The Mercedes EQA SUV crossover coupe: Intelligent Electric Mobility

Mercedes-Benz has unveiled its new product brand for electric mobility – EQ – at major auto shows in 2018 and 2019. Says Mercedes: “The future is electric and intelligent. Intelligent electric mobility - this is what the new Mercedes-Benz EQ product brand stands for. An attractive design, exceptional driving fun, high levels of suitability for everyday use and maximum safety are further attributes. EQ represents the two Mercedes-Benz brand values of "emotion and intelligence" and comprises all significant aspects of customer-oriented electric mobility.”   

By John Coulter, CMO, Current EV, July 2019   

Like Tesla, and many other OEMs developing new EVs, Mercedes-Benz plans to create an “electric mobility” line of products that includes products, services and technologies. The ecosystem spectrum will range for EVs to wallboxes, charging services and energy storage units for homes and businesses.   

The EQA SUV coupe – comparable in size to the Mercedes A-Class, but with 2 doors instead of 4, is the first vehicle the German carmaker plans to bring to the marketplace. EQA will offer between 180 and 200 pure electric miles, generated from a 60kWh Battery, dual motors with over 268hp and an AWD delivering a 0 to 60 speed of around 5 seconds.   

Mercedes has indicated its future lines of EQ Pure Electrics may come in various battery sizes, as do the Tesla models. Whether the 60kWh battery is for the base car or the top luxury trim is unclear: Mercedes hasn’t been specific on this. But there is little doubt the company has embraced the EV Revolution; they’re spending billions creating new factories in Europe and China to create their new EV product lines. Says Mercedes: “The first EQ production model in the SUV segment will be launched before the end of the decade. It will be followed by a model initiative, which will gradually supplement the product range of Mercedes-Benz Cars with electric models.”   

The product range of EQ will comprise all future battery-electric powered vehicles as well as the associated products and services from Mercedes-Benz. With it, the inventor of the automobile creates easy and transparent orientation for the customers in its constantly expanding model range. This makes the EQ brand the next logical step in the "Best Customer Experience" sales and marketing strategy. 

“Mercedes-Benz already offers a suitable charging infrastructure for electrified vehicles today, which includes a wallbox charger as a quick charger for the home, the free "Charge&Pay” app for convenient recharging at public stations, as well as stationary energy storage units for home-owners and companies to store electricity from photovoltaic or solar systems. All these products and services will in future be bundled under EQ. In so doing, Mercedes-Benz establishes a consistent and clear visual appearance for sustainable products and services bearing the three-pointed star.”   

Says Dr. Dieter Zetsche, CEO of Daimler AG and Head of Mercedes-Benz Cars: "The mobility of tomorrow at Mercedes-Benz rests on four pillars: Connected, Autonomous, Shared and Electric. Concept EQ brings all of this together logically. Zero-emission powertrains are the future. And our new brand EQ goes far beyond the electric vehicle. EQ stands for a comprehensive electric ecosystem with services, technologies, and innovations."   

The EQA SUV coupe is low-slung, designed with an elongated greenhouse effect that employs purist proportions. A flowing architectural transition takes place between the black bonnet and futuristic windscreen to the dark-tinted panoramic glass roof. These two New Gen components contrast the alubeam silver outer skin. Panel gaps are hardly visible; windshield wipers are concealed; there are cameras instead of side mirrors; and conventional door handles have been eliminated, providing what Mercedes calls a “stretched and dynamic silhouette.”   

"Concept EQ is hot and cool," Says Gorden Wagener, Head of Design at Daimler AG about EQA’s new electric exterior look: "Its fascination lies in the reinterpretation of our design philosophy of sensuous clarity for an avant-garde, modern and distinct electric aesthetic. At the same time, the design stripped down to the bare essentials of the visionary show car reveals a seductive progressivism." The monolithic basic shape of the Concept EQ combines SUV genes with a dynamic coupé character and borrows from a shooting brake at the rear.”   

EQA’s interior will offer a modern luxury, and an all-new user interface that eliminates switches and buttons (with the exception of Mercedes power seat controls). In the EQA prototypes displayed at auto shows, the center console appears to float; it lacks mechanical controls, using touch-sensitive elements instead. Drivers will operate automatic climate controls and the infotainment system with a finger.   

Says Dieter Zetsche concerning his company’s leap forward into embracing the Electric Evolution/Revolution: “Now we are throwing the switch. We are ready to start an electric initiative, with which we will cover all vehicle segments from the compact to the luxury class."