New Mercedes EQC, The Birth Of Daimler’s Electric Sub-brand

The time for change is near. More and more brands are betting on electrification and / or hybridization over combustion engines in their cars. The current development speed has been motivated by Tesla, who proved that they were viable products. Now, Mercedes presents the Mercedes EQC under a new sub-brand.

After just a few years, EQ has ended up being Daimler’s electric vehicle sub-brand, where we also find Smart products.

Present and future go hand in hand

The balance of demand in the automobile market has tilted on the side of SUVs, the segment in which this electric vehicle is classified. Aesthetically, it opens the door to a new exclusive design language for the EQ vehicles, although they will maintain the kinship with the conventional range.

This is especially visible on the front, which is flatter than usual to reduce the coefficient of friction, which is contributed by a faired grill and the practical absence of any type of air inlet or aesthetic element that offers resistance to air. The same goes for the rims, with a cleaner design with hardly any gap between spokes.

Perhaps the most controversial point of the car is that glossy black trim located under the grille that joins both main headlights – Full LED – which makes little sense. The rear for its part is more reminiscent of Audi products, especially the Audi A8 with those tight-knit, slim drivers.

Space for everyone

Following the current trend, the SUV format of the Mercedes EQC and its condition as a 100% electric vehicle have made it possible to create a spacious interior, with capacity for a family trip without any problem. The position of the batteries under the floor has allowed to expand to have a trunk that reaches up to 500 liters.

Interestingly, the lack of a front combustion engine has not resulted in a second trunk under the hood. Instead the space has been reused to accommodate the automatic transmission and front electrical module.

Regarding the design of the cabin, we are faced with an evolution of what has already been seen in the most recent launches. The panel that houses the two 10.25-inch screens is now more captured by the shapes of the dashboard. At the same time, circular aerators give way to more conventional and flat ones.

Among the standard equipment, it is worth highlighting the MBUX system with artificial intelligence that the new Mercedes A-Class premiered and that little by little makes its way into the extensive range of the German manufacturer. Of course, in the EQC it will be complemented with assistants for economical driving that maximizes the capacity of the batteries.

Electric? Yes, but very capable

As we said, the Mercedes EQC is the first 100% electric vehicle signed by the star brand, so it has the task of demonstrating what they are capable of at Daimler. To make their arrival possible, a new specific platform for electric cars has been developed that houses the batteries on the ground.

These batteries give life to two electric motors of 150 kW each in charge of moving both axes. With this configuration, the Mercedes EQC has permanent all-wheel drive and, as in all electric vehicles, an instantaneous torque response at any speed.

Together the electric motors offer 300 kW of power – which is equivalent to 404 horsepower – and a maximum torque of 765 Nm with which it reaches 180 km / h of maximum speed. For its part, the 0-100 km / h covers it in 5.1 seconds. There is no need for more in a vehicle whose claims are not sporty at all.

The most important point of an electric car is the autonomy it offers between charges. Unfortunately, Mercedes has offered autonomy data under the NEDC homologation cycle, signing more than it should. It officially announces 450 km between charges, but in the WLTP cycle it will be left with almost 400 km or even less.

Commercialization

At the moment the rates for the new Mercedes EQC are unknown, but we know that its commercialization will begin in 2019. In addition, in the near future a factory will be opened in China equipped for the production of EQ products in the local market. The rest will be produced in Germany.

Apart from the EQC and the electric Smart, the brand’s future plans include models such as a traditional compact – EQA – and a representative saloon – EQS – capable of rivaling the best of Tesla, the Model S.