All the EVs Mercedes-Benz is launching in Mzansi this year

Launched locally late last week in the north of Johannesburg, EQ represents an umbrella under which the German automaker intends to roll out more than ten all-electric vehicles by 2025. Here’s a look at the first five destined for our market in 2022.

EQA 250 – May 2022

First up is the dynamic sports SUV EQA. An electric crossover, it’s a sibling to the GLA compact SUV, and will arrive first as the EQA 250. That’ll have a single electric motor for front-wheel drive, and a range Mercedes expects to clock in at 412 km.

It’ll do 0-100 km/h in 8.7 seconds, and recharge from 10-80% in 30 minutes on a 100 kW DC fast charger. Down the line, Mercedes says, there’ll be all-wheel-drive versions as well as models with more performance.

EQB 350 4MATIC – July / August 2022

Aiming to hit the roads of SA by July or August of this year, the seven-seater is a zero-emissions sibling to the GLB and makes even more use of its lengthy wheelbase.

Unlike other international markets, there will be only one model in Mzansi, the EQB 300 4MATIC that will have more than 160 kW. We’re missing out on the more potent EQB 450 4MATIC, though. The EQB will have all-wheel-drive, and is rated for 419 kilometres of electric range but since that’s on the WLTP cycle, we’d expect actual numbers to be lower.

EQC 400 4MATIC

The all-wheel drive EQC 400 4MATIC crossover will deliver 300 kW of power and what Mercedes says should be around 437 km of range.

It’s taking on Jaguar’s I-PACE, Audi’s e-tron quattro, and the BMW iX3 in the process. What you first notice, though, is how different the 2020 EQC’s design language is compared to Mercedes’ other recent – albeit petrol, diesel, or hybrid – cars.

EQE – October 2022

Effectively the all-electric E-Class, the new car will have similar dimensions to its petrol sibling but with a much larger cabin, thanks to the new EV platform that eliminates the use of a bulky ICE..

There’ll be two versions to begin with, Mercedes says. The EQE 450+ will make its way to Mzansi first, with the electric drive on the rear axle. A second model, yet to be detailed, will launch at the same time. 4MATIC all-wheel-drive versions – adding a second motor on the front axle – will follow later on.

A 90 kWh battery will be standard, though Mercedes isn’t making any range promises just yet.

EQS – July/August 2022

Headed to dealerships later this winter, the EQS – like its S-Class cousin – isn’t intended to be a mass-market EV for every driver. Instead, as with the original Tesla Model S, it’s a premium electric car with deep-pocketed early-adopters in mind.

With ranges of up to 780 km and an output of up to 385 kW, the first models to come onto the market are the 245kW EQS 450+ with combined electrical consumption of 18.9-16.2 kWh/100 km.

What is Mercedes EQ?

EQ is Mercedes-Benz’s blanket brand for all things electric. It stands for, not emotional intelligence, but electric intelligence. It embraces connectivity, autonomous driving, shared mobility, and electric mobility. It has been realised in the EQ Boost 48-volt system that powers and drives its Integrated Starter Generator found in the brand’s hybrids.