Mercedes-Benz has commenced production of its first all-electric vehicle in the United States. The German automaker has begun series production of its flagship EQS SUV at its manufacturing plant in Tuscaloosa County, Alabama, where it will be exclusively built.
The Alabama Mercedes-Benz factory currently produces the Mercedes-Benz GLE and GLS internal combustion engine SUVs and will start producing the upcoming EQE electric SUV “later this year.”
The German brand is also manufacturing the battery systems for the EQS SUV at the recently inaugurated battery plant in Bibb County.
The EQS SUV is the third model built on the Electric Vehicle Architecture (EVA), following the EQS liftback and the EQE sedan.
The smaller EQE SUV will be the fourth model built on the EVA and will be globally revealed on October 16.
Three Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV models will be offered at launch: the EQS 450+, EQS 450 4Matic, and EQS 580 4Matic.
It is still unclear which models will come to Australia, and prices and specifications will be announced at a later date.
Mercedes-AMG versions of the EQS SUV are likely, with a Mercedes-Maybach version potentially badged as the EQS 600 SUV.
Like the EQS liftback, the entire EQS SUV range uses a 107.8 kWh lithium-ion battery. Although the SUV range has the same battery as the EQS liftback, the declared range for the EQS SUV is lower across the board, with a maximum range of 660 km on the tougher WLTP test cycle, instead of 784 km.
The rear-wheel-drive EQS 450+ uses a single electric motor producing 265 kW of power and 568 Nm of torque.
The mid-range EQS 450 4Matic has a dual-motor all-wheel-drive setup with total system outputs of 265 kW and 800 Nm, while the dual-motor EQS 580 4Matic has total system outputs of 400 kW and 858 Nm.
Airmatic air suspension is standard, with adaptive dampers, a four-link front axle, and an independent multi-link rear suspension.
All models can accept up to 200 kW of power from an ultra-rapid DC charging station, and the entry-level EQS 450+ can add 250 km of range in 15 minutes.
An 11 kW onboard AC charger is standard across the range, and a 22 kW unit is optional.
Externally, the Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV has a design very similar to the EQS liftback.
Internally, the resemblance is even more significant, with an almost identical dashboard that can also be chosen with MBUX Hyperscreen.
Measuring 141 cm wide, the Hyperscreen features a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, a 17.7-inch central touchscreen, and a 12.3-inch passenger touchscreen in a pillar-to-pillar housing.
The EQS SUV comes standard with five seats, but an optional third row with two additional seats is available.
When the Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV lands locally, it will join the locally available fully electric SUVs EQA, EQB, and EQC, as well as the EQS liftback and EQE sedan.
As previously reported, the German automaker has announced plans to go fully electric by 2030, subject to market conditions.
Starting in 2025, Mercedes-Benz will launch three all-electric architectures. The main platform will be MB.EA, supporting all medium and large vehicles.
This will be complemented by AMG.EA for high-performance cars and VAN.EA, forming the basis for vans and light commercial vehicles.
