Mercedes EVs?

[msportpanda]

I'm looking to potentially get into an EV for my next car and I get preferential rates with MB so looking at the EQA and EQC.

Does anyone have real world experience with either? I'd appreciate any insight into range/charging and what they're like to live with day to day.

[TheDeuce]

msportpanda said:

I'm looking to potentially get into an EV for my next car and I get preferential rates with MB so looking at the EQA and EQC.

Does anyone have real world experience with either? I'd appreciate any insight into range/charging and what they're like to live with day to day.

Test drove the EQC in Frankfurt in 2019, it was far better than the E-tron imo. The braking was far better - always a tricky point with EV's as they have to switch between regen and physical braking as seamlessly as possible. I personally ended up with the iPace as it was more of a drivers car - but it's a Jag so comes with it's own downsides of course... just the other week the power tailgate failed and collapsed on my head

Regards range, with any EV if you plan to drive it 'normally' without any concern to range, subtract 25% and you're about right. Regards charging, you can charge at up to 110kw which the Audi and others exceeds to 150kw.. but you'll be lucky to find such a charger on most trips at least for as long as I expect you'll own the car. Any EV now will charge at 50kw which is typical for public chargers and more than fast enough unless you frequently drive several hundred miles without sleep..

Assuming you will charge at home as most drivers do most of the time... I would say only consider the actual range itself when you choose an EV. If it covers your typical mileage in a day, then very little need to worry about charging en route or how fast you can charge.

The latest in car tech of the mercs is also very impressive.

I would urge you to request at least a half days test drive, because realistically, you will need at least an hours worth of driving to get your head around driving an EV, let alone work out if the Merc specifically is a good fit for you.

[jimKRFC]

TheDeuce said:

Test drove the EQC in Frankfurt in 2019, it was far better than the E-tron imo. The braking was far better - always a tricky point with EV's as they have to switch between regen and physical braking as seamlessly as possible. I personally ended up with the iPace as it was more of a drivers car - but it's a Jag so comes with it's own downsides of course... just the other week the power tailgate failed and collapsed on my head

Hope your head is ok! I shouldn't have laughed but I did - sorry!

I can comment on the EQC... If you charge to 100% then my range typically is 230 miles, this tends to be pretty accurate if you stick at around 70mph on the motorway. If the weather drops to around the 10C mark its more 200 miles and this morning was showing as 180 miles at -3C. If you are doing longer trips where charging will be needed then you'll need to plan for the trip, and if staying overnight somewhere find a place to charge. Worth knowing that Tesla destination chargers (white ones) will work.

The ride is really good, there's little noise in the cabin and the fit/finish is really good. The infotainment works really well as well, I'm not so convinced by the track pad thing over the wheel (iDrive/Command/Audi) interface though so tend to use the touch screen or steering wheel touch pads. In a straight live it's surprisingly rapid, but it's built more comfort than speed and it shows it weight in the bends where it can be a boat like.

Space-wise, I can fit three kids across the back (two in high back boosters) and the boot is a reasonable size.

Definitely worth trying to get a 24hour + test drive to see if it is right for you though. There is an EQC thread on here as well with lots of comment/info that would be worth a read.

[minghis]

https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...

[SWoll]

Can only comment on the EQC after a test drive but found it very refined, plenty quick, needs premium plus spec to justify the cost, smaller than expected inside (3 in the back not really workable due to narrow centre seat and transmission tunnel), average boot space (500 litres) and not very good on range (150-200 miles weather dependent).

Nice car that feels let down by its shared ICE platform underpinnings and high price in comparison to the GLC.

[TheDeuce]

SWoll said:

Can only comment on the EQC after a test drive but found it very refined, plenty quick, needs premium plus spec to justify the cost, smaller than expected inside (3 in the back not really workable due to narrow centre seat and transmission tunnel), average boot space (500 litres) and not very good on range (150-200 miles weather dependent).

Nice car that feels let down by its shared ICE platform underpinnings and high price in comparison to the GLC.

There's no transmission tunnel, there's nothing to transmit between the axles

Apparently it entirely fake and exists only to provide a more rigid structure to the floor. A bit of an odd decision, other manufacturers have celebrated being able to finally get rid of the tunnel and provide a fully flat floor in the rear.

[ajprice]

TheDeuce said:

SWoll said:

Can only comment on the EQC after a test drive but found it very refined, plenty quick, needs premium plus spec to justify the cost, smaller than expected inside (3 in the back not really workable due to narrow centre seat and transmission tunnel), average boot space (500 litres) and not very good on range (150-200 miles weather dependent).

Nice car that feels let down by its shared ICE platform underpinnings and high price in comparison to the GLC.

There's no transmission tunnel, there's nothing to transmit between the axles

Apparently it entirely fake and exists only to provide a more rigid structure to the floor. A bit of an odd decision, other manufacturers have celebrated being able to finally get rid of the tunnel and provide a fully flat floor in the rear.

The EQC 'transmission tunnel' might be something to do with that GLC shared ICE platform

[TheDeuce]

ajprice said:

TheDeuce said:

SWoll said:

Can only comment on the EQC after a test drive but found it very refined, plenty quick, needs premium plus spec to justify the cost, smaller than expected inside (3 in the back not really workable due to narrow centre seat and transmission tunnel), average boot space (500 litres) and not very good on range (150-200 miles weather dependent).

Nice car that feels let down by its shared ICE platform underpinnings and high price in comparison to the GLC.

There's no transmission tunnel, there's nothing to transmit between the axles

Apparently it entirely fake and exists only to provide a more rigid structure to the floor. A bit of an odd decision, other manufacturers have celebrated being able to finally get rid of the tunnel and provide a fully flat floor in the rear.

The EQC 'transmission tunnel' might be something to do with that GLC shared ICE platform

Good point - I forgot that their platform is designed for both. Which must be a compromise on many a level I suspect, although when I drove the car I did rate it compared to other EV's I tested at the same time so Merc seem to be making it work.

[SWoll]

TheDeuce said:

ajprice said:

TheDeuce said:

SWoll said:

Can only comment on the EQC after a test drive but found it very refined, plenty quick, needs premium plus spec to justify the cost, smaller than expected inside (3 in the back not really workable due to narrow centre seat and transmission tunnel), average boot space (500 litres) and not very good on range (150-200 miles weather dependent).

Nice car that feels let down by its shared ICE platform underpinnings and high price in comparison to the GLC.

There's no transmission tunnel, there's nothing to transmit between the axles

Apparently it entirely fake and exists only to provide a more rigid structure to the floor. A bit of an odd decision, other manufacturers have celebrated being able to finally get rid of the tunnel and provide a fully flat floor in the rear.

The EQC 'transmission tunnel' might be something to do with that GLC shared ICE platform

Good point - I forgot that their platform is designed for both. Which must be a compromise on many a level I suspect, although when I drove the car I did rate it compared to other EV's I tested at the same time so Merc seem to be making it work.

I did mention it, you should try reading to the end.

For me the EQC felt considerably more compromised than he iPace or eTron inside but of course dependent on use that may not be a problem. We travel 5 up fairly regularly and have 2 dogs so would have been an issue for us, but appreciate we will be an unusual case compared to most.

[TheDeuce]

SWoll said:

I did mention it, you should try reading to the end.

For me the EQC felt considerably more compromised than he iPace or eTron inside but of course dependent on use that may not be a problem. We travel 5 up fairly regularly and have 2 dogs so would have been an issue for us, but appreciate we will be an unusual case compared to most.

Fair point about the reading...

I drove all three back to back and I found the e Tron uninspiring and actually a little slow in a weird way. The Merc was super refined in terms of comfort and felt like a premium product.

The ipace, despite being an SUV which I don't really like... Actually engaged me as a driver best of the three. I also think it made the best of the design freedom available when you ditch ICE.

Anyway, having lived with the ipace and a dog.. I can confirm I'm a very happy customer. You can fit three people in the back but it is admittedly tight. Slightly infuriating as the ipace is almost supercar wide so it's baffling how it's ended up narrow in the back I think part of it is definitely the rear doors which are about 10" thick!

If I was shopping for a new EV suv today, I'd be test driving an ix5 asap I think. I've loved the Jag but I do miss having a BMW, they're just such well sorted and we'll laid out cars.

[The_Nugget]

We’ve had an EQC for a month or so now.
It’s incredibly well refined, really comfortable and really quick in a straight line.
It’s no sports car obviously but handles much better than my last 2 SUVs (Qashqai and X-Trail).

You don’t really notice the weight too much unless you slightly misjudge your speed coming to a junction,
I like the ability to vary the regen and can pretty much drive it on one pedal.

Hard to say on range but I’d say 200 average is about right.
The technology is really good.
It’s smaller than an xtrail inside, but not by much - plenty big enough for normal people and normal loads.
It’s a top car (I’d never buy one at list price though!) but as a company car it’s ace.

[msportpanda]

Thanks for the thoughts so far! Much appreciated.

I do a 400 mile roundtrip a couple of times a month for work with no charging at the destination so that's really going to be the only issue for me in regards to range.

I'm definitely leaning more towards the EQC, not a huuge fan of the EQA/GLA. Do the EQC's have air suspension?

[TheDeuce]

msportpanda said:

Thanks for the thoughts so far! Much appreciated.

I do a 400 mile roundtrip a couple of times a month for work with no charging at the destination so that's really going to be the only issue for me in regards to range.

I'm definitely leaning more towards the EQC, not a huuge fan of the EQA/GLA. Do the EQC's have air suspension?

If it's the same round trip each time it should be easy enough to find a few charger options so that if one is unavailable, no stress just go to the next.

Regards air suspension... I thought they all did but a quick Google just now and it turns out they all do but ONLY on the rear axle - odd, but plainly it works as every agrees the ride is excellent.

Ive always felt air suspension is a necessity on an SUV because it's generally the only way you can fit suitability sized wheels without ruining the ride.. but clearly Merc have found a way achieve the perfect ride with their slightly unusual setup too.

[BeeGT]

Today marks one full year since I took delivery of my EQC and it's been great at everything we've thrown at it. It's covered 12,700 miles with loads of long journeys including multiple trips from Kent to Liverpool (there and back in a day) plus Devon and Yorkshire family holidays. As advised by others, 100% charge varies to give you 180 miles in the winter and up to 230 in the summer, but we generally keep it 'topped up' with 50%-70% range using the cheaper overnight tariff on Octopus.
A trip to Liverpool in the winter needs 2 stops each way, but only 1 in the summer, with both stops being 20-30 minutes longer than the old ICE stop to visit the washroom and grab a coffee.
The long journeys and planning for charging are only an inconvenience when other factors get in the way, such as delays due to roadworks or accidents, because losing additional time to stop and charge the battery becomes resentful.
Interior space, comfort, equipment plus the performance are all great. If I could squeeze the range to 220/270 miles it would be the perfect car, but that's also my fault for living the 'wrong' side of London for the journeys we make.

[SWoll]

msportpanda said:

Thanks for the thoughts so far! Much appreciated.

I do a 400 mile roundtrip a couple of times a month for work with no charging at the destination so that's really going to be the only issue for me in regards to range.

The downside of the EQC there would be charge speed. 110kW peak rate, a charge curve that drops steadily from 40% SOC and average to poor efficiency will mean quite bit of waiting on long journeys.



It's better than the iPace but well behind the eTron 55 which will max out at 150kW and maintain that speed until 80% SOC.

Just something to consider/factor in if you are going to rely on public charging regularly.

[TheDeuce]

SWoll said:

msportpanda said:

Thanks for the thoughts so far! Much appreciated.

I do a 400 mile roundtrip a couple of times a month for work with no charging at the destination so that's really going to be the only issue for me in regards to range.

The downside of the EQC there would be charge speed. 110kW peak rate, a charge curve that drops steadily from 40% SOC and average to poor efficiency will mean quite bit of waiting on long journeys.



It's better than the iPace but well behind the eTron 55 which will max out at 150kW and maintain that speed until 80% SOC.

Just something to consider/factor in if you are going to rely on public charging regularly.

ust to add that... while the stats don't lie and faster is always better...

Even charging at 100kw is adding about 270-280 miles of range per hour at peak. As you say that does drop off on some EV's more than others. However.. a 400 mile journey would be achieved in my ipace with two 30 minute charge breaks quite easily. So even if I freely admit the iPace doesn't do well compared to the others.. I think it's still more than good enough. Hence, I would always be led by the car I liked the most out of the selection being discussed, even if on paper it's not the superior one in some regards.

[SWoll]

TheDeuce said:

ust to add that... while the stats don't lie and faster is always better...

Even charging at 100kw is adding about 270-280 miles of range per hour at peak. As you say that does drop off on some EV's more than others. However.. a 400 mile journey would be achieved in my ipace with two 30 minute charge breaks quite easily. So even if I freely admit the iPace doesn't do well compared to the others.. I think it's still more than good enough. Hence, I would always be led by the car I liked the most out of the selection being discussed, even if on paper it's not the superior one in some regards.

Just something for the OP to consider as often something people don't think about until they're sat at the charger for an hour the first time.

Assuming you arrive with 10% as a buffer you're only going to get another 30% at top rate (25kW, 60 miles) before it starts falling which will take about 15 minutes. To get back to 90-95% in order to complete a further 200 miles iof driving s going to take an hour or more unless you make multiple stops as you mention with your iPace. The downside being you are doubling your chance of encountering a faulty or busy charger.

All a bit of a game isn't it?

[TheDeuce]

SWoll said:

TheDeuce said:

ust to add that... while the stats don't lie and faster is always better...

Even charging at 100kw is adding about 270-280 miles of range per hour at peak. As you say that does drop off on some EV's more than others. However.. a 400 mile journey would be achieved in my ipace with two 30 minute charge breaks quite easily. So even if I freely admit the iPace doesn't do well compared to the others.. I think it's still more than good enough. Hence, I would always be led by the car I liked the most out of the selection being discussed, even if on paper it's not the superior one in some regards.

Just something for the OP to consider as often something people don't think about until they're sat at the charger for an hour the first time.

Assuming you arrive with 10% as a buffer you're only going to get another 30% at top rate (25kW, 60 miles) before it starts falling which will take about 15 minutes. To get back to 90-95% in order to complete a further 200 miles iof driving s going to take an hour or more unless you make multiple stops as you mention with your iPace. The downside being you are doubling your chance of encountering a faulty or busy charger.

All a bit of a game isn't it?

It might be a game for some - entirely depends on the length and frequency of journeys a person has to make. In this instance the OP has (by the sounds of it) a single 400 mile round trip that they repeat quite often. If that is their only hurdle in adopting an EV, I would say that it wouldn't take very much research to identify multiple potential charger stops so that if A isn't available, move on to B, then C etc. Once you know the route and where the chargers are it's pretty safe even if their is a broken or unavailable charger on occasion.

Regards my choice on longer trips to stop twice.. I've never really given any thought to charge rate in that detail tbh. I just know that on any 400 mile journey I'll be happy to have a 20-30 minute break a couple of times. 400 miles even at 60mph avg is 6:40mins of driving. At very least that would cover two of breakfast/lunch/dinner times

[oop north]

Apart from Ionity Gretna I don’t go past any chargers that will go faster than 50kW on my regular long journeys. Charging is a bit tedious at 50 and below - def makes long days longer than I want them to be

[Neverever]

Just got out of an EQC premium plus after a year - a bit boring IMO

Nice car, and enjoyed our first full electric car, now gone Taycan CT 4S. A bit early as yet as only got it yesterday, nice looking thing !