Auto motor und sport magazine gave new details about the first electric SUV from Mercedes history. Mercedes EQ will be built on a dedicated platform named EVA.
After some years in which Mercedes uses the conventional platforms to develop electric models and we mention here the smart ED and the Mercedes B-Class ED, the premium carmaker has decided for a radical solution.
Mercedes will develop a subbrand named EQ and a dedicated platform for the 100% electric vehicles named EVA which can be used for many type of bodies like SUV, sedans, coupes and other derivates and for different classes.
According to Mercedes insider, the first 100% electric model built on EVA platform – the EQ SUV – will be presented at the end of 2018. By 2023, two other SUVs and two sedans in different sizes will follow. A sedan fits the size between C and E-Class will offer an alternative to the conventional C-Class while a second sedan in the format of S-Class will compete against Tesla Model S.
Future plans also involves development of three purely electric models in the compact class with 300 to 400 km range.
The new platform EVA will accommodate the batteries in a structure placed between the axles which will have 4.5 sqm and 13 cm high. The maximum capacity of the batteries is 110 kWh which “will be enough for a range of more than 500 km in the new European driving cycle WLTP and a range of 450 to 500 km in reality”, reports a project leader from Mercedes.
The batteries alone weigh around 700 kg, which means than an SUV like the EQ with the size of the current GLC should have a kerbweight of around 2,400 kg.
The Mercedes EQ SUV will be powered by two electric motors on the front and rear axles, creating an electric all-drive traction with axle variable torque distribution. With a total output of up to 300 kw in the most powerful variant and a maximum torque of up to 700 Nm, EQ accelerates to 100 km/h in under 5 seconds, as quick as Mercedes-AMG GLC 43 4Matic.
