Mercedes-Benz EQC Arrives In Singapore

Mercede-Benz has just launched its very first Battery Electric Vehicle in Singapore. With the launch of the EQC SUV, Mercedes-Benz also casts the Mercedes-EQ sub-brand in stone here in Singapore.

The Mercedes-EQ sub-brand plays into Mercedes-Benz’s commitment to their Ambition2039 vision, announced in 2019. Their goal is by 2025, all Mercedes-Benz cars will have some form of electrification; their ICE cars will by then be equipped with 48V Mild Hybrid technology. By 2039, the brand aims to have a carbon neutral range; all this, in the name of reducing the world’s carbon footprint.

Back to the all-electric EQC, their first EQ-badged EV is based on the existing GLC, and shares plenty of its ICE sibling’s switchgear. The EQC is produced in a style quite similar to the same segment BMW iX3 SUV, which we will probably see here very soon.

Both the Electric Art and AMG Line cars are powered by the same drivetrain, a motor on each axle, meaning that the EQC is AWD. Both motors have a combined output of 408bhp and 760Nm, allowing the EV to reach 100km in 5.1 seconds, and boasts a maximum range of 423Km.

The EQC’s lithium-ion battery, which is tailor-made for the car, and built by Deutsche ACCUMOTIVE, a fully-owned Daimler subsidiary, has an energy content of 80kWh. The battery consists of 348 cells, located on the vehicle floor, and is liquid cooled for optimal performance. The EQC supports the driver with four driving programs, COMFORT, ECO, SPORT, and also a customisable INDIVIDUAL drive mode. The driver will also have a major influence on how the EQC recouperates energy, with the use of the paddles behind the steering wheel.

In ensuring that the EQC remains level, and so that the battery is protected from bottoming out, and for easier cargo space access, the rear end utilises a self-leveling air suspension system.

The EQC is equipped with a water-cooled onboard charger (OBC) with a capacity of 11kW, which is suitable for home charging. The EQC can be charged with a maximum output of 110kW with DC charging, and can be charged from between 10-80% in 40 minutes.

The interior of the EQC features what Mercedes-Benz terms an avant-garde electro-look. Design elements like the ribbed edge of the instrument panel, which is styled to resemble the cooling ribs of a hi-fi amplifier, and high gloss cassette housing flat air vents with key-shaped, rose-gold coloured louvres are just some of the differentiating features versus its ICE sibling.

In keeping with the green-sustainable-carbon-neutral theme, the EQC’s interior features more than 100 components, made from resource-friendly materials like hemp, kenaf, wool or paper.

For Singapore, will be getting both current available variants, the EQC 400 4MATIC Electric Art retailing at $304,888, and the sportier looking EQC 400 4MATIC AMG Line retailing at $322,888. Road tax for a year is set at $3,838.

Mercedes-Benz… or should I rather say Mercedes-EQ has also provided a warranty of 10 years or up to 150,000km, whichever comes first for the vehicle itself; while the battery is warrantied for 8 years or 160,000km, whichever comes first.

With the launch of the EQC, Mercedes-Benz has also announced that they will be launching more EQ models, with the next being the EQA, the smallest of their current range, based on the GLA, and this will reach our shores in the 3rd quarter of the year. The first quarter of 2022 will see the launch of the EQS, their first full-sized sedan, built on architecture dedicated to their full-electric range of cars; and the rest of the brand’s EQ range is set to trickle in after.

Photos by Mercedes-Benz

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