Mercedes-Benz is continuing its test programme for
the upcoming EQC following an excursion to Sweden a few months ago. This time,
the test mules were subjected to the burning summer heat in Spain, where
temperatures can soar to as high as 50 degrees Celsius.
The EQC will be the first model to be introduced
under the company’s EQ sub-brand and was first previewed by the Generation EQ
during the 2016 Paris Motor Show. It is roughly the size of the current GLC,
but comes with its own styling to better differentiate it as an all-electric
model.
The mules are
wrapped with some rather flashy camouflage in order to mask certain cues.
However, we know that the EQC will get its own headlights and taillights that are
unique from those fitted on the GLC.
For now, Mercedes-Benz hasn’t provided any details
about the powertrain used, but the Generation EQ packed two electric motors
(one on each axle) to provide a total system output of 402 hp and 700
Nm of torque. This setup is powered by a 70 kWh battery pack positioned within
the car’s floor, which provides a claimed range of up to 500 km on a single
charge.
Testing in this extreme heat is important because
while the battery “merely” loses power in the cold, high temperatures can
potentially damage the battery. The EQC is therefore tested to ensure the
battery’s cooling circuit is up to the task when encountering various
scenarios.
Mercedes-Benz also focused on the car’s
air-conditioning system – both during a journey and beforehand, as
pre-climatisation is an important comfort factor. Individual components are
also checked so technicians know where fine dust might be deposited throughout
the car, and whether the sealing concept works in practice.
According to the carmaker, almost 200 prototypes and
pre-series vehicles were built for the test programme, along with over 100
experts from different development departments. By the time the car makes its
launch debut in 2019, the car would have undergone around four years of
development.
