Daimler AG has conducted a shareholder meeting where CEO Ola Källenius talked about the marque’s upcoming all-electric flagship sedan, the Mercedes-Benz EQS. Apparently, it will have 700 kilometers (435 miles) of WLTP-rated range.
The number looks quite impressive on paper, surpassing even that of the longest-range Tesla Model S available in Europe (610 km / 379 miles WLTP). On the other hand, the U.S. Environment Protection Agency (EPA) has recently conducted independent measurements of the Model S Long Range Plus and found it to be capable of covering 647 km (402 miles) on a single charge. The measurement protocol used by EPA is widely considered to be stricter than the European WLTP standard, so it remains to be seen which of the two cars has superior range after all.
If the Vision EQS Concept revealed last year is any indication, then the electric S-Class should hit the road packing 100 kilowatt-hours of energy storage, as well as a 350-kW charger port compatible with the Ionity charging station network currently being developed by Daimler AG. Replenishing the battery from zero to 80 perfect full would take under 20 minutes, according to the manufacturer. A subsidiary called Accumotive will produce batteries in the Mercedes-Benz factory in Untertürkheim, Germany.
Aside from the Tesla, the EQS is going to have to compete against the electric BMW 7 Series and the Jaguar XJ, as well as two Audi models at once: the e-tron GT (technically related to the Porsche Taycan) and the A9 e-tron.