Spy Shots of the 2022 Mercedes-Benz EQS: Electric Sedan Uncamouflaged for April 15 Reveal
The prototype of Mercedes-Benz's EQS battery-electric sedan is in its final round of camouflage ahead of its world debut on April 15.
However, Mercedes has already revealed the interior. It will be a very high-tech place, with a large portrait-style infotainment screen as standard and an optional dash-wide giant screen (actually multiple screens under one surface).
The giant screen is known as a hyperscreen and will be powered by eight CPU cores, 24 GB of ram, and 12 actuators that cause visible vibrations when a finger touches the surface. A heads-up display with voice activation and augmented reality graphics is also expected.
The EQS is an important vehicle for Mercedes and will be the first mass-produced electric vehicle to be sold worldwide. The EQC was originally scheduled to be unveiled in 2020, but the small crossover is currently on indefinite hold in our market. Mercedes also announced the EQA, a small crossover, in January, but there are no plans to sell it here.
The EQS is a large sedan in the Mercedes portfolio alongside the S-Class; as a 2022 model, it should arrive at dealerships later this year. The related EQS SUV will follow in 2022 and will likely be a 2023 model.
The latest prototype of the EQS has lost much of the camouflage equipment of previous testers, revealing the vehicle to be a liftback sedan similar to the Tesla Model S. Other targets include the new Lucid Air, the electric Jaguar XJ, and to a lesser extent the Porsche Taycan and the related Audi E-Tron GT.
The car's platform is a battery-electric-only design known as EVA, and the EQS is only the first application; the platform underpinning the EQC is based on a modified version of Mercedes' MHA platform for SUVs with internal combustion engines
The EQS is designed exclusively for the EQC.
The EQS can be seen to be significantly lower and sleeker than typical Mercedes, including the CLS and AMG GT 4-door coupes. Some shots also show that the doors will be frameless and feature telescoping handles. Mercedes had teased this design with the Vision EQS concept presented at the 2019 Frankfurt International Motor Show.
The EVA platform allows designers to add a long wheelbase and short overhangs front and rear, making the EQS look more like a mid-size CLS, but interior space should be equal to or better than a full-size S-class.
The option of a dedicated EV platform also allows for more batteries; the EQS will have a lithium-ion battery pack with up to 108 kilowatt-hours. This is expected to give the large sedan a charge range approaching 400 miles. The cells will be supplied by CATL.
The EQS will have electric drive systems on both axles. This creates an all-wheel drive system that, according to Mercedes, can precisely adjust the drive torque of the front and rear wheels according to the conditions, resulting in impressive stability even on very slippery surfaces.
There is also talk that the Mercedes-Benz AMG version of the EQS will pack the same performance as the current S63, and a super-luxury Maybach version is likely.