Mercedes-Benz, the luxury brand owned by Daimler ADR DMLRY, launched Wednesday an all-electric SUV, the EQA, in a bid to meet the regulatory target of having a proportion of emission-free vehicles in its portfolio and also to take on the competitive threat posed by EV leader Tesla Inc TSLA.
What Happened: EQA is the new entry model of the Mercedes EQ family, Marius Philipp, the product manager for the EQA at Mercedes, said in the launch video.
It is positioned as a car that meets the demand for urban mobility. The EQA 250 model premiered offers over a range of 420km, according to WLTP.
It would come with a 66.5 kilowatt-hour battery pack, with the list price at 39,950 euros ($48,400).
The company is also planning a variant with over 500km in range in the future.
The EQA is based on the company's GLA class of SUVs.
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The EQA 250 model has an output of 140 kWh and has a combined consumption of 15.7 kW/100km, and combined carbon dioxide emissions of 0g/km. Further power levels of more than 100 kWh as well as a variant with all-wheel drive are expected to follow.
The vehicle allows for preconditioning thermal management before starting via Mercedes-Benz user experience or the Mercedes me app.
The compact SUV, which is built in Rastatt in Germany and Beijing in China, will be made available at European Mercedes-Benz dealerships in the spring.
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Why It's Important: Europe has been pushing for a ban of fossil fuel vehicles, with some markets in the region targeting a deadline of 2030.
Some markest like Norway have witnessed a higher proportion of green energy vehicle sales to total vehicles relative to markets elsewhere. In December, 50% of the cars sold in Norway were EVs.
This explains the traditional automakers' push toward EVs.
Tesla, meanwhile, has a head start in EV sales by virtue of it being the pioneer, and its mass market vehicle Model 3 is the best-selling EV in the world.
Related Link: Chasing Tesla, Major Tech Companies Team With Automakers To Enter EV Space
Photo courtesy of Mercedes-Benz.
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