Category Archives: EQC EV

Tesla Cybertruck (Image: Tesla)

In Tesla’s shadow, Audi and Mercedes electric SUVs get no love

Audi, Cybertruck, e-tron, Electric Cars, EQC EV, Mercedes, News, Reviews and Comment, Opinion, Tesla

A couple of weeks ago, Mercedes-Benz quietly announced the price for its all-electric EQC sports-utility vehicle.

A $67,900 starting price for a luxurious, 200-mile, 402-horsepower luxury crossover is a good start for the EQC brand. But the announcement got completely lost in the shuffle in a week filled with buzz about Tesla’s bulletproof, stainless-steel Cybertruck. Even the deserved attention given to Ford’s Mustang-inspired electric SUV was cut short. So where does that leave the play-it-safe luxury electric SUVs from Mercedes-Benz, Audi, and BMW?

Mercedes-Benz EQC (Image: Mercedes-Benz)
Mercedes-Benz EQC (Image: Mercedes-Benz)

As we reported a week ago, the $75,000 Audi e-tron has not been a big hit. Don’t get me wrong. Audi loyalists and traditional luxury car buyers appreciate the e-tron’s smooth, comfortable, and safe ride. But relatively low sales numbers suggest that the e-tron is not energy-efficient enough. And it doesn’t have enough range at 204 miles. Or it’s being produced in low numbers. Or there aren’t other stand-out attributes besides being a well-made automobile. Who knows?

Audi e-tron (Image: Audi)
Audi e-tron (Image: Audi)

But whatever the reason, the first of four all-electric e-tron variants did not stir a big response. Not when it’s facing competition for mindshare from the Cybertruck or an electric Mustang.

Tesla Cybertruck (Image: Tesla)
Tesla Cybertruck (Image: Tesla)

Read more: Electrek

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Electric cars with the longest range

Audi, e-tron, Electric Cars, EQC EV, Hyundai, I-PACE, Jaguar Land Rover, Kia, Kona Electric, Mercedes, Model 3, Model S, Model X, News, Reviews and Comment, Niro EV, Renault, Soul EV, Tesla, ZOE

EV range is a hot topic right now so we’ve listed the new electric cars with the longest range you can buy now…

The first question most people have when a new electric car comes out is how much range it has. ‘Range anxiety’ is a phrase often thrown around to describe the fear EV owners could face when driving their electric car with a level of remaining battery charge that may not get them to their destination. As a result, there’s a certain kudos attached to the electric cars with the longest range as well as a valuable competitive advantage manifested as electric car buyers are attracted to them. If you’re wondering which electric car has the longest range, you can find out below.

Manufacturers have quickly realised the importance of range to existing petrol or diesel car owners and now some electric cars can travel just as far on a single charge as an internal combustion engined (ICE) equivalent can manage on a full tank – all the while producing zero emissions at a cheaper running cost to the owner. The fact that most drivers will very rarely travel the kind of distances in a single day that would deplete a modern electric car’s battery is seen as less important than the need to reassure motorists considering the switch to the new technology.

There’s no doubt that the UK’s charging infrastructure still remains a stumbling block for electric cars and their owners. Charging points are increasing in number across the country and charging times are dropping but the chargers that there are are still often in use compounding the fact that recharging an EV is still noticeably slower than filling up a petrol or diesel vehicle.

With increasing investment from the Government and charging infrastructure providers to improve EV charging options coupled with the appeal of emission-free motoring and cheaper running costs than ICE vehicles, electric cars are more appealing than ever. Manufacturers too are in a race to develop enhanced batteries and electric car technology that will increase the range available in electric cars to the point that range anxiety will become a thing of the past.

Read more: Auto Express

Jaguar I-PACE Electric Car (Image: T. Larkum)

Will SUVs Breathe New Life Into The Electric Car Market?

Electric Cars, EQC EV, I-PACE, Jaguar Land Rover, Mercedes, Model X, News, Reviews and Comment, Tesla

After decades of ups and downs, electricity is finally emerging as the fuel that will propel the planet into the future as more governments look to address their pollution problems by phasing out vehicles that run on fossil fuels.

As a result, automakers are scampering to flood the market with electric cars, trucks and, especially, SUVs over the next few years.

Nowhere is this more evident than at this year’s Los Angeles Auto Show, which will officially open to the public on November 30. Almost every automaker that is displaying at the downtown convention center, especially in the luxury segment, is looking to discuss its electrification strategy for the next decade with any journalist willing to listen.

Jaguar I-PACE Electric Car (Image: T. Larkum)
Jaguar I-PACE Electric Car (Image: T. Larkum)

Porsche wants 50% of its stable to be electric by 2023. Jaguar Land Rover has announced it will shift production entirely to electric and hybrid vehicles by 2020.

Ford plans to deliver 13 new electrified models over the next five years. General Motors plans to roll out 20 all-electric models by 2023.

BMW will offer 25 electrified vehicles by 2025. Aston Martin expects that EVs will account for 25% of the company’s stable by 2030.

And that’s just the beginning. If projections are correct, there should be 400 electrified models on the road by 2025. That’s 300-plus more EVs and hybrids than are running about today.

Read more: Forbes

Mercedes-Benz EQC (Image: Mercedes-Benz)

The all-electric Mercedes EQ C is ready to fight Tesla

Electric Cars, EQC EV, Mercedes

…and Audi, Jaguar and the world. This is Merc’s plug-in future. Like it?

Up until now, Mercedes’ forays into the world of electric cars have constituted a very rare SLS AMG and a very niche B-class. No longer. This is the Mercedes EQ C, the launch star of the company’s all-electric EQ sub-brand. Looks reasonably close to the EQ concept, don’t you think?

Mercedes-Benz EQC (Image: Mercedes-Benz)
Mercedes-Benz EQC (Image: Mercedes-Benz)

Under its svelte, slightly Range Rover Velar SUV proportions, the EQ C uses a familiar tactic in electric car construction. The 80kWh lithium-ion battery, weighing some 650kg (a quarter of the car’s entire 2.4-tonne mass) lives beneath the floor, keeping the centre of gravity low and improving crash safety. The EQ C’s front electric motor aims to offer the most efficiency, while the rear motor – this is a four-wheel-drive vehicle, like the Jaguar I-Pace and Tesla Model X – is optimised for more punch.

Maximum combined power output is 400 horsepower, while torque is a predictably titanic 765 Newton meters.

In old money – which seems somehow inappropriate for such a modern car – that’s 564lb ft. More than a C63’s V8 offers up, delivered silently. As a result, Mercedes is claiming 0-62mph in a hot-hatch-spec 5.1 seconds, and a modest top speed of 111mph. While v-max is unimportant, range obviously is.

So, in addition to Comfort, Eco and Sport driving modes, you’ll find a Max Range setting in the EQ C. Deploy that and Mercedes claims you’ll travel 280 miles. However, that’s calculated on the old NEDC test cycle, not the new WLTP regulations, so expect a real-world figure somewhere around the 250-mile mark. Next up in the EV checklist: charging. Mercedes has fitted a 7.4kW on-board, water-cooled charger.

Read more: Top Gear