Electric Mercedes-Benz S-Class reveals future of luxury saloons
A 700km range, focus on sustainability and curvy new design reveal much about the future of motoring.
By Bloomberg Pursuits, September 11 2019
Mercedes-Benz gave car buyers a glimpse of the top-end of its electric model plans on the opening day of the Frankfurt Motor Show, showing off a sleek silver battery-powered concept version of its flagship S-Class sedan.
So far, luxury cruisers have remained a mainstay for traditional combustion-era heroes, with only plug-in hybrids available for the likes of BMW 7-Series or the recently revamped Audi A8.
The Vision EQC offers a futuristic take on the luxury car.
Mercedes-maker Daimler AG’s plans for at least 10 purely battery-powered cars through 2022 will give the manufacturer the right line-up to meet stricter European emissions rules, Chief Executive Officer Ola Kallenius told reporters in Frankfurt. However, meeting the targets was a “substantial challenge” because consumer demand “can’t be mandated.”
Electric roll-out
The world’s best-selling luxury-car maker introduced the EQC electric sport utility vehicle last year, its first model to challenge electric-car market leader Tesla. It followed up with a battery-powered version of the V-Class mini-van this year and has shown a prototype EQA compact.
The Mercedes-Benz Vision EQS is unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show.
The S-Class, favoured by wealthy managers and politicians the world over, has for decades delivered premium profits to Mercedes. The future for stellar returns on powerful and heavy sedans is darkening with the need to cut fleet emissions, with heavy fines looming in Europe.
Expect the curvy EQS concept design to be watered down before it reaches production.
Mercedes didn’t say when the car will be on sale, but outlined a real-world driving range of 700 kilometres and a battery that can charge to 80 per cent in less than 20 minutes. The car also offers the opportunity for highly-automated driving on highways.
Inside the Mercedes-Benz Vision EQS concept.
The interior features traditional and new materials, like white microfibre made from plastic bottles combined with maple. The roof material is a textile created with recycled ocean waste.
Bloomberg Pursuits curates the best in cars, food, drinks, travel, watches and more for the modern globally-minded executive, and is republished under licence by Executive Traveller.
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Again and again we see luxury concept cars, but these are neither affordable nor readily available, and therefore bear no significance on changing the car industry so that we all move towards electric cars. Volkswagen has promised this with their ID car, but again this is very far in the future. It seems the German Car industry is losing its grip, as concept cars promising amazing efficiency and range costing an arm and a leg just don't cut it anymore. We need more affordable electric cars (an equivalent to the corolla or golf) and we need them now. Pledges of a launch in 2022 or later are just delaying our reaction to climate change in the car industry. It really is sad but the Germans have lost their innovative touch in the industry they claim drives their economy.
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