Mercedes EQE: the electric sedan with a range of 660 km to take on the Tesla Model S

The Tesla Model S will soon be celebrating its 10th anniversary. An eternity in the automotive industry. And yet, it retains an important place in the world of electric vehicles, in particular thanks to its latest developments. Porsche and Audi have tried to grab market share from it, with the sporty electric sedans that are the Taycan and e-tron GT. At Mercedes, it is with a more rational offer that the manufacturer wants to seize a piece of the pie. Thus, the star brand presents the EQE, the electric equivalent of its E-Class sedan at the Munich show.

At first glance, the EQE looks like its big sister, the EQS. In terms of design, the main difference lies in the more compact dimensions of the EQE, still 4.95 m long.

Like the EQS, the EQE sports flowing lines, which promises excellent aerodynamics. As a reminder, the EQS is the current record holder for the best drag coefficient for a production car, with a C_x of 0.20.

Inside, the similarities to the EQS continue. Customers will be able to choose between two different dashboards. The layout of the former is analogous to that of the latter S-Class, but like the EQS, the EQE also offers the impressive Hyperscreen. Its dashboard is then covered with a large slab, integrating the 12.3 ”instrument cluster, the 17.7” central screen, and a 12.3 ”entertainment screen for the passenger.

Mercedes announces increased habitability compared to the E-Class, whose dimensions are similar to those of the EQE. The trunk, which opens with a trunk, is however not very bulky with only 430 l of loading volume. A possible station wagon version would better meet the needs of families.

Autonomy worthy of a Tesla

The EQE takes the EQS’s EVA2 platform, allowing it to offer rear-wheel steering and optional air suspensions. It will be launched with two different versions. Only the EQE 350 version is detailed today by Mercedes. It has a single electric motor on its rear axle, with a maximum power of 215 kW (292 hp), for a torque of 530 Nm. Performance is not mentioned. Other four-wheel-drive versions are expected to follow.

This 350 version has a battery with a useful capacity of around 90 kWh. Its WLTP range is announced between 545 and 660 km, while a Model S Grande Autonomie announces up to 652 km of range. The Porsche Taycan and Audi e-tron do not exceed 500 km of autonomy. The EQE offers a charger allowing a charging power of 11 kW alternating current as standard, or 22 kW as an option. In direct current, it is limited to 170 kW, allowing up to 250 km of autonomy in 15 minutes.

However, it will be necessary to be patient before taking advantage of this great autonomy. Indeed, the EQE will not be launched until mid-2022. It remains to know its prices, which will have to be competitive against the € 99,990 claimed by a Model S Large Autonomy, but also compared to equivalent thermal offers.