Is only thing missing from the automotive market a premium-level people mover that runs on batteries? Mercedes-Benz' new Concept EQV aims to find out. With a 400-km range, a luxurious interior, and a promise to go to production very soon, the Concept EQV might highlight a hitherto unexploited market.
Mercedes unveiled the Concept EQV at the Geneva Motor Show to a surprised audience, as no one was expecting a luxury minivan to be the focus of Benz in Switzerland. Based visually on the Metris vans sold globally, the Mercedes-Benz Concept EQV looks close to production. So close, in fact, that Mercedes is promising a production-ready prototype will be showcased at the upcoming Frankfurt show, closer to the automaker's home turf.
The series-production EQV will feature 249 miles (400 km) of expected range with a battery capacity of 100 kWh on board. Using the Mercedes brand's EQ branding, the EQV will be technology-inclusive as well as premium-level in luxury. Its range will be augmented by a 62-mile (100-km) fast-charge time of just 15 minutes from a rapid charger.
Powering the Concept EQV, outside of that lithium-ion battery pack, is a 201-hp (150-kW) motor attached to a fixed-ratio transmission at the front axle. The transmission, cooling system, and power electronics are one integral unit designed to be both modular and simple. Top speed in the EQV would be 99 mph (159 km/h).
Charging for the Concept EQV (and likely the EQV production model) will be possible from a standard European household socket or a Mercedes-Benz wallbox charger capable of rapid charging.
The Mercedes-Benz Concept EQV has its batteries under the floor, allowing for maximum interior space for passengers and cargo. The EQV offers seating for up to eight, including seating for six in individual captain's-style chairs, for VIP transport. Seating can be arranged in various ways to accommodate passenger loads, cargo loads, or any mixture of those. Mercedes says that the EQV will be aimed towards both commercial and consumer markets, with a family-oriented model as part of its marketing.
"The Concept EQV embodies our 'Progressive Luxury' approach by merging the analogue and digital worlds into a single entity," said Gorden Wagener, Chief Design Officer at Daimler AG. "The EQ design idiom provides the vehicle with its unmistakable appearance and has some impressively progressive shapes. And in the interior, too, the cool aesthetics of the exterior continue, being complemented by warm accents. Which underline the whole 'Welcome Home Effect.' The focus in the cockpit of our Concept EQV is on the new and intuitive MBUX system."
The MBUX system Wagener refers to is the Mercedes-Benz User Experience infotainment system. This combines self-learning and natural-language voice control, and was debuted in the 2020 Mercedes-Benz GLE.
Source: Mercedes-Benz
