Mercedes presents offroad concept based on EQC

Mercedes-Benz has presented an off-road electric motor based on its EQC series model with the EQC 4×4² concept. Several modifications to the chassis transformed the electric SUV into an off-road electric car.

The vehicle, which Daimler calls the “electric car of extremes,” will probably not make it into series production. The EQC 4×4² is intended to “test the limits with this vehicle, and show that e-mobility is not just urban, but also conceivable off-road.” The unique vehicle was developed by a cross-departmental team led by development engineer Jürgen Eberle, who had already put the E 400 All-Terrain 4×4² on the studded wheels.

In addition to the studded tires, the increased ground clearance and the widened wheel arches are striking at first glance. At 293 millimetres, the ground clearance of the EQC series (140 millimetres) has been more than doubled, making it even higher than a current G-Class. Although the EQC 4×4² chassis is connected to the same mounting points on the body as the standard chassis, the portal axles (or more precisely the portal transmissions on the axle heads) ensure that the entire vehicle is raised. As the ground clearance increases, so do the angles of the slope to 31.8 degrees at the front and 33 degrees at the rear – likewise better values than in the G-Class.

The black fender flares were printed from a 3D printer, and the car itself is painted in “Gunmetal Metallic matt”. According to Daimler, thanks to the axle kinematics with a four-link front axle, a “handy turning circle” was achieved despite the 285/50 R 20 format tires.

Daimler does not mention any changes to the EQC’s electric drive system with its two 150 kW electric motors – so it is likely that most of the changes will be standard. Only the off-road driving programs have been reprogrammed.

Another new feature is the Acoustic Vehicle Alert System (AVAS), which was composed especially for this unique vehicle. The “more powerful AVAS” is reproduced by outside speakers installed in the front headlights. In the off-road study, the modified AVAS sound may be a gimmick. Still, in another communication, Daimler has commented in more detail on the artificial sound of the future EQ models. In the production models, the outside loudspeaker is located in the fender – the digital signal processor that calculates the sound algorithms has a computing power of 1 GHz.

daimler.com (concept), daimler.com (sound)