Mercedes-Benz EQC: the first electric SUV from Mercedes

The Mercedes-Benz EQC, the brand’s first electric car, is an SUV with two motors, all-wheel drive, 408 CV of power and more than 450 km of range.

With the new Mercedes-Benz EQC, the brand with the star fully enters the era of electrification. This fully electric SUV measuring 4.76 m will compete with the also imminent Audi e-tron, and with the Jaguar I-PACE and the Tesla Model X. Production will begin at the Mercedes factory in Bremen (Germany) in 2019, and an assembly line for its production will also be set up in China. It is the first model of the new brand of products and technologies that Mercedes-Benz will bring together under the EQ name, the initials of words that translate into Spanish as “Intelligent Mobility”.

SUV body, practicality of an estate

As is customary in this type of vehicle, Mercedes also boasts in the EQC of versatility and functionality above all else. And it does so through available space, safety and comfort equipment options, and range. Here we enter the field where everyone wants to win the battle. First, by beating the rivals. And secondly, by trying to convince users that an electric car can be a good option as their only car for daily use.

To do so, the Mercedes EQC promises a range of over 450 km, according to the WLTP cycle. That means more kilometres on a single charge than the Audi e-tron, and slightly less than the Jaguar I-PACE, always speaking in WLTP figures.

As important as range is the way the batteries are recharged. In the case of the Mercedes EQC, the lithium-ion battery located in the floor has a capacity of 80 kWh. It can be recharged from a domestic socket, but it would be necessary to plug the car into the grid for a full night. For this reason, buyers of a Mercedes EQC should install at least the Wallbox, which allows charging powers of 7.4 kW, substantially reducing the time. There is still no concrete data on this, but Mercedes asserts that with the Wallbox, charging is up to three times faster.

What is known is that at fast-charging stations, the EQC supports charging powers of up to 110 kW, which would allow the batteries to be charged to 80 percent of their total capacity in just over half an hour. In this video we can see the new Mercedes EQC in action, which the brand describes as a vehicle with a body between that of a traditional SUV and a SUV Coupé.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zhk_r6q3yPk

Electric and SUV, sports car performance

If we go into more detail on the technical side, the Mercedes EQC offers a configuration with two electric motors, one per axle. This means, therefore, that we are looking at a model with four-wheel drive. Total power is 300 kW (408 CV), with a maximum torque of 765 Nm. Figures that in the brand’s SUV range would correspond to those of performance versions with V8 engines and the “AMG” badge.

Of course, here, as in the vast majority of electric cars on the market, the top speed is limited to protect range. It is 180 km/h, but do not for a moment think that the Mercedes EQC is a slow car. Its acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h is just 5.1 seconds. Electricity consumption on the combined cycle is 22.2 kWh per 100 km.

More interesting data. Its external dimensions are 4.76 metres long, 2.09 wide and 1.62 high, with a wheelbase of 2.87 metres. It weighs 2,425 kg (the batteries alone exceed 600 kg), and has a towing capacity of 1,800 kg, something that is highly valued by many SUV users.

Mercedes is already testing some 200 prototypes of the EQC, so that by the launch date, millions of kilometres of testing will have been covered on four continents. Special attention is paid to the areas related to the electric propulsion system and the battery. You can see how these tests are carried out in this video.

https://youtu.be/_KYooo1h304

Mercedes EQC: the latest in infotainment

As we might expect from a model so important for Mercedes, the EQC does not lack detail. It features the MBUX infotainment system debuted by the new Mercedes A-Class, with functions specific to an electric car (energy flow, range, battery status, etc.). There is also a driving mode system with up to five programmes, allowing priority to be given to comfort, sportiness or range, always leaving one customisable according to the driver’s preferences.

The paddles on the steering wheel are not for changing gear, but for selecting the different levels of regeneration the motor can offer, thus managing energy recovery. And a new driving assistant arrives, in the style of the predictive system offered by Audi in some of its models and also announced for the Audi e-tron. Based on data from the traffic sign recognition system and the navigation system, it helps the driver (through information, or with accelerator pulses, for example) to anticipate and adopt more efficient driving.

Nor is the corresponding Mercedes me App missing, which allows the user of an Mercedes EQC to manage various car functions, such as charging, remote unlocking and locking, or climate control. Furthermore, optimised navigation always takes the fastest route into account, including possible charging points. With Mercedes me Charge you can configure access to charging posts from different providers and make payments through an integrated function.

Mercedes-Benz EQC image gallery