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A good year after the EQS, Mercedes is launching its smaller brother, the EQE. The electric business sedan not only offers a lot of luxury, but also has a competitor in particular in focus.
The existence Mercedes so much attention is drawn to it that car drivers roll down their windows at a red traffic light and ask what kind of model it is, is extraordinary. Especially when this happens twice within 20 minutes. This is what happened on our first test drive with the EQE.
stands out
Without a doubt, this almost five meter long Mercedes limousine is striking. The proportions of the body not only look unusual, they are. A very long wheelbase, combined with short overhangs, the arched roofline and a greenhouse that is set far forward, arouse curiosity. Is that still a Mercedes?
Assuredly. And from the summer of this year, you will definitely see the all-electric business sedan more often, even if its entry-level price starts just over 70.000 euros. Because with the EQE, Mercedes has put an attractive car on wheels that you can only reject if you really don't have anything to do with e-mobility - or if you're an unconvertible Tesla fan. Because the EQE is the first electric car aimed directly at the Model S from Tesla. In the important business/company car segment, the Californian competitor has almost had a monopoly.
Platform adopted by EQS
The fact that the Stuttgart-based car manufacturer managed so quickly to place a second model of the same design – only slightly smaller – just a year after the EQS is due to the platform specially designed for this purpose. It's called EVA, which stands for Electric Vehicle Platform. EVA is already under the EQS. So nothing had to be newly developed for the EQE, but the architecture “only” had to be adapted to the slightly smaller size. There is a slightly smaller battery in the bottom of the EQE than in the EQS. Its capacity is only 108 kWh instead of 90, but still enough to allow the driver of the EQE 350+ a WLTP range of up to 654 kilometers.
As with all dedicated electric platforms, the occupants benefit from more space, since electric machines are significantly more compact than combustion engines and neither the transmission nor the exhaust system take up space. Even adults sit very comfortably in the back. According to Mercedes, the interior dimensions even exceed those of the current E-Class W 213. However, the EQE buys the rear headroom with a small package disadvantage. It does not have a large tailgate like the EQS, but has a fixed rear window and a conventional trunk lid. Otherwise, the hinges in the roof would have restricted headroom too much, not to mention adding weight to the entire rear end.
Everything is coordinated inside
At the market launch, Mercedes is initially offering the EQE as a 350+ with 215 kW and rear-wheel drive and as an AMG 43 4Matic (350 kW) with all-wheel drive. Both are based on the cockpit of the S-Class with the large, forward-leaning central display. If you look along the contours of the dashboard behind it, you know immediately: they reflect the shape of the hyperscreen exactly. Mercedes offers this, the largest display area in the automotive industry, for a surcharge. For the first time, the person sitting on the right can even watch films or surf the Internet while driving.
But even without the fascinating screen landscape, operating the EQE remains a pleasure. Everything is presented cleanly and appears well thought out. This also applies to voice control, which is currently at the forefront of the industry. Even several commands in a row are easily implemented. For example: "Hey, Mercedes, turn on the heated seats and navigate me to Frankfurt Airport."
Parallels to the EQS
The drive there is calm and smooth, which is not only typical of an electric car, but also typical of Mercedes. The EQE is pure relaxation, the comfort is unrivaled in this class. After all, the car has the good genes of the EQS and seems to float over the asphalt more than it rolls. The 215 kW/293 hp of the electric motor and in particular its torque of 565 Newton meters never leave any doubts about insufficient sovereignty.
And so that the premium feeling doesn't fall by the wayside even on longer tours, the developers have also professionally tackled the tiresome subject of charging. The EQE can be recharged at CCS fast charging stations with up to 170 KW. That corresponds to "fresh" 250 kilometers with a 15-minute waiting time, which, however, only works if the charging station is controlled via the navigation system and the battery cells can be optimally preconditioned.
If "Aral" or "Ionity" is then still on the charging station, the plug only needs to be connected to the EQE; neither an app, nor a card, nor a QR code are required, authentication takes place automatically. A convenience that Tesla also offers its customers on its pillars.
Technical data
Four-door, five-seater luxury class sedan; Length: 4,95 meters, width: 1,96 meters, height: 1,51 meters, wheelbase: 3,12 meters, trunk volume: 430 liters
PSM electric motor; 215 kW/293 hp, maximum torque: 565 Nm, rear-wheel drive, automatic input, 0-100 km/h: 6,4 s, Vmax: 210 km/h, battery size: 90 kWh, range: 567 - 654 kilometers, max Charging capacity 170 kW, standard consumption: 18,7 – 15,9 kWh/100 km, CO2 emissions: 0 g/km, efficiency class: A+. Price: from 70.630 euros
In brief
Why: because there is finally a real alternative to Tesla in the business class
Why not: because you basically don't want to drive an electric car
What is sonst: Tesla Model S
When does he come: in summer