According to Mercedes, their first electric car, the “Electrique”, hit the streets of Austria around the turn of the twentieth century. At the time, the electric powertrain couldn’t compete with the internal combustion engine in terms of power and range. And now to today where Mercedes, like others, have no issue with power and continues to work on the range. They have delivered the most premium of their EQ exec saloon lineup so far, the EQS and the EQE models.
| 288 BHP | Electric / Auto |
| 0-100 km/h 6.4 seconds | Road Tax €120 |
| Price: €89,810 €106,404 | Boot space 430 litres |
Designed from the ground up as an electric only drivetrain, the EQE features a 90kWh battery slotted within its considerable wheelbase. The EQE offers up to 600 kms of max range, with a 10-80 per cent top-up possible in just 32 minutes but charging is capped at 170kW. The powertrain refinement is sublime in the EQE and while it has 565 Nm of torque, it’s not about the straight line performance, it’s more about the ambience and comfort. It does feel heavy (not surprising with a 2,355kg kerb weight) and while the 0-100 km/h dash takes 6.4 seconds, the acceleration from the single rear-mounted motor allows you to access performance in bursts whenever you need it.
There’s adjustable regenerative braking with four modes – off, low, high and intelligent – with ‘high’ allowing one-pedal driving. When set to ‘off’ it glides along beautifully and while the Tesla’s also have adjustable brake regen, you can’t set it to off completely and this makes a world of difference to the driving sensation.
While it’s technically 90mm shorter than the EQS, it doesn’t look all that different yet its cabin is 80mm longer than a normal E-Class saloon. Claimed range for this EQE 350+, the single-motor rear-wheel drive model in the range, is realistically around 455 kms (with a max of 621 kms if you turn absolutely every creature comfort off).
In comparison to the Tesla Model S, the interior of the EQE is where you’d want to spend more time, even if you wish you could charge at Tesla’s Supercharger Network. Prices start at €82,010 for the EQE 300 with 245 BHP version, it’s €89,810 for the EQE 350. This particular spec comes in at a whopping €106,404 with the following finishing touches added: AMG Line Interior & Exterior (€6,513), AMG Night Package (€1,273), Premium Package (€12,129), Red Seat Belts (€509). As we’ve said, the interior is very finely tuned towards driver and passengers. The EQE comes with a dual-screen infotainment system as standard, similar to the entry-level EQS, with a 12.3-inch driver’s display and a 13-inch touchscreen on the dashboard. There is also the insanely priced Hyperscreen system with 3 built-in screens. There’s a 12.3-inch display for the driver, another for the passenger and a monster 17.7-inch touchscreen in the middle.
The standard and more widely available 12.8-inch set-up is similar to what’s in the S-Class. The menu layout is simple and easy to read with heating and air con controls always displayed at the base of the screen, so no toggling or hidden menus. A fingerprint button allows the recall of saved presets for heating, sat-nav, drive settings and driving position. There are very few physical buttons in the cabin, on the steering wheel you get touch-sensitive pads which can sometimes get accidentally clicked or swiped. The big screen and ‘Hey Mercedes’ voice command is much better to use than the haptic switches.
Even though you can use wireless carplay & Google Maps, the on-board Sat-Nav is quite good and I’ve always found it to be a lifesaver when stuck in those areas without mobile coverage. Directions are mirrored on the centre screen with the arrows overlaid on the live view from the forward-facing camera (which also includes a traffic light function so you don’t miss the red to green changes at those awkwardly angled stops). The digital dials have a selection of displays to choose from with Classic, Sport or full sat-nav map some of the choices. There is of course wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, with 6 USB-C charging points, great graphics and super-fast responses. It’s one of the best and simplest systems out there with a crystal clear and easy to navigate display, it takes the fussiness out of using modern touch screens.
The EQE cruises along backroads, motorways, highways and byways and the outside world is of no consequence, it’s a cabin of the utmost serenity. For a more engaging drive you might want to look to the Taycan but after an strenuous day, I’m climbing into the Mercedes to wind down. The front occupants may not have as much space as the exterior would suggest and the tight hugging (and multi adjustable seats) are snug but comfortable. There’s an optional extra cubby floating under the central arm rest and plenty of other storage bins dotted about the cabin.
The AMG Line trim really helps define exterior lines especially with the rear lip on the boot and the rear diffuser as the rest of it is ‘seamless’ in its design aesthetic, it leaves plenty of room for alterations in future facelifts and generations to come.
The EQE looks very similar to the EQS, which is great for EQE owners but we’d need to ask an EQS owner what they think? It’s also priced a lot higher than the equivalent combustion engined E-Class saloon. Against the competition it has range on its side, you can expect a realistic 452 kms from its 90kWh battery, or you could feasibly eke out 621 kms on cruise controlled motorway spins for which this car lives. Comfort, cabin isolation, wrapped in a sleek yet creaseless design, the EQE lives for smoothing out the roughest day. All in, an elegant and sophisticated electric car.
