Mercedes begins “massive EV onslaught” with all-electric SUV reveal in Melbourne

The Driven

Australian customers have been given a sneak peak of Mercedez-Benz’s all-electric EQC SUV, in what is being described as just the beginning of “a massive onslaught of electric vehicles” from the German car maker.

Mercedes said the Melbourne event on Tuesday night gave customers and special guests Australia’s first look at the company’s first all-electric cross-over, well ahead of the local on-sale date, which is expected later this year.

Some of that number were also invited to become the first Australians to drive the SUV, at a private test facility the following Wednesday.

The “family sized” EQC, which will also be on display at this weekend’s Australian Grand Prix 2019 in Melbourne, aims to compete with the likes of the Jaguar I-Pace, Tesla Model X, and the upcoming BMW iX3,

There’s not a great deal of detail around on the specs of the luxury SUV, but reviews elsewhere in the world have been largely positive, including a 9.2/10 rating from TopSpeed.com. According to another review from CNET’s Road Show, the EQC completed a 228 mile (366km) road-trip along the California coast with a few miles of charge left to spare.

That review says that the SUV has an 80-kilowatt-hour battery pack that provides motivation for two asynchronous electric motors, one at each axle; 402 horsepower and 564 pound-feet of torque, which is delivered solely through the front electric motor under light loads like freeway cruising.

Read the full story on RenewEconomy’s dedicated electric vehicle news site, The Driven…