- the 2020 mercedes-benz eqc is the first entry in what mercedes intends to be a full-fledged sub-brand of 10 or more electric vehicles; the eqv minivan is expected out sometime next year.
- it's an electric version of the glc compact crossover with a range of about 290 miles on the generous european test scale.
- the eqc is scheduled to come to the united states in late 2020, but you can watch it come off the line now in a manufacturing process called "double marriage." (we hope you like robots.)
as the first model of the new eq brand in production, the 2020 mercedes-benz eqc has a lot riding on its wheel arches. mercedes promises that this vehicle will be joined soon by many all-electric vehicles, so getting it right out of the gate is not a small task.
to prove that the eqc has what it takes to be called a benz, mercedes-benz germany has posted a video showing workers and robots putting together the all-new eqc, painting the parts, checking the results, and finally (in a very brief glimpse) driving the ev on an urban street. it feels as though the robots outnumber human workers by five to one in the video, showing just how automated the production process is.
mercedes says the eqc can be "flexibly integrated into the ongoing series production of vehicles with combustion engine or hybrid drive," which makes it a good fit for the bremen facility. that's because daimler's bremen plant builds 12 mercedes vehicle variants, including versions of the c-class, e-class, glc, sl, slc, and, obviously, the eqc. more than 400,000 vehicles are built there each year, and the plant employs around 12,500 people. daimler will also start building the eqc in china with its baic joint venture, beijing benz automotive, later this year.
the mercedes-benz eq brand—the extra letters stand for "electric intelligence"—is supposed to be made up of 10 electric vehicles by 2022, ranging from small smart cars to large suvs. until the other vehicles get going, the eqc goes through a production process that no other mercedes vehicle does. nicknamed the "double marriage," this refers to the two steps that give the eqc its electric powertrain. the first "marriage" is when two power packs are joined together, and the second is when the packs are inserted into the body instead of an internal-combustion engine that other vehicles on the same line might be getting.
the eqc is an electrified version of the compact glc crossover. it is built on a modified platform that the automaker uses for the glc crossover and the sedan, coupe, and wagon c-class models. the all-wheel-drive eqc's battery-powered powertrain produces 402 horsepower and 564 lb-ft of torque. that's enough to move the ev from zero to 60 miles per hour in 4.9 seconds, mercedes claims. the 80.0-kwh lithium-ion battery can be fast-charged from 10 to 80 percent in 40 minutes and has a range of up to 293 miles on the nedc test scale.
it's not only the powertrain that's new in the eqc. the mercedes-benz user experience (mbux) infotainment system has been given a complete update. it is compatible with both apple carplay and android auto and uses a 10.3-inch display.
the production video ends with the words, "the next one is yours." if, in fact, you want that to be true, know that the eqc starts at the equivalent of about $79,000, and it is on sale in europe now. the eqc is scheduled to arrive in the u.s. in late 2020.