Mercedes-Benz EQS Is Proving Itself a Jack of All Trades

Flagship fully electric models are finally reaching press and public, and each one is testing it in specific contexts. Opinions, however, are just as raving.

The release of a new car model is a beautiful event. The company are delighted to present every single one of its characteristics and makes sure to use resources from the traditional press releases in text to conferences with complexity comparable to that of band tours. The importance the EQS has to Mercedes-Benz anticipates that its release was done with all the resources you can imagine.

While all that is unquestionably admirable, it does not represent the actual experience buyers will have, and the reason is simple: buyers drive the car in the real world. They do not buy it necessarily at the top trim level, do not use all its functions, may not know how to reach maximum efficiency or performance… the only way to truly know how the car feels to people is having people drive it.

The EQS has finally reached that last phase. The press is now testing its mid-spec, not-so glamorous trim levels, and independent users are getting their hands on some units as well. Two recent tests were quite different: one is focused on energetic efficiency and the other on dynamic impressions. Their only common point could not be better: both yielded excellent feedback in general.

Excellent real-world performance

Road and Track has tested the AMG 53 version recently. While the 63 is where AMG uses all its talent, the second version builds a bridge between that and the regular ones. It is important in its own way because it represents the first step for drivers who enjoy performance driving but may be afraid of not being able to properly use a sporty car – not to mention it offers a lower price increase as well.

That article sums it well: “it feels, at least at first, like an electric, and then like a Mercedes. And then it feels like an AMG”. The EQS does not try to deny it is electric; in fact, it has created an entire sub-brand with that theme. However, it is still a Mercedes-Benz, so there are high expectations to fulfil. Finally, the AMG badge implies that all its elegance makes room for some performance flair.

Steering, suspension, transmission, everything works in harmony. They keep the driver aware that this is a heavy car (around 6,000 lb) but preserve a sense of control that allows them to confidently engage in more intense maneuvers. The several driving assists do their part just as brilliantly: they monitor and act all the time to keep driving safe but do so in a way that the driver barely notices.

Excellent real-world efficiency

Top Gear performed a different test: drove a regular EQS from the Edinburgh Castle, in Scotland, to the Buckingham Palace, in England, which comprises 400 miles. What makes this test unique is that the driver was not interested in “hypermiling”: that consists of doing whatever it takes to maximize the car’s range, including turning off the climate control and continuously controlling the speed.

In other words, the car was driven much like how regular drivers will do: stereo on, climate control whenever necessary, using navigation directions… everything such a sophisticated car has to offer. In the video, the car turned out to request a recharge before the 400 miles, but the result can still be considered a victory because it represents a very long range in real-world driving conditions.

This type of experiment is particularly useful for undecided people, who want to enjoy the benefits of an electric car but have range anxiety to some extent. The EQS helps prove that electric cars can meet the requirements of everyday use without demanding concessions from the users. Still, it also reassures them that it can deliver astounding energetic efficiency if the driver ever needs it.

Why is all that important?

Building on the previous paragraph, we can say that people already know the advantages of electric cars, especially in urban driving. However, many still refrain from taking the leap and buying one because of fears and doubts which often stem from poor information. That, in turn, may come from pure unwillingness to research or the lack of data that represents how they are going to use the car.

The more the specialized press offers this type of information, along with independent users, the more other users will feel confident to try electric cars. That will encourage automakers to invest more in them and governments to help more with tax benefits and the expansion of the necessary infrastructure. In other words, it is a virtuous cycle which can finally make electric cars prosper.

Now that the EQS and many others are finally being subjected to real use, the tendency is that the industry will respond by tailoring them more to people’s preferences with each update, including the release of new versions and accessories of all kinds. When it comes to accessories, rest assured that Mercteil will offer a large variety of Mercedes-Benz tuning parts, all genuine as usual, to make your EQS even more efficient.

Have you ever bought an electric automobile or, at least, driven one? Do you believe that they have potential to reach the same level of general dependability of internal-combustion ones in the next few years or do you think that they still have a long way to go for that? Either way, please feel free to share your experiences and opinions about fully electric cars with us by using the field below!