Tag Archives: EVs

News

Mercedes-Benz Young Stars Vans: A Decade of Dependability, with an Electric Twist

If there’s one thing small business owners, fleet managers, and tradespeople can agree on, it’s that reliability is non-negotiable when it comes to vans. For the past ten years, Mercedes-Benz has been quietly building a reputation in the used-vehicle market with its “Young Stars” Transporters program—essentially a certified pre-owned badge for vans. What started in 2015 as an offshoot of the brand’s long-running Young Stars program for passenger cars has grown into one of the most trusted names in Europe’s used-van scene.

To mark the tenth anniversary of the initiative, Mercedes is doing more than just popping champagne. Buyers of fully electric Young Stars vans now get a beefed-up warranty—five years of coverage—offered for a limited time. For businesses looking to make the leap to battery-powered workhorses, that’s a big dose of peace of mind.

Reliability Meets Resale

The Young Stars promise hinges on three pillars: quality, service, and predictability. Every van that qualifies is no more than six years old, with 90 percent of the inventory coming in under four years. Mileage is capped at 150,000 km, and each vehicle has to pass a rigorous inspection that includes a fresh TÜV (Germany’s safety inspection) no older than three months.

Buyers also get a 24-month vehicle warranty from day one, a 12-month mobility guarantee (think roadside assistance), and even the option to swap the vehicle if things don’t pan out. Financing, trade-ins, and 24-hour test drives are part of the package too. It’s a program designed to de-risk the used-van purchase in a segment where downtime can cripple a business.

Case Study: Doing Good with Used Vans

Mercedes isn’t just talking up its program—it’s living the story through its customers. The 10th-anniversary vehicle, a Sprinter van, went to Aktion Hoffnung, Hilfe für die Mission GmbH, a Bavarian church-based aid organization that collects and recycles used clothing. True to its ethos of reuse, the charity runs only secondhand vehicles, and the Sprinter it received marks the seventh in its fleet.

“Reusing previously used goods is our core principle,” says Johannes Müller, managing director of Aktion Hoffnung. “The Young Stars Transporters from Mercedes-Benz are reliable, attractively priced, and come with comprehensive warranties. That’s why they form the core of our fleet.”

Electric Evolution

The Young Stars program isn’t just about diesel and gasoline anymore. With more electric vans entering the used-vehicle pipeline, Mercedes has adapted its services to match. Beyond the new 60-month warranty, EV buyers can expect an eight-year high-voltage battery warranty from the vehicle’s original registration date. Every certified electric van also comes with a battery health check guaranteeing at least 90 percent capacity. For buyers still nervous about going electric, that’s a reassuring safety net.

The Big Picture

What started back in 2009 with Young Stars passenger cars has snowballed into a brand-within-a-brand for Mercedes-Benz. Today, around 160 dealerships across Germany handle Young Stars vans, and demand keeps climbing. According to Timo Fuhrmeister, head of Used Vehicle Management at Mercedes-Benz Vans, the key to the program’s success is simple: “The comprehensive service promise we offer our customers.”

For businesses that depend on wheels as much as workers, that promise matters. Whether diesel, gas, or electric, the Young Stars badge has become shorthand for reliable transport that won’t wreck the budget—or the workday.

And with a five-year warranty now in play for EVs, the next decade of Young Stars vans looks set to be just as reliable as the last.

Source: Mercedes-Benz

News

BMW Hits Three Million Electrified Vehicles, and the Charge is Just Getting Started

BMW has just notched a milestone worth bragging about: its three millionth electrified vehicle has left the factory floor and into customer hands. The honor went to a 3 Series plug-in hybrid built in Munich, marking a high-voltage victory lap for the Bavarian brand.

What’s impressive isn’t just the round number. It’s the momentum. In the first half of 2025, electrified sales surged, with one in every four BMW Group vehicles sold worldwide now sporting a plug-in or fully electric drivetrain. That’s not just a blip—it’s a shift in the company’s sales backbone.

“Electrified vehicles are an elementary component of our technology-neutral product portfolio,” said Jochen Goller, BMW board member for Customer, Brands, and Sales. Translation: BMW wants to give customers choices—whether that’s all-electric or a plug-in compromise—while steadily tightening its grip on the EV space.

Europe Leads the Charge

Not surprisingly, BMW’s home turf is carrying the torch. More than 60 percent of all electrified deliveries land in Europe, where EV adoption is charging ahead thanks to incentives, infrastructure, and tighter emissions rules. In fact, electrified models now account for over 40 percent of BMW’s total European sales. Plug-in hybrids, once the unloved middle child of electrification, are suddenly enjoying a renaissance, posting a strong sales jump over last year.

Milestones Keep Coming

This isn’t BMW’s only record in 2025. Back in July, the company celebrated its 1.5 millionth fully electric vehicle, a MINI Countryman E that rolled out of Leipzig bound for a Portuguese driveway. To visualize that: line up every all-electric BMW built since the launch of the i3 in 2013, and you’d get a row of cars stretching 6,500 kilometers—basically Munich to New York City.

The Portfolio: More Than Just iX and i4

BMW isn’t resting on its laurels. Customers today can shop over 15 fully electric models across the BMW, MINI, and Rolls-Royce brands, plus 10-plus plug-in hybrids. Flagships like the updated BMW iX, with its claimed 700 km WLTP range, showcase just how far the company’s tech has come since it first dabbled in EVs decades ago.

BMW likes to remind the world it’s been thinking about electrification for over 50 years, tracing its lineage back to quirky experimental cars like the 1972 1602e built for the Munich Olympics. Fast-forward to 2025, and that experiment is looking like a core strategy: electric, digital, and circular.

The Road Ahead

BMW is still hedging its bets—plug-in hybrids for those not quite ready to cut the cord, and long-range EVs for early adopters. But hitting three million electrified vehicles sold proves the brand isn’t just playing catch-up. It’s shaping the curve.

After all, if Munich can get you to New York on a line of electric BMWs, the company clearly has distance on its mind.

Source: BMW

NEW CARS

2026 BMW i5: More Range, More Style, Same Price

BMW’s 5 Series has always been the brand’s sweet spot: practical enough for a family, sharp enough for a canyon run, and classy enough for the valet line. Now in fully electric form, the i5 sits at the center of that ethos. For 2026, it doesn’t reinvent itself—but it doesn’t need to. Instead, BMW has given its midsize EV sedan more driving range, a fresh coat of Frozen Portimao Blue paint, and some subtle cabin upgrades. And the kicker? The price hasn’t moved an inch.

Familiar Lineup, Familiar Power

The i5 returns in three familiar flavors. At the entry point sits the rear-drive i5 eDrive40, with 335 horsepower and 295 lb-ft of torque, good for a 5.7-second sprint to 60 mph. Add xDrive all-wheel drive, and output rises to 389 horses and 435 lb-ft, trimming half a second from the run to 60.

The star of the show remains the i5 M60 xDrive, which is essentially BMW’s way of saying “we can make an electric 5 Series feel like an M car.” With 590 hp and 586 lb-ft of torque from dual motors, it rips to 60 mph in just 3.7 seconds. In our earlier testing of the M60 Touring (sadly not offered stateside), we found it both blisteringly fast and impressively composed. Powertrain specs don’t change this year, but range does.

More Miles Between Plugs

Range improvements are modest but welcome. Thanks to new silicon carbide semiconductors and revised wheel bearings, BMW estimates up to 310 miles on the eDrive40—an increase of up to 15 miles over 2025. The xDrive40 now stretches to 278 miles, while the M60 remains capped at about 253 miles. Charging speeds also stay put: 11 kW on AC power and up to 205 kW with DC fast charging. That means a 10–80 percent top-up in roughly half an hour—not segment-leading, but competitive.

Inside the Upgrade

Interior tweaks for 2026 bring small but meaningful luxuries. A Harman Kardon sound system and lumbar support are now standard. Gloss black trim and revised ambient lighting with BMW’s crystalline “Interaction Bar” class up the cabin, though they’ll probably collect fingerprints faster than you can say “detailing spray.” New leather combos debut too: an Atlas Grey/Dark Violet scheme that looks fantastic and a Taupe/Atlas Grey option that looks… less so.

Otherwise, the i5 remains a modern tech haven. BMW’s iDrive 8.5 continues to pair a 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster with a 14.9-inch touchscreen. Wireless CarPlay and Android Auto are standard, as are voice commands and app connectivity. The Premium Package is the real sweet spot, bundling a head-up display, interior camera, and key driver aids, while the Driving Assistance Professional Package adds partially automated highway driving and gaze-based lane changes—a trick borrowed from the flagship i7.

Still a Solid Value

The best news? Pricing is unchanged. The i5 eDrive40 starts at $67,100, with xDrive adding $3,000. The M60 sits at $84,100. That keeps it well positioned against rivals like the Genesis Electrified G80 and Lucid Air.

Yes, there are flashier EVs out there. But with its blend of refinement, performance, and now a bit more range, the 2026 BMW i5 remains the most well-rounded choice in the luxury midsize EV sedan class. Think of it as the 5 Series you know—just with more electrons and fewer trips to the gas station.

Source: BMW