Mercedes launches sales of the EQE in China
Mercedes-Benz has started selling the EQE in China. Three rear-wheel drive variants are on offer, one of which offers a maximum CLTC range of 752 kilometres and the other two versions a range of 717 kilometres.
The CLTC is the Chinese test cycle, and the ranges determined there are generally significantly higher than the WLTP values. Prices are 528,000, 546,000 and 585,000 yuan respectively. That is the equivalent of 76,930, 79,555 and 85,235 euros. This means that the final prices are even slightly lower than in the pre-sale, where between 2,000 and 5,000 yuan more were demanded, depending on the variant.
There are hardly any differences worth mentioning in the vehicle itself. At 4.97 metres, the Chinese EQE is about two centimetres longer than the European model, which is probably due to slightly modified bumpers. However, there are no differences in the height (1.51 metres) and the wheelbase of 3.12 metres, which is important for electric cars.
The drive with the six-phase electric motor in the rear is also the same: the motor has an output of 215 kW, and Mercedes gives the maximum torque as 565 Nm. However, there are differences in the battery: in China, the EQE is equipped with an NCM811 battery pack with a capacity of 96.1 kWh, which is produced in the Beijing Benz battery plant. The European models come with 89 or 90.56 kWh, depending on the variant.
Beijing Benz had already started production of the EQE for the Chinese market in June. The first EQE built at that time was also the four millionth vehicle to roll off the production line at the BBAC factory.
However, Chinese media are already discussing how attractive the EQE is for Chinese customers at the sales launch. The market for mid-sized and large e-limousines is also increasingly occupied by Chinese manufacturers, be it established brands like BYD with the Han EV or start-ups like Nio with the ET7 and Xpeng with the P7 – all of which are cheaper than the EQE. A well-known Chinese car blogger wrote on Weibo after the launch of the EQE: “Give me a reason to buy it instead of the ET7.” However, it is part of Mercedes CEO Ola Källenius’ new luxury strategy to price his own vehicles at the upper end of the segment in each case.
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