedes-Benz Vans said it "will offer vans with state-of-the-art combustion engines alongside electric vehicles on a single architecture in the future".
"All newly developed vans will be based on the modular, flexible, and scalable Mercedes-Benz Van
Architecture. Starting in 2026, the fully electric models of the Van Electric Architecture (VAN.EA) will be
introduced. With the second variant of the architecture, the Van Combustion Architecture (VAN.CA), state-of-the-art combustion-engine vans will follow," the statement continued.
Electric van sales have stalled recently, prompting manufacturers to think twice about the direction of their future product line-ups.
VAN.EA and VAN.CA will share around 70% common parts and will be produced on the same line, allowing for greater economies of scale as they push towards electrifcation. That will mean that both the medium van and large vans will share the same basic chassis.
Speaking previously about VAN.EA, Mercedes has said that the new platform will be a scaleable platform, built on the principles of a skateboard. This will enable them to produce models with the dimensions of a Sprinter van down to a Vito or smaller.
The VAN platform will also differentiate between commercial and passenger versions, as well as electric and combustion.
The new vehicle architecture will enable passsenger focused cars like the Mercedes VLE and Marco Polo camper van to be more clearly differentiated.
The first VAN.EA products are due to be released in early 2026. Mercedes has previously stated that the replacement for the Vito would be the first commercial variant to use the VAN.EA platform.
It's is not yet clear if the VAN.CA models will coincide with the release of the electric models.
