Mercedes Benz has showcased its next all-electric model in Paris. It’s the larger 2023 Mercedes Benz EQE electric SUV, and it is expected to arrive in Australia alongside other EQ offerings in 2023.
Based on the EQE sedan, the SUV will offer a spacious cabin with all the luxuries that you’d expect from a premium brand like Mercedes.
Longer and more tech-focused than the EQB & EQC
Compared to its competitors and stablemates, the 2023 Mercedes Benz EQE is a bit of a bump up from many of the current EV SUV offerings from the luxury brand.
Boasting a length of over 4,860 mm, it’s one of the largest EV SUVs from Mercedes Benz. Existing models like the EQA, EQB and EQC are smaller in size than the upcoming EQE. It’s also 3,030 mm wide.
The technology in the car is quite impressive too, with a focus on a tech-driven experience seen at the launch. The car has multiple screens, including a 12.8-inch central touchscreen and a 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster.
There is also wireless smartphone connectivity and charging, ambient lighting, synthetic leather upholstery, premium Burmester sound, satellite radio, a panoramic sunroof, and 19-inch wheels.
Three variants, offering up to 550 km of range from 90.6 kWh battery
The base model, the EQE 350+, comes with a WLTP range of 550 km using a 90.6kWh battery. The 90.6kWh battery is around 20% less capacity than the 108kWh offered in the EQS sedan. A single motor drives the rear wheels with a peak output of 215kW.
The range will decrease slightly on all-wheel drive cars with the EQE 350 4Matic version. Another motor is added to the front wheels and comes with a 0-100km/hr of just over 6.2 seconds.
The EQE 500 SUV 4Matic is the next trim up, offering an AWD with a combined output from the 2 motors with 300kW output. This variant reaches 0-100km/hr in just over 4.6 seconds. This is topped by the AMG version that gets to 100km/hr even quicker.
AMG variant to come later with 0-100 km/hr in 3.4 seconds
The performance-centric version of the upcoming EQE SUV bears the AMG badge. It has AMG-specified motors combined with the AMG Dynamic Plus Package can take the larger SUV from 0-100km/hr in a tad over 3.4 seconds.
That’s more than one second quicker than the non-AMG EQE 500 model, and quicker than the Model Y Performance, which can do the same sprint in 3.7 seconds – but expect to pay a premium.
Faster charging than EQA, EQB & EQC – tops at 170 kW
Charging speeds are also faster than the other EQ series SUVs. DC fast charging for the EQE can peak at 170kW. This can charge the car from 10% to 80% in 32 minutes at ultra-rapid DC chargers.
There is also a 9.6kW AC charger on board that can charge the car in under 10 hours when connected to a three-phase charger.
From an energy management perspective, the EQE SUV will offer heat pumps as standard across the range. This is something the EV industry leader Tesla already offers on all Model 3 and Model Y EVs it currently sells in Australia.
Pricing and the local availability of the EQE have not yet been announced, however it’s expected to go on sale sometime in 2023.
Riz is the founder of carloop based in Melbourne, specialising in Australian EV data, insight reports and trends. He is a mechanical engineer who spent the first 7 years of his career building transport infrastructure before starting carloop. He has a passion for cars, particularly EVs and wants to help reduce transport emissions in Australia. He currently drives a red Tesla Model 3.