Upcoming all-electric Mercedes-Benz will be just one of several models in the new EQ sub-brand.
Gas-powered SUVs and crossovers may be all the rage right now, but that doesn’t mean electric vehicles are going anywhere. In fact, the Mercedes-Benz EQC is coming in 2019. And that’s just the beginning.
In the above video, Jonny Smith of Fully Charged rides in an EQC development mule with its chief engineer, Michael Kelz, and international product communications representative Wolfgang Wurth. Over time, other models – the EQA, EQE, and EQS – will join the EQC in the EQ sub-brand. Mercedes-Benz is so serious about the spin-off line of vehicles that it’s investing billions of dollars in infrastructure and plants around the world for both battery and vehicle production.
Underneath all of the confusing cladding and graphics, the EQC wears production-version body work. When we finally do see what the finished, dealer-ready model looks like in September, it’ll have a wheelbase close in length to that of the GLC. According to Kelz, in terms its comfort levels, the EQC will be similar to the E-Class while having the sportiness of a CLS. No doubt the future EQC’s projected 400-horsepower output will contribute to that sportiness and a 0-62 mph time of about five seconds.
Two electric motors and a 70-kWh battery pack should also enable the EQC to cover 310 miles on a full charge. Adjustable regenerative braking will allow drivers to coast without any regen drag or use aggressive regen to effectively drive the EQC with just one pedal. The prototype Smith rides in is nearly silent, but by the time Kelz is done with his job, the customer version of the EQC should be totally quiet. If even we won’t be able to hear it, we will be seeing it on the road in early 2019.
Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.
After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.
While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.
Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.
