Paris Motor Show 2016: Mercedes-Benz has unveiled the Generation EQ, an all-electric SUV coupe that is said to provide a glimpse of future electric vehicles from the manufacturer.
The Mercedes-Benz Generation EQ represents a new sub-brand within the manufacturer alongside the existing AMG, Smart and Maybach brands and is a concept version of a vehicle that will reach production in 2019.
The Generation EQ is an all-electric SUV with 402bhp and a claimed range of up to 310 miles from its ‘over 70kWh’ battery. It will rival the Audi e-tron quattro, Jaguar E-Pace and the Tesla Model X.
The name EQ is a play on the term IQ, used to rate intelligence, and is short for ‘electrical intelligence’.
“The mobility of the future at Mercedes-Benz will stand on four pillars: Connected, Autonomous, Shared und Electric. ‘Generation EQ’ is the logical fusion of all four pillars,” Daimler AG CEO and Mercedes-Benz Cars head Dr Dieter Zetsche said.
He added: “The emission-free automobile is the future. And our new EQ brand goes far beyond electric vehicles. EQ stands for a comprehensive electric ecosystem of services, technologies and innovations.”
Technology plays a big role in concept cars these days and the Generation EQ is no different. Obviously taking aim at Tesla, it features a 24-inch (53x11cm) TFT HD display that can display anything from the speed or range of the car to navigation directions from mapping service HERE.
Rather than use conventional door mirrors, the Generation EQ features cameras that project an image of the traffic behind onto integrated displays housed in the doors. Meanwhile the doors and electric windows are touch-controlled, while passengers in the back are treated to TFT monitors in the front backrests.
The driver and up to three other passengers are greeted with a welcome as they approach, in the form of a mood lighting in the cabin. When inside, the current range is displayed and the navigation system shows all locations within range at start-up.
Performance is another area where the Generation EQ shines. In its most powerful version, Mercedes promises 300kW and maximum torque of 516lb/ft (700Nm), giving it a 0-62mph time of under five seconds. Not quite Tesla Model S territory, but plenty for the average consumer.
A Combined Charging System (CCS) will allow for faster charging times, especially if Mercedes can deliver the 300kW it has planned. To put that into perspective, adding an extra 100kmh (62 miles of range) could be done in five minutes with that output.
Lastly, but not least, is the addition of HERE mapping, which was owned by Nokia and used on Windows Phones but is now jointly owned by Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz, and Car-to-X technology, which will allow the Generation EQ to communicate with infrastucture and other cars, providing a basis for a variety of different safety features.
“Generation EQ is hot and cool,” Daimler head of design Gorden Wagener said. “Its fascination lies in a reinterpretation of our design philosophy of sensual purity, the aim being to create an avant-garde, contemporary and distinctive electro-look.”
He continued: “At the same time, the design of the visionary show car, which has been reduced to the essentials, reveals an alluring progressivity.”
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