Previewed by the Vision EQS concept car unveiled at the 2019 Frankfurt Motor Show, the 2022 Mercedes-Benz EQS promises to be the “S-Class of EVs.”
Mercedes Erlkönig EQS 2021(V297) prototypes * 4K SPY VIDEO
The car will be based on a dedicated modular platform called EVA (Electric Vehicle Architecture) that should underpin other future Mercedes-Benz EVs as well, while the battery will be built in-house by Daimler’s Accumotive subsidiary.
If the concept car’s specifications trickle down to the road-going production model, we are looking at a Lithium-ion battery with approximately 100 kWh of available juice, out of a gross 110 kWh.
This translated into about 700 km (435 miles) of range in the WLTP cycle, while the two electric motors, one on each axle, developed a combined output of 476 metric horsepower.
The production car is expected to feature a similar arrangement but with at least three different power and battery outputs, just like Porsche has done with the Taycan and Tesla with the Model S, two of the EQS not-so-direct future rivals.
In other words, don’t be surprised if the “S-Class of EVs” starts as a single model and then gradually becomes a fully-fledged lineup going forward. A single-motor, RWD version with the bigger battery shouldn’t be too far from the 1,000 km (621 miles) range threshold that no production EV has hit yet.
Battery wise, we can probably expect around 100 kWh usable for the top model and 80 kWh for the mid-level version, which is the same output found in the Mercedes-Benz EQC. An entry-level with a 66.5 kWh battery that is used by the recently unveiled EQA and upcoming EQB isn’t out of the question either.
Mercedes-AMG could also have a go at the EQS, especially since Affalterbach engineers already have tons of experience with the quad-motor SLS AMG Electric Drive from a few years back. With an electric motor in each wheel hub, a Mercedes-AMG EQS would likely provide devastating acceleration figures, not to mention a torque vectoring system that doesn’t need brakes or a clever differential to work properly.
