By taking the Concept EQV out for a short drive in
the port of Barcelona, Spain, thus completing its first official urban journey,
Mercedes-Benz has demonstrated that this is more than a show car.
Of course, we already knew that ever since its
unveiling at the 2019 Geneva Motor Show a couple of months ago, as that’s when
the company said that it will be followed by a production version. And that
one’s just around the corner, as it will premiere at the 2019 Frankfurt Motor Show
in September.
Essentially a zero-emission version of the V-Class,
the EQV wants to revolutionize transport in the MPV segment. It targets a
variety of customers, from families to shuttle services, and proudly calls
itself “the world’s first fully electric premium MPV”.
We don’t know yet if the production model will stay
entirely true to the study, but the latter does have some very decent specs.
The most important is the range, which Mercedes said is up to 400 km. The 100 kWh lithium-ion battery has a rapid charging function, so when
it is plugged in for about 15 minutes it provide sufficient energy for 100 km.
Mounted in the underbody of the vehicle to open up
more space inside, the battery powers an electric motor on the front axle,
which develops 204 PS. Thanks to a top speed of 160 km/h, it will do quite well on the motorway, too.
The model-specific EQ-grille with LED strip and
modern headlamp design are the main things that make it stand out on the
outside, whereas the interior offers everything one would expect from such a
vehicle as well as soft-touch materials and new technology features.
