Mercedes-Benz EQE, the new electric saloon arriving in 2022

Dieter Zetsche, the now former chairman of Mercedes-Benz, signed off on the development of the brand’s sixth electric model. It is a saloon, it will be named Mercedes-Benz EQE, and its market launch is scheduled for 2022. It will compete directly with the Tesla Model S in terms of pricing.

Details of the Mercedes-Benz EQE have been cited in recently published documents from China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, which refer to the new electric saloon from the star brand with the internal name V295.

The new Mercedes-Benz EQE is one of ten new electric models set to reach the market before 2025. These models are part of an already budgeted development programme. The investment in this electrification plan for the brand is 10,000 million euros.

In addition to this expansion plan, the German brand has announced a further investment of 20,000 million euros to develop technology for a new battery cell with much greater power. Electric Mercedes-Benz cars are expected to account for more than a quarter of all the brand’s sales by the middle of the next decade.

The Mercedes-Benz EQE will reach the market in 2022

Dieter Zetsche has already said that “our electric offensive continues to gain momentum. Now we are taking the next step.” The Mercedes-Benz EQE will follow in the footsteps of the Mercedes-Benz EQC, the Mercedes-Benz EQA, the Mercedes-Benz EQV, the Mercedes-Benz EQ S and the Mercedes-Benz EQ B.

The Mercedes-Benz EQE will become the big brother of the Mercedes-Benz EQS, which will arrive in 2021. The new electric saloon will be the second Mercedes-Benz based on the company’s new MEA electric car platform. This platform is designed for extensive use of aluminium and aims to give the models of the EQ range a more flexible chassis and “class-leading interior space”.

Some reports have suggested that the “Mercedes-Benz EQE will be shorter in length than the current models of the E-Class of Mercedes-Benz, but that its space will be comparable to that of the brand’s current S-Class”. The new electric Mercedes-Benz model will be inspired by the E-Class but will have greater aerodynamic efficiency.

The new Mercedes-Benz saloon will come with all-wheel drive, and power will come from two electric motors located on the front and rear axles respectively. In addition, the German brand could be considering a rear-wheel-drive version. Although it is still very early, some sources claim it could have around 500 CV and 764 Nm of maximum torque.

The Mercedes-Benz EQE will also be equipped with active air suspension, four-wheel steering and some safety features that have been presented on the Mercedes-Benz ESF, including Level 3 autonomous driving. It is also expected to have a range of 600 kilometres. Production of this new electric car could take place at the brand’s Factory 56 in Germany, the same plant that produces the Mercedes-Benz EQS.

The new electric Mercedes-Benz saloon will enable the star brand, together with its Beijing partner, to build around 70,000 units a year from 2022 onwards.