Merc expands EV offering with EQE

Slick: The spacious interior of the Mercedes-Benz EQE is something to desire – and it can be customised. It has comfortable seats and headrest covered in soft leather and the digital instrument cluster is a thing of beauty.

When talking about electric vehicles (EV) and how silent they are, it’s best to remind ourselves that our forebears rode horses, which were relatively silent. That was before vehicles replaced horse-drawn carriages with their internal combustion engines (ICE) beating at their hearts.

Not to say electric cars weren’t a thing then: they were, but ICE-powered cars won the technological battle against EVs. Why? Well, their minimal electric driving ranges posed significant issues and the batteries added more weight while also taking up a lot of space.

But that’s all in the past and engineers seem to have finally found a workable formula for them as the tide now turns to fully electric vehicles.

This brings us to the newly launched Mercedes-Benz EQE, which is essentially a fully electric version of the E-Class. Launched recently at a special function in Johannesburg, the EQE is the fifth Mercedes-EQ EV to be launched

in Mzansi following the introduction of the EQA, EQB, EQC and EQS in 2022.

It sits on the same premium-class electric architecture EVA2 as the flagship EQS and offers some of its tech in a more compact format.

On looks alone, it is its design that gives it away as an electric car. It follows the same design as other EQ models. For example, it pretty much looks similar to the EQS, just scaled down and shorter, thanks to a shorter wheelbase, overhangs, plus more recessed flanks.

Sold in two variants — 350+ and a 43 AMG 4Matic — the EQE sits on a set of 19- to 21-inch aerodynamically enhanced alloy wheels.

Arriving at the launch, Mercedes-Benz had lined up the EQ range including both variants of the EQE — and it’s worth mentioning that I did not get to drive both cars because they haven’t yet been approved.

Driving impressions aside, the interior is something to talk about. If you are familiar with the EQS’s interior, then you will feel right at home in the EQE, with a few watered-down aspects. You still get the same standard gorgeous 12.8” digital instrument cluster, an optional MBUX Hyperscreen, a 12.3” portrait-like OLED infotainment system plus outer nozzles of the air vents that feature a turbine design.

Buyers can customise the interior using various interior options. Overall, the interior is exquisite, thanks to the soft leather, sporty yet comfy seats with integrated headrests, wood trim on various touch points as well as tight shut lines. While the EQE material is down a step from the opulent EQS I saddled into at the launch, there is little to complain about.

When it comes to space, the EQE provides that in spades, thanks to a boot capacity that measures 430 litres, which is a margin smaller than the conventional E-Class with 540 litres.

And moving to the big news —performance credentials. Starting with the base EQE 350+, this model houses a rear-mounted electric motor that generates 215kW of power and 565Nm of torque. Its power comes from a 90.5kWh battery pack that ensures a 6.4-second sprint to 100km/h from a standstill before hitting the top speed at 210km/h.

The EQE 43, on the other hand, ups the ante with its 350kW and 858Nm shoved to all four wheels. That results in a 4.2-second acceleration time to 100km/h, despite its hefty weight that tips the scales at 2 400kg. Like its counterpart, it uses a 90.5kWh battery pack and its top speed is also capped at 210km/h.

According to Mercedes-Benz, the former can travel up to 645km before running out of power, and performance in electric cars does tend to deplete quicker the battery power, so the latter’s cruising range is down to a claimed 535km.

Getting the battery packs recharged using a 170kW DC charger adds about 80% in 32 minutes, while 0 to 100% charge when using a three-phase AC charger takes nine hours and 15 minutes with an 11kW plug. A 22kW outlet gets the same charging task completed in four hours and 45 minutes.

On the safety side, the EQE adds a microsleep warning from Attention Assist. What it does is it monitors the driver’s eyelid movements using a camera in the driver display and therefore prompts drivers to take a break when it deems necessary.

The EQE comes with a four-link front suspension and multi-link rear suspension and buyers can fit the Airmatic air suspension with ADS+ adaptive damping system for added road comfort as well as rear-axle steering. As for the EQE 43, it can be fitted optionally with the AMG Ride Control+ air suspension with adaptive adjustable damping.

Almost every manufacturer is itching to enter the EV fray. I have sampled may electric vehicles, the likes of the Audi RS e-tron GT, BMW i4, iX3 and Mercedes-Benz EQS, and the EQE occupies a segment of its own and has no rival in South Africa.

As far as first impressions go, the EQE promises to become a hit in the local EV fold and may have called forth future rivals. In terms of how it stacks, you will have to wait until we get behind the wheel.