Mercedes-Benz steps up competition against Tesla with fully electric EQS ​​Vision

At the moment, it is only a conceptual vehicle, but it is generally believed that the Mercedes-Benz Vision EQS offers a clear indication of what a 100% electric version of the S-Class will look like. , the flagship product of the brand.

The EQS is one of a dozen concept cars and production vehicles that made their debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show last week. A number of them eventually entered showrooms in the United States, as well as in Europe, China and other major markets.

The Vision EQS adds to Mercedes' already growing range of production models, including the much cheaper EQB and EQC, and highlights not only the financial commitment Daimler has made to electrify its offering, but also its determination to dethrone Tesla king of the emerging market of battery cars.

On the visual side, the Vision EQS adopts what Mercedes calls a "single-arc" design language, pushing the coupe-like shape of its current S-Class even further. Although long, low and wide, the concept takes into account the new possibilities offered by the skateboard platform that houses its battery pack, motors and other transmission components. Without a big engine at the front, the designers have released some of this space to make room for passengers and freight.

This is, of course, a vehicle concept and a number of details are unlikely to transform it into current production, including the camera system that replaces conventional mirrors, as well as the "floating" dashboard and steering wheel. rectangular. The cab replaces conventional gauges, buttons and switches with an assortment of touch screens, including those built into each of the front seat armrests.

To focus on "sustainable" transportation, Mercedes has largely replaced materials, such as leather, traditionally associated with a high-end luxury vehicle. Instead, it uses various artificial materials, the roof liner, including recycled plastic "ocean waste".

Mercedes designers have also minimized chrome, both inside and out, replacing it whenever possible with accent lighting. On the outside, nearly 200 spot LEDs surround the classic three-star Mercedes logo at the front, as well as 229 other individually illuminated stars that form a "light belt" at the back.

Based on lightweight materials and an extremely aerodynamic design, the 100-kilowatt-hour Vision EQS battery pack should cover approximately 700 km, although it uses the fairly generous European WLTP test cycle. US EPA figures are generally about a quarter lower.

The battery pack slips into the skateboard-like platform, as do the two concept engines, one on each axle, that combine 469 horsepower and 560 lb-ft of torque. And, with this couple almost instantly, Mercedes estimates that the EQS would reach 60 mph in 4.5 seconds, with a maximum speed limited to over 124 mph. The layout also allows an all wheel drive system on the road that can instantly switch power from the front to the rear.

The platform used in the EQS is "scalable and usable on several models," Mercedes said in a detailed statement on the concept. This means that it was designed for production and use on a "wide range of different vehicles" to come. All in all, parent Daimler plans to spend close to $ 25 billion in batteries and facilities to build them over the next decade, not to mention the billions more spent on product development.

The automaker has confirmed that it will offer a wide range of new battery-powered electric vehicles, including the EQB and EQC models that anchor the low-end, as well as the EQV van, which will also debut in production at the Salon de l ' Frankfurt Motor.

A special version of the EQC crossover, dubbed the 1886 Edition, will be the first to reach the US showrooms next year, taking a leap forward in the planned Tesla Y model. Although Mercedes representatives did not provide complete details, they suggested that the brand would offer a wider range of all-electric models than the California automaker.

Mercedes, of course, is not the only manufacturer to offer visitors to Frankfurt a glimpse of its new electric cars and its new concepts. Rival Volkswagen AG has also come up with many new models, including the production version of its small ID.3. Nicknamed by the car manufacturer "an electric car for the greatest number", it is the first long-range BEV of the company, which will start at 30,000 euros. That would be around 33,000 USD, although there is no immediate plan to bring ID.3 to the US, with VW opting for an upcoming electric crossover that will be built on its channel of Chattanooga, Tennessee.

Volkswagen's Audi and Porsche brands also showcased cars and drum concepts, and even its Lamborghini brand weighed in with Sian, its most powerful product of all time, thanks to a lightweight hybrid transmission.

BMW and Hyundai are also well-known brands, but Byton M-Byte, the standard product of the Chinese electric crossover showcased for the first time at the Consumer Electronics Show in January, is receiving a lot of attention. It will also be Tesla's Model Y when it launches in China next year, with a planned launch in the United States in 2021.

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