First details about Mercedes electric S-Class EQS: a hyperscreen, semi-autonomous driving and a 700-kilometer range

• With the futuristic EQS, Mercedes wants to be at the forefront of luxury electric cars. The model stands on a completely new platform.
• The generously dimensioned 100 kWh battery is said to enable a range of up to 700 kilometers.
• For an extra charge, the dashboard will transform into a giant screen.
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Mercedes apparently went about developing their electric models with typical Swabian thoroughness. In fact, the Stuttgart-based company is comparatively late with its EQ model offensive. Starting this year, however, the traditional brand wants to be at the forefront of e-mobility. The EQA compact SUV, which is based on the GLA, kicked things off at the end of January, but things will only get really classy with the flagship of the new EV fleet. The futuristically styled EQS luxury sedan, which is just over five meters long, is set to become nothing less than the S-Class of the electric age and will also be unveiled this spring. From the summer, it will be offered in parallel with the special class with a combustion engine, which was only introduced last December.

Over 500 hp is quite realistic

However, the EQS is an independent car in all respects. It will be the first Mercedes model to use Daimler’s MEA. The acronym stands for the Group’s new modular electric architecture, which enables completely different proportions and thus more generous interior space. The batteries housed in the vehicle floor are to have a capacity of up to 100 kWh. According to CEO Ola Källenius, the luxury sedan should be able to cover around 700 kilometers on one charge. When it runs out of juice, you still don’t have to wait forever to get going. At a 350 kW fast-charging station, the EQS’s battery can be recharged to 80 percent capacity in just 20 minutes.

Concrete performance data for the electric sedan are not yet known. However, it has been rumored for some time that the direct competitor BMW i7 will be launched next year with around 650 hp. Mercedes won’t be skimping on the EQS in terms of performance either. So the 500 hp of the concept car presented in 2019 should at least be possible. If only because the EQC mid-size SUV, which is based on the modified platform of the GLC, is much lower and already has 408 horses. As in the Vision EQS study, there will probably be an electric motor on each axle, which will ultimately result in a fully-fledged all-wheel-drive system. In terms of chassis technology and assistance systems, it will probably draw from the shelf of the regular S-Class. So the EQS should be semi-autonomous and quite comfortable on the road.

Optional monstrous display

The prototypes, which are still camouflaged at the moment, already reveal that the EQS stays pretty close to the eponymous study in terms of looks. The minimalist design has a very rounded look and was trimmed for maximum aerodynamic efficiency right from the start. The window line rises steeply toward the rear, while the arched roofline only ends at the taillights. The EQS is a hatchback sedan with a large tailgate. At the rear, there is a continuous light strip, as on all previous electric models from Mercedes. At the front, the face familiar from the Vision EQS, with its pointed headlights and implied but completely closed radiator grille, is likely to have made it into series production. At the front, too, the light signature of the two headlights is apparently connected by a narrow LED strip. The upscale versions of the electric flagship are expected to get retractable door handles.

In the interior, which is lined with recycled materials and wood from Swabian forests, the basic EQS is likely to adopt the basic operating system of the S-Class. Thus, a narrow display for the most important vehicle information sits in front of the driver, while a large tablet with touch controls is enthroned on the center console. However, Mercedes will offer the impressive “MBUX hyperscreen” for an additional charge. This is a huge screen that extends across the entire width of the dashboard (1.41 meters). Thanks to a filter system, which is also only available as an option, the interior air is supposed to be cleaner than in an operating room. Due to its expensive lithium-ion battery and complex technology, the EQS is likely to be even more expensive than the more conventional S-Class.

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