Yahoo Finance Mercedes reveals all-electric EQS 'Tesla killer'
Mercedes-Benz has officially unveiled the all-electric EQS sedan that has been billed as a “Tesla killer”.
The Daimler-owned marque has long had success with its S-Class cars but has been slower than rivals in moving into low-emissions vehicles.
Built from the ground up as an electric car, the EQS is expected to address any fears that Mercedes is lagging behind.
The new model will have the longest range of any electric car of up to 470 miles. Only Tesla models that are yet to hit the road are likely to match this.
Mercedes did not reveal pricing for the EQS but is likely to be similar to the flagship S-Class range that starts at £90,000. The model goes on sale in the UK in the "late summer".
Deutsche Bank analyst Tim Rokossa, who was given a preview of the EQS, said: “We believe the car will likely set the benchmark in terms of technical features, as well as design and quality, for from traditional [car manufacturers] but also for battery electric vehicles in general with respect to certain features.”
The EQS “could further shift the perception of Mercedes from a ‘legacy manufacturer’ towards a luxurious battery electric vehicle maker”, he said.
“Mercedes claims that the S-Class is the best car in the world, hence the EQS should be the best electric car in the world, and it will most likely be scrutinised with that expectation in mind,” added Roman Mathyssek, a consultant at Arthur D Little. The bar for the EQS was “very high in every respect”.
Although Tesla has a lead in electrification, it has long faced questions about build quality and aftersales support.
The arrival in force of Audi, BMW and now Mercedes, with their reputations for engineering quality and established dealer and maintenance networks, could mark a new threat to Tesla.
The launch of the EQS comes as Ferrari, the Italian company famed for fuel-guzzling sports cars, said it would reveal its first all-electric vehicle in 2025.
Chairman John Elkann revealed the plan at the annual meeting on Thursday. His predecessor Louis Camilleri had previously questioned whether Ferrari would ditch petrol engines.
In 2019 Mr Camilleri said many “customers have difficulty imagining a real Ferrari which is fully electric” and predicted the company would not go fully electric in his lifetime.
