The prototype of Mercedes-Benz’s electric SUV has been noticed being tested. The vehicle is based on the Generation EQ concept that made an appearance at the 2016 Paris Auto Show. The prototype is hidden by GLC Coupe body in order not to reveal the new model’s final look, but there are some noticeable differences.
On one of the pictures you can see the SUV charging its batteries and on the other, we can take a peek at what’s under the hood and by the looks of it, this is more than just a plug-in hybrid. It seems that a flat battery pack is integrated into the floor and there is an electric symbol on the windshield.
The German automaker decided to create a new line of electric cars under the EQ name which stands for “Electric Intelligence.” All of the vehicles will be underpinned by a modular “skateboard” platform that enables them to have batteries in the floor with the option of mounting the electric motor either at one or both axles.
2020 Mercedes-Benz EQC Features
Resembling the C-Class in size and positioning, the first electric vehicle from Mercedes will accordingly be called EQC. The facility in Bremen, Germany will be responsible for the production of the new model. The same factory is also in charge of manufacturing the C-Class and GLC vehicles, and later in 2017, it will also start building a GLC F-CELL hydrogen fuel cell car.
A set of electric motors provides the Generation EQ concept with a combined output of around 400 hp. These units are responsible for a “through-the-road” AWD system and will get you from standstill to 60 mph in less than 5.0 seconds. We expect that the EQC will be available to buyers in several trim levels. So far, Mercedes has confirmed that the vehicle will have a range of at least 300 miles before it needs to be recharged as well as more than 70 kWh of battery capacity.
Borrowing from Daimler subsidiary Deutsche Accumotive, the vehicle’s battery will be made using the lithium-ion technology. The facility is already working, and since the new line of Mercedes’ electric cars is coming, it will be further expanded.
We should expect the introduction of the next-generation electric SUV, named 2020 Mercedes-Benz EQC, in about two years, and by 2025 Mercedes plans to introduce at least nine more electric vehicles which will probably include sedans and SUVs as well as a sports car.
