In summer Mercedes starts its electric offensive with the EQC. The mid-range SUV not only impresses with its extremely smooth running and comfort, but also proves to be a smart guy when it comes to range and charging management.
The result can hardly be read more impressively than at Oslo Airport, what it means when the state promotes electromobility. Anyone who walks through the adjacent parking garage doesn't believe their eyes: dozens of electric cars are hanging on the cable there. Tesla, e-tron, Kona, I-Pace, i3, e-Golf, Leaf and Zoe. They all seem to be more represented here and on the streets of the Norwegian capital than normal diesel and petrol engines. The Scandinavian country is number one electron, worldwide. And the ideal place for Mercedes to present its first SUV with a power drive, the EQC.
It is the prelude to an entire family of electronics that the Stuttgart-based company wants to put on the wheels by the end of 2022. With a length of 4,76 meters, the EQC only towers a few centimeters above its “sister model” GLC. The reason is the different body design and the new front, which is intended to show unequivocally that there is no longer an internal combustion engine under the hood. Technically, however, the EQC shares the platform with the GLC and even runs from the same assembly line in Bremen. The EQC only swings out briefly when the almost 700 kg battery is used.
Almost everything revolves around electricity storage in electromobility. Manufacturers are currently trying to get as much energy as possible into the car to alleviate one problem above all: the fear of the range of the customer. The question is not as before about performance and top speed, with an electric car the first question is always: How far can I get with it? Mercedes specifies up to 471 kilometers. Unfortunately, these standard values determined under very favorable conditions belong in the world of fairy tales. Cooler temperatures, the switched on air conditioning or heating and also a more brisk driving style shrink the range considerably in everyday life. Without hesitation and glossing over, EQC's chief engineer, Michael Kelz, gives a realistic clue, because he has been testing the EQC for a long time, driving it through all seasons. "Around 360 kilometers in summer, around 270 kilometers in winter," says Kelz. The on-board computer gives us a similar result, showing a consumption of 25 kWh / 100 km - in Oslo it is only a cool ten degrees Celsius that day. The battery has 80 kWh of capacity. So it would be empty after 320 kilometers - with the same driving style.
To get even more out of this, Mercedes will provide every EQ model - the abbreviation stands for "Electric Intelligence" - with extremely clever software. The navigation system knows exactly the route profile and the traffic conditions to the destination and adjusts the recuperation and driving style accordingly. If a charging stop is necessary on the way, the system shows how much electricity has to be recharged to get to the destination with enough residual energy. The trip can also be conveniently planned in advance from home and sent to the car.
As helpful as a large battery may be for the range, at home it will be impossible to fully recharge the EQC overnight without a powerful wallbox. The normal socket would take 40 hours. With a wallbox, the time is reduced to nine to ten hours, and even to 40 minutes if direct current flows, as can be found on the super chargers on the motorways and on some public charging stations in the city. However, all the prerequisites must also be right here, for example a battery temperature of a good 30 degrees Celsius. Only then can the cells digest the 110 kW charging current that Mercedes specifies as the maximum for the EQC. In addition, the 40 minutes apply only to a charge level of 80 percent.
The EQC is powered by two electric motors, each with 150 kW / 204 hp, the rear one being designed for fast power delivery, the front one for efficiency and recuperation. Together they send 300 kW / 408 PS to the wheels and deliver a torque of a remarkable 760 Newton meters. Both make the EQC, despite its weight of 2,5 tons, not only a sovereign glider, but also, if need be, a sporty companion. Due to the low center of gravity, the EQC is extremely crisp around the corner. Even more impressive is the incredible calm in this electric SUV. While Audi makes its e-tron "howl" a bit like a tram at low speed - probably to remind you that you are sitting in an electric car - no noise is heard from the driver's ear in the Mercedes. The rear electric motor and the wheel arches in particular were insulated extremely extensively.
In terms of price, the Stuttgart-based company is now positioning its 10th electric car - the Smart started in 2009 - a good 8.000 euros below the two main competitors Jaguar I-Pace and Audi e-tron. But that's not all. The 71.281 euros correspond to a net price of 59.900 euros, which means that the EQC is eligible for funding in Germany and the customer can collect a 4.000 euros premium. This and the new 0,5 percent company car regulation, Mercedes believes, should encourage many customers in this segment to switch to electromobility. The order books have been open since May 6th, and the first deliveries are promised for the summer. However: Allegedly, most of the EQC produced this year should already have been sold - to Norway.