Mercedes EQE Has Tesla Model S Firmly In Its Sights

With Mercedes no longer planning to sell the EQC in America, the German automaker still hasn’t offered a single EV for the US market. This will soon change with the arrival of the upcoming EQS, the production version of the Vision EQS Concept that serves as the electric equivalent to the regular S-Class.

Mercedes hasn’t revealed the production EQS but testing for the smaller EQE is already underway. This will be Mercedes’ answer to the Tesla Model S and will do for the E-Class what the EQS will do for the S-Class. Ahead of its debut, a prototype EQE has been spotted undergoing testing in cold weather conditions by our spy photographers. At first glance, the EQE looks very similar to the EQS, but it has a smaller wheelbase.

Another noticeable design change is the third brake light, which is located on the trunk rather than the rear window like on the EQS. The front headlights are also positioned slightly lower, the side mirrors are repositioned, and the EQE also has a regular trunk instead of a liftback like the EQS. After the EQS arrives, the EQE will be the second Mercedes model underpinned by the company’s new Electric platform MEA, which will enable it to offer more cabin space than the conventional combustion-powered E-Class.

Powering the EQE will be two electric motors, with one powering the front wheels and one at the back to create an all-wheel-drive setup.

In the Vision EQS, this setup produced a combined 469 hp and 560 lb-ft of torque, while offering a driving range of 435 miles based on the WLTP standard. Since it slots below the EQS, expect the EQE to offer around 350-400 miles of range on a single charge.

Production of the EQE is expected to start later this year before deliveries start next year, so it shouldn’t be long until the prototypes start losing some camouflage to give us a clearer look at the luxury electric sedan. SUV versions of the EQS and EQE will also join the electric Mercedes EQ family in 2022.