There isn’t a market for all-electric
luxury MPVs to speak of, but Mercedes-Benz wants to create one with the EQV. The fully-electric variant of the V-Class has just gone on sale in
Germany and the rest of Europe. The EQV starts from € 71,388 (US$ 78,315) in
Germany, including VAT.
It’s hard to say as the
market for such vehicles is only just beginning. Obviously, sales numbers will
decide that, but until then let’s see what the EQV brings to the table. For the
market launch, the electric van is available in the long-wheelbase version
badged EQV 300 (a standard-wheelbase model will launch later on). That means it
features a 90 kWh lithium-ion battery which provides it with a maximum range of
418 km.
The battery feeds electricity to an
electric drive train (eATS) on the front axle integrating the electric motor,
fixed transmission, cooling system and power electronics in a compact unit. The
motor delivers 150 kW (204 PS) and 362 Nm of torque,
enabling a top speed 140 km/h, optionally extendable to 160 km/h.
The EQV is equipped with an AC
water-cooled on-board charger (OBL) with an output of 11 kW which enables AC
charging at home or at public charging stations. Using a fast charging station
at a capacity of 110 kW, the EQV can be charged from 10 to 80 percent in around
45 minutes.
By placing the battery in the underbody,
the EQV remains as spacious and versatile as the regular V-Class. Thanks to the
flexible installation of individual seats, it can offer diverse seating
configurations for six, seven or eight passengers. Mercedes-Benz says the EQV
offers a permissible total weight of 3,500 kilograms.
As with the V-Class and Vito, the EQV is built
at Daimler’s plant in Vitoria in northern Spain.
