Battle of the Tippers: Mercedes-Benz eSprinter vs Peugeot e-Boxer

With the prevalence of sustainability and people wanting to make lifestyle choices that lessen their environmental impact, along with the government planned ban on all new petrol and diesel vehicles being sold in the UK from 2030, more and more drivers are choosing to go electric.

This includes van drivers, too, thanks to the number of manufacturers who have made their well-known and high performing van models in electric transmission. But what about those such as tradespeople who specifically require their van in a tipper body variant for their work? Well, the great news is that these are being made electric, too.

In this review, we will be looking at and comparing the Mercedes-Benz eSprinter Tipper and the Peugeot e-Boxer Tipper – the electric counterparts of two highly-regarded vans – and comparing the two to see how well they perform in regards to your daily working needs. Read on below as we get stuck in.

Engines and Spec

If power is what you want then power is what you’ll get with the Mercedes eSprinter Tipper. With 295Nm of torque available, this van will have no trouble giving you that surge of speed you need when pulling away and keeping up with busy traffic thanks to the maximum speed of 75mph, all whilst having smooth handling and being comfortably quiet the whole time thanks to the fully electric motor.

Despite this, we must admit that it is a bit disappointing when it comes to range, since it uses a relatively small 55kWh battery pack – 47kWh of which is usable. This equates to a combined WLTP range of 82 miles, which, although is more than enough to complete a day of average driving, is relatively low in comparison to other electric tipper vans.

For example, if we move on to look at the e-Boxer Tipper, this utilises a larger battery that offers almost double the range. In the tipper body variant, the e-Boxer uses a 75kWh battery and reaches a maximum combined range of 154 miles. However, the only downside to this is that it will have slightly longer charging times.

Using a standard AC wallbox charger that would be fitted at your home, the e-Boxer would take 12 hours to reach a full charge from empty, whilst the smaller battery of the eSprinter would reach full capacity in eight hours. In addition to this, there is also the option for DC rapid charging, which is available at public charging stations, getting the eSprinter to 80% in as little as 30 minutes while the e-Boxer reaches 80% in an hour.

Another thing that is worth mentioning, is that the e-Boxer may take some getting used to when driving due to the lack of a gearbox, which we discuss in more detail in our e-Boxer Tipper review.

Interior

With tipper vans, having a suitable payload is important to be able to cope with loads of loose materials ready to be transported and unloaded across a worksite. It seems that another benefit of the smaller battery size in the eSprinter Tipper is that it allows for a higher payload, with the maximum weight it can carry being 731kg. In comparison, the e-Boxer can manage a maximum of 690kg.

These weights are the maximum weights provided for the standard panel van variants, so it is likely that they will vary slightly for the tipper conversions, although they do give a good indication of each vans capabilities and which may perform better in this aspect.

Moving on to the interiors, the eSprinter benefits from all the same features as the flagship diesel model, as we mention in our eSprinter Tipper review. It certainly screams modernity, including a heated drivers seat, pre-entry climate control and DAB radio with Bluetooth^Ⓡ interface. That said, it would be nicer if this interface was part of a touchscreen digital system, as many modern electric vans come equipped with.

As for the e-Boxer, what this may lack in modernity it certainly makes up for in practicality. There is ample storage space throughout the cabin, along with a touchscreen infotainment system that, though slightly fiddly to use, comes complete with navigation and Bluetooth^Ⓡ.

Our only main complaint is regarding the removal of the needles from the instrument cluster, which, other than the speedometer, has been left useless. This is down to the vehicle’s necessary status information being displayed in a digital screen in the rearview mirror instead, which itself is somewhat redundant. This quirk is the result of the e-Boxer being a third party conversion by conversion specialists BEDEO.

The Verdict

If you’re looking for a tipper van that you can use to commute to and from work, has the loading capabilities to transport and unload loose construction materials and can be charged quickly in a pinch if needed, then both the Mercedes-Benz eSprinter Tipper and the Peugeot e-Boxer Tipper would make the ideal van to suit your needs.

The only downside? The price. Like most electric vans, both of these are expensive to purchase outright. Thankfully, you don’t have to; at Van Sales UK, we have both of these vans brand new and in stock available on low rate, zero deposit finance.

Get in touch with us today for more information and to learn about the finance options we can offer you.