Mercedes-Benz EQC is the first vehicle of the new EQ brand of the German brand dedicated to electric propulsion. ” It’s the Mercedes of electric vehicles “, said Group CEO Dieter Zetsche during the official presentation event in Stockholm.
The vehicle had been anticipated with a series of ” teasers ” that suggested futuristic forms quite far from the brand’s tradition. Instead, the final vehicle looks a lot like the past Mercedes, at least aesthetically. The front is the most curious, with a very large fake grille with an oversized Mercedes-Benz logo.
Mercedes-Benz also provides a multitude of regenerative braking options to the most extreme ” single-pedal ” setting already available in other electric vehicles such as the Nissan Leaf. This system transforms the accelerator into an electronic pedal, in the sense that the accelerator continues to be pressed to advance, while to slow it is sufficient to raise it slightly.
The on-board infotainment and navigation system has also been redesigned specifically for EQ models to take account of new aspects of the electrical world. For example, among other things, the navigator will plan routes taking into account the charging stations and the charge status of the battery pack.
Mercedes-Benz said that the production of new electric vehicles will be integrated into existing production lines for vehicles powered by fossil fuels. Six factories controlled by the group are already qualified to produce electric vehicles, and the first to assemble the EQC will be that of Bremen, Germany, where the Class C and the GLC series vehicles are already set up. A big contribution will be given by the Chinese plants of Mercedes-Benz, where production will start later than Germany.
There are still no details on prices, but Mercedes-Benz will have to position itself under the price range of Jaguar I-Pace, which starts from 80 thousand euros, and Tesla Model X, which starts at over 90 thousand euros. Furthermore, Mercedes-Benz is not the only German car manufacturer announcing a new electric product this month: BMW and Audi have done so, which has led the press of the stars and stripes sector to talk about ” Tesla killers “.