German carmaker Mercedes-Benz has announced it has obtained the maximum 5 star safety rating from Australian regulators for the soon-to-be released EQC, and has also announced Australian prices for its first all electric vehicle.
The EQC 400 4Matic electric SUV, which starts at $137,900 in Australia before on-road costs, achieved high scores in all ratings criteria, according to ANCAP – the Australian New Car Assessment Program – which released the test results on Friday.
The EQC scored 96% and 92% for adult and child occupant protection respectively, and also achieved 75% in vulnerable road user protection and 76% for safety assist.
This high rating is due to dual front airbags as well as side-chest airbags for both the front and second row outer seats, and drivers seat airbags at knee level as well as autonomous emergency braking, lane assist and departure warning system and emergency lane keeping as standard on all variants.
“It is encouraging to see Mercedes’ high levels of safety carry across with their first EV market entrant,” said ANCAP chief executive James Goodwin.
“The EQC scored well for its protection of children with close to full points scored for its ability to physically protect child occupants as well as its ability to safely accommodate a range of child restraints in the second row.”
The EQC hits Australian showrooms on December 9, with Australia chosen to be one of the first markets to receive stock of Mercedes’ first all-electric vehicle.
It features an 80kW lithium-ion battery rated for 21.5kWh/100km energy consumption, giving up to 434km driving range according to Mercedes-Benz.
“The EQC is a game-changer for Mercedes-Benz, but also it imposes a more luxurious standard of electric vehicle ownership,” said Mercedes-Benz APAC CEO and managing director Horst von Sanden in a statement.
With two 150kW motors delivering 760Nm torque, the EQC can accelerate from 0-100km/hr in 5.1 seconds, von Sanden says.
“Our aim has never been to be the first to this market, but to offer the most complete solution possible to the question of future mobility. With the all-electric EQC, we are confident we have done just that. Electric now has a Mercedes.”
The car can charge at a rate of up to 110kW using an ultra-rapid charger, meaning it can add up to 220km range in just 30 minutes when out and about, or recharge at home at 7.4kW, adding 15km range every 30 minutes using a specially installed wallbox.
To make charging easier for EQC owners, Mercedes-Benz has also cut a deal with charging infrastructure provider Chargefox that will see drivers able to access a 20-strong network from Adelaide to Brisbane as well as ultra-rapid chargers in Tasmania and around Perth.
Further specifications can be found in our article published on US pricing last Thursday.
Bridie Schmidt is associate editor for The Driven, sister site of Renew Economy. She has been writing about electric vehicles since 2018, and has a keen interest in the role that zero-emissions transport has to play in sustainability. She has participated in podcasts such as Download This Show with Marc Fennell and Shirtloads of Science with Karl Kruszelnicki and is co-organiser of the Northern Rivers Electric Vehicle Forum. Bridie also owns a Tesla Model Y and has it available for hire on evee.com.au.