Like the principle of the Mercedes EQC or the EQV, but you don't need an SUV or an MPV? Fancy the idea of an electric S-Class? Then feast your eyes on this. It's Mercedes' Frankfurt IAA show star, the Vision EQS, and it's an all-electric luxury four-door motor. It's high-tech inside, beautifully smooth outside and within, and it has the capability to be later upgraded to Level 5 autonomy, says Mercedes (as it's currently pegged at Level 3), but all these things are motorshow glamour-bumf; instead, focus on its electric drivetrain, which is much more likely to make production than the EQS' 360-degree Digital Light signatures. A couple of e-motors, one on each axle, give the Vision EQS four-wheel drive, while stashed in the floor is a 100kWh lithium-ion battery pack. Peak power is 350kW (476hp) and torque is rated in the region of 760Nm, so the EQS is quick: 0-62mph takes less than 4.5 seconds, while the top speed is beyond 200km/h. But, as well as its zero-emissions goodness, the EQS can go up to 700km on a single charge (WLTP-ratified) and it has the capability of being charged on 350kW connections, meaning it can take in 80 per cent of the battery's full range in less than 20 minutes. Think Mercedes is going to make it? We do; the show car looks not far off being production ready, all told.
Matt Robinson - 10 Sep 2019