The fourth member of Mercedes-Benz’s EQ range is reportedly debuting at the end of the year. Aimed directly at the Porsche Taycan and Tesla Model S, the Mercedes-Benz EQE will be the last addition to the German brand’s all-electric range for the year.
Speaking with Automotive News Europe, Mercedes-Benz CEO Ola Kallenius revealed that the EQE is scheduled to greet the world at the 2021 IAA. The event formerly known as the Frankfurt auto show has changed venues and will now be held in Munich.
Like the larger EQS, which is scheduled to debut soon, the EQE will be underpinned by Mercedes’ new Electric Vehicle Architecture (EVA). Production will take place initially at the company’s Bremen, Germany facility before expanding to Beijing, China to cater to the local market there.
Unlike the EQ models using a platform that accommodates traditional internal combustion engines and electrified powertrains, the EQE has been developed as an EV from the ground up. As a result, it could have more range on a charge. The larger EQS is supposedly capable of 435 miles in the WLTP cycle according to Mercedes.
When it goes on sale later this year, the EQS will be the first all-electric Mercedes-Benz vehicle. There will not be a luxury sedan in the market, nor is there one right now, that compares to the size, the packaging, and the space as the EQS,” Kallenius told Automotive News Europe. “It sits a segment above including a back seat where you can actually sit comfortably.” He also added that the EQS will also get reclining rear seats and that the car won’t be an electrified clone of the new S-Class.
The EQE will slot below the EQS in terms of size. It’ll likely be the second or third EQ model to come to the U.S. depending on whether Mercedes decides to also add the upcoming EQB crossover to the lineup. Following the two sedans will be two larger crossovers on the EVA platform, the EQE SUV and EQS SUV. Those are expected to debut next year.
