Luxury of Choice Why Mercedes-Benz’ EQS is an Electric Milestone

Merc’s EQS also arrives at a time where new electric vehicle registrations are romping toward 25 percent of the German new car market.

Every time you look, there’s a new new electric car being launched. There must be two or three electric car announcements on a good day — ten or more a week, as carmakers rush to electrify their ranges. It’s not that they really care that much more about electrification or less about combustion. It’s because they have to lower the carbon footprint of their ranges. Or suffer the pain of billions of dollars of greenie fines.

Cars Are Changing — Faster than Ever

Which is why the car market is changing as fast as it ever has in the first world. It makes little difference to many drivers and likely never will, besides the fact that if you’re brand loyal, in some cases you will be forced to drive electric before too long. Other makers will however continue to allow you the choice of everything from biturbo V12 engines to fully electric floats. And that’s one of the Mercedes-Benz EQS’ big plusses. But there’s far more to it too.

See, the Mercedes-Benz S Class is somewhat of a pillar among cars. So, when an electric one of those comes along, it’s a pretty big deal. That will sway opinion. Merc’s EQS also arrives at a time where new electric vehicle registrations are romping toward 25 percent of the German new car market. And it’s not going to stop climbing anytime soon.

So, if you want to drive an electric luxury car, there’s now an S Class for you too. But if you want a hybrid, or a straight petrol V8, even an AMG 63, there’s still also one of all of those. There’s even a biturbo V12 65 or a Maybach S Class. It’s called freedom and it seems in Merc’s case at least, that you will long have the luxury of choice.

Meet M-B’s EQS

But this is about the electric S, and here it is. Meet the all-new Mercedes-Benz EQS that sets new standards in electric motoring luxury, electronics, aerodynamics and updatable software update capability around an electric drivetrain with up to 700 hp of power on tap, if you want it.

The launch Mercedes-Benz EQS range includes the 5,467 lb kg rear-wheel drive EQS 450 with a 328 hp 339 lb ft rear-mounted asynchronous electric motor good for 60 mph in 6.2 seconds. The 5,698 lb twin-motor all-wheel drive 516 kW 855 Nm EQS 630 gets to 60 in a rapid 4.3 seconds and both cars’ top end is limited to 130 mph. A 700 hp Mercedes-AMG EQS will follow and there’s an electric Maybach EQS on the cards too.

Both new EQS models get a 107.8 kWh lithium-ion battery with 26% higher energy content than the one used in the EQC, for a claimed 478-mile WTLP range.