Development of the Mercedes-Benz EQS continues as the all-electric luxury sedan gets closer to its official debut. This time, Mercedes-Benz has released a video on YouTube highlighting the powertrain motivating what it calls the S-Class of electric vehicles.
Built on a dedicated platform for EVs, the Mercedes-Benz EQS is the first one to use that architecture. Other vehicles including the upcoming EQE sedan will also ride on this platform as will the EQE and EQS SUVs. In the video, chief powertrain engineer Eva Greiner lets Danish host Felix Smith drive the EQS on a closed course within Daimler’s Immendingen test facility. During the drive, Greiner highlights all the smart features like Eco Assist, which uses navigation data and other information to predict the road. That optimizes powertrain efficiency by telling you when to lift off the accelerator, allowing the car to decelerate and coast to get around a tight turn or a roundabout on its own.
The EQS’s electric powertrain also features torque shifting capability. This allows the car to swap between the front or rear electric motors as needed. A central powertrain controller decides which one is best for the current driving condition. Each electric motor has a different output, allowing the car to maximize efficiency and traction by altering which one does most of the motivation. Using an S-Class Coupe as a reference car, the EQS shows off its grip and stability on wet surfaces thanks to its ability to shift torque around and keep the vehicle from sliding all over the place through corners even at high speeds.
By 2022, the Mercedes-Benz EQ lineup will grow to eight models. The latest addition was announced last week, the EQA, a subcompact crossover that’s essentially an all-electric variant of the GLA-Class. When it debuts before the end of the first quarter of 2021, the EQS sedan will serve as the flagship of Mercedes’ EQ lineup. It’ll be the first vehicle to feature the latest version of MBUX sporting the gigantic hyperscreen, which spans the whole dash.
