Mercedes EQV concept – serial production launches 2019
Mercedes shows off in Geneva, and its Concept EQV is a purely electric, spacious saloon that is at home in the premium segment with up to eight seats. The production version is to be unveiled at the IAA this autumn with a 100 kWh battery for up to 400 km of range.
But that is of course not all of the technical data at hand. The Concept EQV has a 150 kW drivetrain at the front axle, consisting of the electric motor, a transmission with a fixed ratio, the cooling system and power electronics.
The Stuttgart carmakers set a rather tame 160 kph as the top speed. This will help the 100 kWh battery installed in the underbody to enable a maximum range of up to 400 kilometres for the relative heavyweight. Rapid charging is of course an option, and Mercedes-Benz speaks of gaining a range of up to 100 km in 15 minutes.
Externally, the premium carmaker has opted for what it calls an “electro-aesthetic” design that is first and foremost a radiator grille with chrome clasps and an LED band as a recognisable feature of the EQ design language. According to the manufacturer, an “elegant technoid cockpit” stands out inside. Mercedes-Benz describes the MBUX infotainment system (Mercedes-Benz User Experience) as the heart of the software equipment.
“As a family companion, a leisure-time adventurer or a shuttle vehicle with lounge ambience, the combination of these characteristics with a battery-electric drive mean the Concept EQV is a concept car with a future,” Daimler Board Member Wilfried Porth comments on the presentation in Geneva. While he did not specify this future further, the positioning of this latest member of the EQ brand as an MPV or what they call a space wagon in Japan could signify a destiny in carpooling services, apart from the uses Daimler listed above.
The BEV also marks a growing EQ fleet under the umbrella of the EV technology brand, which Mercedes-Benz launched in 2016. The debut was the Concept EQ, followed by the compact Concept EQA shown at the IAA 2017 and the electric SUV EQC, which is being readied for series production.
Mercedes is pushing a similarly aggressive ramp up for the EQV electric van that is to start rolling off the lines this year. However, Daimler had recently reported delivery delays for the EQC, possibly due to bottlenecks in cell supply.
Another part of Mercedes’ electrification offensive is the establishment of plug-in hybrids and mild hybrids (“EQ Boost”). By 2022, the entire Stuttgart portfolio is to be electrified.
Additional reporting by Nora Manthey.
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