It has been a display of classy electric automobiles at the ongoing Frankfurt Motor Show since one of the world’s most glamorous auto events commenced a few days ago in Germany.
Auto industry analysts say countries like Nigeria yet to catch the EV (as electric vehicle is called) ‘bug’ may be missing a lot as several automakers continue to outdo one another in churning out the best of climate change compliant cars.
The various media platforms reporting the Frankfurt Motor Show have featured Toyota, BMW, Volkswagen, Audi and Mercedes-Benz, among others showcasing their e-powered creations.
For Mercedes-Benz, it has provided an avenue to announce its plans to introduce as many as 10 electric cars in its line-up by 2022, including sport utility vehicles, sedans and hatchbacks.
Many did not miss the unveiling of what reviewers described as a showstopper at the Mercedes pavilion, the new EQA electric car concept.
Mercedes-Benz says the EQ is its new product brand for electric mobility: The name EQ stands for ‘Electric Intelligence’ and is derived from the Mercedes-Benz brand values of ‘Emotion and Intelligence’. “The EQ offers a comprehensive electric mobility ecosystem of products, services, technologies and innovations. The spectrum ranges from electric vehicles to wall-boxes and charging services to home energy storage units,” the automaker stated.
According to autondtv, the latest concept, the EQA features a flat battery pack, along with an electric motor at each axle that helps it sprint to 60 mph from rest in around 5.0 seconds. The motors form an all-wheel-drive system whose characteristics can be easily altered by varying the front to rear torque distribution.
It said the combined output of the electric motors was around 270 horsepower and 368 pound-feet of torque, while the stated range of the battery, a 60-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion unit made up of pouch cells, was close to 250 miles.
Its charging, it said, could be done via wireless induction or with a plug, adding that if the latter is chosen, there must be the capacity for high-speed charging which could add 60 miles of range in 10 minutes.
Mercedes was said to have hinted that multiple performance levels for both power and range would be possible in production of EQ models.
“The concept also offers a glimpse at the proportions of Mercedes’ next-generation compact cars, the first of which will be a new A-Class Hatchback due in 2018,” it stated.
According to the report, the newest concept previews a compact electric vehicle from the automaker under electric sub-brand ‘EQ’, and possibly hinted at the next generation A-Class hatchback as well.
It said, “We were given a taste of Mercedes’ first volume electric car in the form of the Generation EQ concept unveiled at the 2016 Paris auto show. The concept, a small SUV, also marked the introduction of Mercedes’ new EQ sub-brand for electrified cars, similar to the more established BMW i.
“Mercedes has now given us a glimpse at another upcoming EQ model, this time a compact, in the form of the EQA concept which made its debut on Tuesday at the 2017 Frankfurt Motor Show.”
It also said the finer details were unique to the EQ cars, adding, “For example, the black panel at the front is meant to mimic a radiator grille and changes its look according to the drive programme. In the sportiest setting (Sport Plus), vertical struts in the style of Mercedes-AMG’s Panamericana grille are displayed.”
The report indicated that the production version of the concept, expected to share the EQA name, would arrive around 2020 to challenge the BMW i3 and a production version of Volkswagen’s ID concept.
“It will likely end up the most popular member of Mercedes’ EQ electric cars, as it will be the most affordable, priced only slightly higher than the automaker’s current compacts,” said another online auto journal, Motor Authority.
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