Last year, Mercedes-Benz announced the EQT, an electric van slated to be produced in five- and seven-seat configurations. For some drivers, the most intriguing part of this announcement came from a related announcement — that of the Marco Polo, a camper van edition of the EQT. The appeal of a Mercedes-designed electric camper van is pretty straightforward. There is a downside, though — as of now, there are no plans to sell the Marco Polo in the United States.
As Autoblog recently reported, today marks the formal release date of the EQT — and the announcement of more details on the Marco Polo (full name: Concept EQT Marco Polo1), which is slated to go into production for release next year.
What can drivers (and campers) expect? With the roof fully popped up, enough room to stand up in the back of the van, for one thing. The van’s roof bed sleeps two, and a second sleeping area can be folded out if needed. That sense of adaptability runs throughout the vehicle; Mercedes noted that two people can remove the interior furniture within five minutes if the vehicle is needed for non-camping tasks.
For those concerned about power while camping, it’s worth mentioning that there will also be a solar panel on the roof. Pricing hasn’t yet been revealed, but the automaker notes that the standard EQT will have a starting price of €49,000. Mercedes’s announcement also pointed to something called the Marco Polo Module, described as “a first practical solution for basic camping requirements in the near future.”
“With the Marco Polo Module, we also have a first, simple solution for the all-electric camping trip on offer in the near future. In the second half of 2023, we plan to expand our range even further with a fully-fledged and also fully-electric micro camper,” Klaus Rehkugler, Head of Sales Mercedes-Benz Vans, said in a statement. “The Concept EQT Marco Polo already gives a glimpse of the upcoming series production vehicle. As the name suggests, we are expanding our Marco Polo family with both products, based on the EQT.” For ecologically-minded campers outside of the U.S., 2023 should be a big year.
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