Skip to main content

Mercedes-Benz confirms plans for 'EQ' electric car sub-brand

Mercedes-Benz Generation EQ concept
Image used with permission by copyright holder
When it unveiled the Generation EQ electric SUV concept at the 2016 Paris Motor Show last month, Mercedes-Benz said the concept previewed the first of many upcoming electric cars. Now, the automaker has more details on its electrification plans.

An electric SUV based on the Generation EQ will be built at an existing Mercedes plant in Bremen, Germany, the company announced Thursday. EQ will become a new sub-brand for electric cars, just like BMW’s “i” division. Mercedes aims to have more than 10 all-electric cars in its lineup by 2025.

The Generation EQ concept is an SUV with coupe-like styling and an “electro look” design language that Mercedes said will be used on all of its upcoming electric cars. The concept has a claimed range of 500 kilometers (310 miles), and rides on a new platform designed specifically for electric cars. Mercedes says this platform is flexible enough to be used for everything from SUVs to convertibles.

The Bremen plant that will build Mercedes’ first EQ electric car currently builds 10 different models, including plug-in hybrid versions of the C-Class sedan and GLC-Class SUV. It will also build the GLC F-Cell hydrogen fuel-cell model unveiled earlier this year. Clearly, Bremen has green cars covered.

Batteries for the Mercedes EQ electric SUV will be made by Accumotive, a subsidiary of Mercedes parent Daimler. The company will spend 500 million euros (about $545 million) on a new battery plant to support Mercedes’ ambitious electric-car plans. The plant will also manufacture cells for stationary energy storage battery packs, which will be Mercedes’ answer to Tesla’s Powerwall units.

While Mercedes was eager to discuss where its electric SUV will be built, it was less forthcoming on when. A September Reuters report said parent Daimler will launch six electric cars across multiple brands (it also owns Smart, Maybach, and several commercial vehicle brands) beginning in 2018, so perhaps we’ll see the Mercedes model then.

Editors' Recommendations

Stephen Edelstein
Stephen is a freelance automotive journalist covering all things cars. He likes anything with four wheels, from classic cars…
Mercedes-Benz EQE SUV first drive review: ’90s look, cutting-edge tech
Front three quarter view of the 2023 Mercedes-Benz EQE SUV.

Mercedes-Benz is one of the oldest automakers in existence, but it's been among the quickest to launch a lineup of electric cars. It may not have the freshness of a startup, but what it does have are actual cars to sell to customers.

The 2023 Mercedes-Benz EQE SUV is the middle child of Mercedes' electric SUV lineup, slotting between the entry-level EQB and the flagship EQS SUV, and targeting electric luxury SUVs like the Audi E-Tron, BMW iX, and Cadillac Lyriq. Like the EQS, the EQE SUV is based on an existing sedan, hence the "SUV" suffix. In a previous first drive, we found the EQE sedan to be a good balance between luxury and livability, giving the SUV version a lot to live up to.

Read more
Mercedes is finally bringing an electric van to the U.S.
Front three quarter view of the 2024 Mercedes-Benz eSprinter electric van.

Mercedes-Benz might be known for luxury cars, but it also makes vans, and it's finally bringing an electric van to the United States.

Scheduled to start production this summer, the 2024 Mercedes-Benz eSprinter is an all-electric version of the Sprinter full-size cargo van that's already a favorite of delivery services like FedEx and Amazon, as well as camper van converters. While the automaker has been selling electric vans in Europe since 2010, the new eSprinter is the first one aimed at the U.S. market.

Read more
Mercedes EV charging hubs are coming to North America by the end of the decade
What a future Mercedes-Benz EV charging hub might look like.

You can't have more electric cars without more charging stations, so Mercedes-Benz is building a global charging network covering North America, China, Europe, and other major markets to support its goal of going all-electric by the end of the decade where market conditions allow.

Announced at CES 2023, the network should be in place by the end of the decade in line with Mercedes' electrification goal. It's a bold move by the automaker, which has mostly relied on third-party charging networks until now.

Read more