Quite the to-do list.
German luxury automaker Mercedes-Benz aren’t known for doing things on a small scale, and this latest development is yet another example of their need to always go big. The industry is now moving towards electrified and fully-electric automotive powertrains in a bid to reduce emissions levels globally, and Mercedes-Benz wants to play a major role in that strategy, with no less than 130 electrified variants from the Stuttgart company set to be introduced in the next 7-years. This demands €10-billion investment (or about $16.2-billion here), and Mercedes-Benz’s upper management’s just approved it.
At the centre of this mammoth growth will be its new electrified sub-brand, EQ. The EQ marque has been in the news lately after they introduced their debut model, the EQ-C electric family SUV last week. It’ll only be going into production mid-2019 though, but we doubt it’ll be doing so alone: The Bremen factory in Germany is being retooled to put the EQ-C together and once that’s done, it’ll have to accommodate the EQ-A compact hatch that was confirmed to the media earlier this year (that will mirror the A-Class in packaging).
And after that, there’ll be an EQS to cap the EQ range, which will offer S-Class levels of luxury, space, and technological innovation.
The EQ-C and EQ-A are both underpinned by modified platforms from the GLC and A-Class respectively, with the resulting electric architectures dubbed MEA1 and MEA1.5 respectively. However, the EQ-S will demand its own, bespoke platform, which will likely later be utilised for larger electric EQ vehicles. This will be called MEA2, and will employ an aluminium-heavy design that’ll allow for a fully-flat floor, improving interior packaging to the point that it’ll be able to offer S-Class levels of space in an overall exterior size package that’s only slightly larger than an E-Class.
Autocar reckons that the EQ-S will make use of two electric motors on either axle, giving the big electric limousine permanent all-wheel drive. A similar setup in the EQ-C has been rated at 300kW and 765Nm, which is more than enough for a Mercedes-Benz limousine, surely. The EQ-C’s been unveiled with a 80kWh battery, but bigger battery packs are reportedly on the way; The larger batteries will likely find their way into the EQ-S.
10-pure EVs have been committed to by Mercedes-Benz, though they’re not limited to the 2025 deadline. Outside of the 3 confirmed EQ models that’ll be on sale by 2022, the rest of the electrified offensive will come in the form of new-generation cars making use of Mercedes-Benz’s new EQ Boost mild-hybrid powertrains. The company’s said in the past that their 48V MHEV setups are easy to integrate into their current products; This will prove critical as the company moves to reduce its wider fleet Co2 emissions to 2021 European Union targets.
With EQ Boost, Mercedes-Benz has the option to roll out fast and wide to hit that targeted 130-variants in the next 7-years. We know that cars like the C300e, C300de, E300e and E300de PHEVs are on their way, as well as A250e 4Matic and B250e 4Matic models as well. This is only the tip of the iceberg, as we can soon expect to see multiple EQ Boost powertrain options populating the lineups of every combustion-powered Mercedes-Benz model that’s either already here, or slated for introduction.
The very last piece of the puzzle, and likely the one with the lowest takeup, comes int he form of the GLC Fuel Cell model, that will be offered in limited numbers on conditional leases sometime later this year. The GLC Fuel Cell uses a standard GLC as its base, before fitting a fuel cell stack, a hydrogen tank, a lithium-ion battery pack and plug-in charging capabilities. On a full tank of hydrogen you can expect to see a range of about 500km.
For the best deals on a Mercedes-Benz, check out our Showroom.
