*Author: Lingfang Wang
On the eve of the auto show, the Mercedes-Benz sub-brand Mercedes-EQ showcased its three new products in Shanghai, China.
On April 18th, the new EQB all-electric SUV of the Mercedes-EQ family made its global debut at the China Maritime Museum in Shanghai, alongside the new EQS all-electric sedan, the new EQA all-electric SUV, and the concept car VISION AVTR, all of which made their first appearance in China.
The release of these three luxury electric vehicles further enhances the Mercedes-EQ family’s product lineup in China and symbolizes the official start of Mercedes’ “Year of EQ”.
EQS Makes its Debut in China
EQS is not only the first-ever all-electric Mercedes sedan but also the first model to be built on a new platform specifically designed for electric vehicles.
With its “Architectural Design” body, the EQS boasts a streamlined design feature of the hood and fenders, as well as the sloping roofline, achieving a drag coefficient as low as 0.20, setting a new record for production cars.
With a body length of over 5.2 meters and a wheelbase of over 3.2 meters, the rear-seat space is close to 1 meter, making the EQS the first true luxury electric vehicle for the Chinese market. The EQS features a family-style “Star Matrix” closed grille design and can optionally be equipped with a 3D Star Matrix pattern. The new EQS also comes with an intelligent digital headlight with up to 1.3 million micro-mirrors to illuminate the road at night.
Notably, the EQS is developed on an all-electric platform, equipped with dual permanent-magnet synchronous motors, maximum power output of 385 kW (the AMG version has a maximum power output of up to 470 kW), and peak torque of 855 Nm. Its battery capacity can reach up to 107.8 kWh, giving it a driving range of up to 800 kilometers under the CLTC test cycle.
In terms of design, Mercedes-Benz aims for simplicity and adopts the brand’s pioneering “Zero Layer Interface” concept, where the navigation, multimedia system, and other core functions are always displayed at the top of the screen, making all critical information easily accessible. The MBUX hyperscreen, which is over 141 cm wide, is the largest human-machine interface that Mercedes has ever installed in a production car.
The all-new EQS is equipped with a comprehensive intelligent driving assistance system and is expected to achieve L3 level automatic driving assistance in the near future.
In addition, customers of the future all-new EQS can enjoy the five-star charging service provided by the Mercedes-EQ brand.
As of March 2021, the construction of 334 “star charging stations” has been completed in 62 cities nationwide, providing nearly 1,000 charging piles in total.
EQA targets new urban youth
As the earliest new generation pure electric SUV of the Mercedes-EQ family, the all-new EQA targets new urban youth who value electric driving pleasure, representing an important segmentation market.
The all-new EQA is equipped with a 70.5 kWh battery capacity and can achieve a CLTC working condition endurance of 500 kilometers.
In addition, the all-new EQA, together with the all-new EQB, is equipped with Gaode Map, combining intelligent electric travel functions such as EV optimized route planning with localized navigation services for user convenience.
It is worth noting that Mercedes-EQ is the first luxury brand to achieve deep integration of the vehicle system and Gaode Map AutoSDK in mass-produced vehicles.
EQB meets the personalized needs of families
The Mercedes-Benz EQB, which is characterized by flexible and spacious interior space and innovative smart technology, can meet the personalized electric travel needs of many families.
First of all, the car is large. The all-new EQB has the longest wheelbase in its class of 2,829 millimeters and is equipped with 7 seats. The maximum trunk capacity can reach 1,620 liters.
Secondly, the driving range is high and the charging speed is fast. The EQB 350 4MATIC model will be launched first, with a maximum power of 215 kW, and a CLTC driving range of more than 500 kilometers. When charged by a fast DC charger, it only takes 45 minutes to charge from 10% to 80% battery capacity.Third, intelligent level is not low. The brand-new EQB and EQA are equipped with the richest L2-level intelligent driving assistance system in the same class, covering many daily driving scenarios such as high-speed following, lane changing assistance, lane keeping, active braking, and intelligent parking in all directions.
VISION AVTR Concept Car Debuts
In addition to the three new cars, Mercedes also brought the futuristic VISION AVTR concept car. The car was unveiled at CES, created in collaboration between the Mercedes-Benz brand and the team behind the Avatar movie franchise, inspired by the sequels to the Avatar series.
The VISION AVTR concept car adopts natural biomimetic design, immersive interactive sensory experience and innovative power technology.
The spherical cockpit has 33 “biomimetic scales” that move in multiple directions to help the driver communicate with the outside world. There are no buttons or switches within the driver’s line of sight. The driver only needs to place their hand on the control unit integrated into the central aisle to wake up the interior and then use touchless operation to control various functions of the car.
The VISION AVTR concept car also uses revolutionary battery technology, which only uses 100% recyclable and degradable materials for a range of over 700 kilometers, and can be fully charged in just 15 minutes.
In addition to launching new models, Hubertus Troska, a member of the Board of Management of Daimler AG and responsible for the Greater China region, also discussed product planning. Troska stated that by the end of 2021, Mercedes-Benz will launch four EQ pure electric vehicle models in the Chinese market, three of which will be produced locally.
This article is a translation by ChatGPT of a Chinese report from 42HOW. If you have any questions about it, please email bd@42how.com.