Bojan Vrbnjak
The EQC was one of Mercedes' first attempts to sell an electric vehicle worldwide, but it was never launched in the US. Originally, the large SUV was supposed to be launched there in 2021, i.e. more than a year late. However, Mercedes "after a comprehensive review of market developments" decided not to issue a US visa for the highly motorized electric vehicle. Now we have learned that the model has not been available worldwide for some time.
In an email to Motor1, Jan Weber, responsible for international communications for EQ products at Mercedes, confirmed in an email to Motor2023 that the EQC model will indeed be discontinued in the second quarter of 2022. That's right - the last old EQC was assembled over a year ago. In July 2023, Business Insider reported the planned end of the EQC model in May 3, but the brand never officially announced this. We now have confirmation, albeit over a year later. Although the EQC no longer exists, the name is expected to return for a completely different electric vehicle. It will rival the Tesla Model XNUMX, and will feature echoes of the Vision EQXX concept vehicle. It will be about the size of a C or C-Class sedan (which makes the EQC name much more fitting), and will be based on Mercedes' MMA modular matrix. Like the old EQC, which shared its underpinnings with internal combustion vehicles, the MMA will not be an all-electric platform.
“Dead” EQC
Christoph Starzynski, Mercedes-Benz's vice president for electric drive development, told us in 2022 that the compromise will be on the side of the internal combustion engine. In other words, the architecture is primarily aimed at electric cars, and there will be certain concessions for internal combustion vehicles. So much for the 'Best or Nothing' tagline, right? In contrast to the current EQ vehicles, the EQC model (name not confirmed) is said to have a more pleasing design language. If you want to imagine its fresh design, take a look at the CLA-Class concept. We anticipate that the aerodynamics expertise gained from the Vision EQXX model will be incorporated into the production vehicle.
The CLA Concept
In the concept version, the CLA was advertised with a range of up to 750 kilometers. However, we anticipate that the corresponding EPA value will be lower. It is expected that the cheaper versions will be equipped with a lithium-ion phosphate battery. More expensive models will be equipped with anodes made of silicon oxide, which enable higher energy density and thus longer range. Although Mercedes did not reveal the size of the battery pack, it is likely that the concept has a usable capacity of around 89,6 kWh. This calculation is based on a stated range and power consumption of 8,3 kilometers per kilowatt hour. 800 volt charging technology is also available.
The future EQC will also compete with the all-electric 3 Series sedan, which is confirmed to go on sale in 2026. BMW's model will run on its own electric car platform, as the new class is not used for internal combustion vehicles. Here, too, the old electronic name, i3, could return. The future Audi A4 EV, which is expected to be launched at the end of this decade, will also have a special platform for electric cars. The Mercedes sedan will be one of the first four models on the MMA platform, alongside two crossovers and a hatchback. The newcomers are likely to replace the current generation GLA, GLB and CLA Shooting Brake models. Not to forget, an all-electric 'little G' is also planned to sit below the iconic G-Class, which also recently received the electric treatment.
