Page 64 - SHARP November 2021

EQ and You
Mercedes-Benz’s electric brand has big plans that start now
BY MATT BUBBERS
RECENTLY, AT A CELEBRATORY soiree for Mercedes-Benz’s EQ electric brand, the German carmaker’s big boss, CEO
Ola Källenius, stood — much like the Pope — on a balcony above his company’s newest creations and proclaimed that the firm is accelerating its electric shift from an EV-first to an EV-only strategy. By 2025, Mercedes will offer at least one all-electric alternative for every car model the brand makes. That’s a lot of EVs, and those are bold words from the boss of one of the world’s largest luxury automakers.
On display beneath Källenius was a smor- gasbord of high-end machinery that put form to his ambition. Whichever type of car you’re into, it seems the EQ brand will soon have you covered. Starting late this year, it will roll out a range of electric vehicles in every flavour. Here is just some of what you can expect to see from Mercedes-EQ in the coming years, and our best guess on a timeline.
2021
MERCEDES-BENZ EQS: THE FLAGSHIP
We got an early drive in the EQS and can confidently answer the burning question on drivers’ minds: yes, this thing hauls buns on the Autobahn. At 200 km/h it’s as smooth as the business-class cabin of a 787 Dreamliner at 35,000 feet. (Who needs an S-Class?) Driving range should be impressive, too, with the company estimating a range of up to 770 km on the admittedly generous WLTP standard.
The real standout of the EQS, though, is its amazing driver interface. The augmented-reality (AR) head-up display is the first mind-blowing piece of tech we’ve experienced in a car in a long, long time. It’s fighter-jet stuff. On the windshield, you see a green line projected under the car in front to let you know the EQS is tracking it. Directions from the nav are projected as huge moving arrows hovering above the road. A door-to-door Hyperscreen touch-display covers the entire dashboard, but the AR display is so good you won’t have much use for the Hyperscreen while on the move.
The EQS is a next-gen car that actually feels next-gen, which bodes well for the rest of the EQ lineup that will follow it.
2022
MERCEDES-BENZ EQB: FAMILY-HAULER
How the small army of white-lab-coat-wear- ing engineers at Mercedes-EQ managed to fit seven seats and a large battery pack into the tiny little EQB is a mystery. Not since the singularity that birthed the universe has something so small been so dense. Drivers can expect this to be the most affordable electric Benz, but it still has all-wheel drive, 288 hp, and a (WLTP) range of around 419 km.
MERCEDES-BENZ EQE: MID-SIZE MODERN
It’ll be a smaller, more affordable EQS and the electric alternative to Merc’s legendary E-Class sedan. But the EQE will, in fact, have more cabin space, since it doesn’t need to make room for a big V8 engine. The EQE 350 4Matic will have around 660 km of WLTP range and DC fast charging; 15 minutes will get you up to 250 km of range.
64 AUTO • NOVEMBER 2021
SHARPMAGAZINE.COM