Mercedes EQS SUV and AMG EQE ace the family trip test
During a recent family trip to Southern California, Mercedes lent us two of their flagship electric vehicles. We picked up an EQS SUV at the airport, drove it around Los Angeles and to Big Bear Mountain and back, stress testing that huge battery against elevation and high speeds. Then, to switch it up, I drove the slightly less family-friendly but more fun EQE to destinations around LA for the second half of the week. Yes, $130K cars are so much more decadent than the Hertz vehicles we’d planned for, but here are my big takeaways.
Picking up the EQS SUV from LAX, it is a relatively unassuming car (especially compared to the Red AMG EQE we’ll discuss later) that most people won’t recognize as a six-figure flagship EV. The gorgeous front plastic grille tips the hand a little bit, but otherwise, this is a very unassuming vehicle on the outside other than the Mercedes logos.
Just like the EQS Sedan I reviewed last year, the inside was gorgeous and luxurious, though it lacked the passenger dash third screen. It also lacked the Galaxy tab in the back but had most of the other accouterments, including those light massaging front seats, which would be key after a day of snowboarding. I’ll stick by my previous statements on the interior, though the SUV naturally even has more headroom:
If the inside of the EQS is anything, it is roomy. The sheer enormity of the interior is hard to put into words. Add to that the ginormous “Hyperscreen” which his really
3screens under the same glass that spans the width of the front of the vehicle…a control screen between the 2 front seats allows those in the rear to individually control their temperature settings.What’s ironic is you don’t even have to look at the three big screens while driving because Mercedes includes one of the best heads up displays in the business. In fact, this is the first car that I preferred the built in mapping software to CarPlay/Google Maps and that’s because of the heads up integration – also it does look amazing on that huge center display.
The kids (11, 14) loved the ability to wireless charge in the armrest and adjust the back seat temperature, something they don’t get in the Chevy Bolt and Tesla Model Y they are used to at home. There’s also a ton more room in the back which almost kept them from fighting.
Probably the biggest difference is the boot, which now goes from a big EQS sedan to an even bigger SUV. That was key when it came to carrying our snowboards and equipment up the mountain.
Although we were four people on this trip, there was a third row, which I found roomy and housed our youngest during a particularly contentious part of the trip.
I climbed in the third row, and at 6 feet, 220 pounds, I felt like claustrophobia would take about 30 minutes to kick in. Even with the third row, there is plenty of room in the back for a row of groceries and even a false floor to store charging apparatus or other items.
No frunk, no hood access
The ample rear space is key here because not only does Mercedes not have a frunk, but they also don’t even allow access to the front hood area. I was curious to see where one would add the wiper fluid – it turns out there is a door on the driver’s side that you can use to do that.
It’s a bold strategy, Cotton. Let’s see if it pays off for them.
The Mercedes EQS SUV drive
Any wonderment about why someone would pay $130K for an SUV is immediately answered once you hit the road. The air suspension makes my sub-$50,000 vehicles at home feel like panel trucks. The cabin is whisper quiet even at 80mph, the turning is relatively tight, and the sub-6 second 0-60 acceleration is strong. Mercedes adds an acceleration soundtrack option which I felt compelled to try and found “not distracting.”
Mercedes, as is often the case, has a ton of varieties of the EQS SUV, and I had a middle-ish trim called 450 4MATIC. In this trim, the EPA mileage is 285 miles from the 108.4kWh battery. It was only tested on our 2.5-hour, 120-mile trip up the mountain to Big Bear. Around town, I’d seen mileage pretty closely pinned to the EPA range, but going 80mph up to 8000 feet? Let’s just say we stopped at a ChargePoint 50kW station (that put out <33kW) at dinner before our trip back.
It turns out that after regenerating most of the way down the mountain, we probably would have made the 240-mile round trip without the need for a charge, but I found myself playing it a lot safer without a garage charger waiting for me at home.
Easy street parking charging
This isn’t Mercedes-specific, but I found that it was really easy to keep these cars topped up with all of the options around town. Our Santa Monica Airbnb had street parking without access to power, but ChargePoint seemed to be everywhere, including about 20 level 2 stations at the beach where my kids surfed and a neighborhood station we topped up at over dinner a few times. Redondo Beach’s library, a few blocks from the beach/pier, also had some level 2 options that were easy and helpful. There was never any range anxiety, and I don’t even know if we lost any time because charging stations were so close to our venues and easy. I realize that Los Angeles is anything but a charging infrastructure desert, but this was the first time I’d gone 10 days without a garage charger, and it was too easy.
Switch to the AMG EQE
About midway through the week, Mercedes swapped out our EQS SUV with the AMG EQE sedan. (Yes, rough life, I know.) My wife and I had opposite reactions to the swap. Hers was, “This is worse in every way. It is smaller, [has] fewer seats, less room, has less range, it’s red, and has sports suspension.” As I’ve grown older, I’ve learned to just nod my head and sigh and save my adulation for the written word here.
At nearly the same price as the EQS SUV, the AMG variant of the EQE is gorgeous, and the “Patagonia Red metallic” color? A show stopper. We had zero people asking about the EQS SUV, whereas the AMG EQE had people visiting us at almost every stop to look and ask questions. Standout design additions are the small spoiler in the back, the pinstripe grille, fake air intakes in the front, and dope 21-inch AMG multispoke turbine wheels. I think a chrome-less version would be off the charts.
While smaller, there is still plenty of room for a family of four, and the trunk, it turns out, was surprisingly adequate at holding our three suitcases, bags, skateboards, and other souvenirs.
Inside, it is just as wild with a racing-inspired steering wheel with paddles with different racing options. When you turn the car on, it sounds like you are about to watch a THX movie and the permanent RGB light colors go from door to door.
This is a family vacation, so I didn’t get to test the 3.2 second 0-60 time, but my kids did get used to the “heads back” command before every green light. The fake motor sound here is louder and more noticeable… and fitting. Otherwise, even with the sports wheels and suspension, it is quiet and drives fantastically.
Those big shoes and 617 horsepower/701 lb-ft torque carry a huge range penalty dropping the range on the AMG EQE’s 90.6 kWH battery down from 305 miles of range in the standard edition down close to 225 miles (EPA not yet available) in the AMG variant according to the dashboard. I realize that might be a deal-breaker for some, but to Mercedes’ credit, their range is conservative.
Electrek’s Take
I wasn’t able to put these EVs through the performance paces and get into the intricate details like I would do on a normal review, but having the family along for the week presented its own nuanced tests. I’d argue that these were more telling for most than the normal speeds and feeds. And unsurprisingly, these two Mercedes vehicles passed with flying colors.
The big caveat is the price. Third-row eSUVs can be found at half the price (heck, Mercedes own EQB starts at $55K), and the slightly slower Tesla’s Model 3P and BMW’s i4 M50 are priced much lower and offer significantly more range than the AMG EQE.
That said, if you’ve got six figures to burn and want the best drives and overall vehicles possible, both of these electric vehicles worked incredibly well with my family of four. I now just have to talk my wife out of trading our Model Y for the EQS SUV.
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Owner-operators are a huge part of the heavy truck market, and they’ve been among the most hesitant groups to transition from diesel to electric semi trucks. That may be changing, however, as Saldivar’s Trucking becomes first independent owner-operator in the US to deploy a Volvo VNR Electric Class 8 truck.
The higher up-front cost of electric semi trucks has been a huge obstacle for smaller fleets. That’s there are incentives from governments, utilities, and even non-profits to help overcome that initial obstacle. And the smart dealers are the ones who are putting in the hours to learn about those incentives, educate their customers, and ultimately sell more vehicles.
TEC Equipment is a smart dealer, and they worked closely with South Coast Air Quality Management District to secure the CARB funding and ensure Saldivar’s was able to ssecure $410,000 in funding from CARB’s On-Road Heavy-Duty Voucher Incentive Program (HVIP), which provides funding to replace older, heavy-duty trucks with zero-emission vehicles. The program is directed exclusively to small fleets with 10 vehicles or less that operate in California and aims to bridge the gap between the regulatory push for clean transportation and the financial realities faced by small business owners.
“TEC Equipment has been instrumental in supporting owner-operators like Saldivar’s Trucking through the transition to battery-electric vehicles,” explains Peter Voorhoeve, president of Volvo Trucks North America. “Their dedication to providing comprehensive support and securing necessary funding demonstrates how crucial dealer partners are in turning the vision of owning a battery-electric vehicle into a reality for fleets of all sizes.”
Saldivar’s Volvo VNR Electric features a six-battery configuration, with 565 kWh of storage capacity and a 250 kW charging capability. The zero-tailpipe emission truck can charge to 80% in 90 minutes to provide a range of up to 275 miles.
Those specs mean the Volvo electric semi is more than capable of meeting Saldivar’s operational needs, which include night shifts at California ports covering 175-200 miles per night, five nights a week. And, as he adds his VNR Electric miles to Volvo’s ever-growing tally, other owner-operators will see that it works for them, too.
“While large fleets often make headlines for their ambitious investments in battery-electric vehicles, nearly half of the 3.5 million professional truck drivers in the U.S. are owner-operators running their businesses with just one truck,” adds Voorhoeve. “These small operations face unique challenges, from the initial capital investment to securing adequate charging infrastructure … this collaboration is a perfect example of the important role to be played by truck dealers and why stakeholders need to work together to succeed in this new era of sustainable transportation.” We need solutions that work for different fleets of all sizes in the marketplace,” added Voorhoeve.”
Electrek’s Take
Electrifying America’s commercial trucking fleet can’t happen soon enough – for the health of the people who live and work near these vehicles, the health of the planet they drive on, and (thanks to their substantially lower operating costs) the health of the businesses that deploy them. TEC is doing a great job advancing the cause, and acting as true expert partners for their customers.
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SOURCE | IMAGES: Volvo Trucks, via ACT News.
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Mercedes released a look at the powertrain technology of its upcoming electric CLA, and it includes tons of neat EV tech and some interesting options for battery technology and what looks to be the most flexible charging system we’ve seen yet.
We’ve already learned a fair amount about the CLA after first seeing the concept last year, and Mercedes released a few new specifics today regarding its powertrain.
In keeping with previous information we knew, the CLA is targeting extremely high efficiency of 12kWh/100km, which translates to just 193Wh/mi or 5.2mi/kWh. That’s more efficient than anything else on the road today – with Lucid’s Air Pure reaching 200Wh/mi, or 5mi/kWh. And just less than what Tesla is claiming the Cybercab will be capable of, at 5.5kWh/mi.
This is thanks to Mercedes’ new compact EDU 2.0 electric motor, which is part of its new Mercedes Modular Architecture (MMA) which will underpin its upcoming electric vehicles. The drive motor will be 200kW on the rear axle, though all-wheel drive models will be available with an additional 80kW unit on the front axle. A two-speed transmission will ensure efficiency at high speeds and low.
For more efficiency in cold weather, the CLA will use an air-to-air heat pump which is able to capture heat from the motor, battery, and ambient air to heat the cabin. While batteries and motors don’t make nearly as much waste heat as inefficient ICE engines, it’s still good to be able to channel heat to wherever you need it.
Mercedes says that the CLA will come equipped with a choice of two different batteries, each with different chemistries.
The larger 85kWh model will be capable of an unnecessarily-high 750km (466mi) of WLTP range – though WLTP numbers are always higher than EPA numbers, so expect something in the high-300s in EPA parlance. This battery will add silicon oxide to the anode for higher energy density, a technology that has been pioneered by Sila Nanotechnologies, a company which Mercedes is a lead investor in.
The smaller battery will be 58kWh, and will use lithium iron phosphate (LFP) chemistry. LFP is a cheaper but lower energy density technology, with higher long-term durability and simpler sourcing of minerals (it uses no cobalt, whereas Mercedes says cobalt has been “reduced” in the larger batteries). However, LFP generally has slower fast charging and cold weather performance.
On charging: the “premium” battery will have an 800V configuration capable of up to 320kW charging speeds. Mercedes says this can add 300km (186mi) of range in 10 minutes, and also says that the car will have a broad charging curve, which means you’ll get high charge rates even if the battery isn’t close to empty. It didn’t specify if the smaller LFP battery will have the same charge rate.
This high charging rate allowed Mercedes to set a record traveling 3,717km (2,309mi) in 24 hours at the Nardo test track in Italy in a pre-production CLA. That’s an average travel rate of 96mph – including time spent charging.
We also learned something about Mercedes’ NACS adoption plans. While just about everyone has committed to transitioning cars to NACS, it has taken longer than expected (largely due to Tesla’s chaotic CEO firing the whole supercharger team for little reason), and few cars have native NACS inlets yet. Some brands can already charge at Superchargers with adapters, but Mercedes is still on Tesla’s “coming soon” page.
As a result of delays in onbaording automakers, some seem to have pulled back on their plans, pushing NACS ports to later model years. But Mercedes has a new and unique solution – it will just put both CCS and NACS ports on the CLA, right on top of each other.
Mercedes says “in the future, new entry-level models will be capable of bidirectional charging,” but isn’t clear whether this model will be capable of that.
Electrek’s Take
While this is short of a full release of specs, we’re excited by what we see here. Mercedes seems to confirm that they’re meeting the efficiency goals they set out, and we like that they’re offering a variety of options and taking advantage of some newer EV tech like 800V charging infrastructure.
The inclusion of both NACS and CCS is very interesting, again offering options to owners during the transition. That seems to be the big message from Mercedes here – we’re not going to just pick one tool, we’re going to use all of them.
But pricing and availability are obviously big questions, as is design.
The concept looks fantastic, but concepts always change on their way into production. The shape of the camouflaged test vehicle is very different – but looks to have some shrouding on the front and back to hide its shape, so we’ll have to wait until we see this thing unveiled for more.
And as for pricing – Mercedes says the CLA will be an “entry-level” car, but who knows what that means anymore these days. The base ICE CLA starts at around $44k currently, so lets see if they can hit that number.
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Daimler Truck North America has helped alcohol distributor Reyes Beverage Group deploy fully 29 zero-emission Freightliner eCascadia Class 8 electric semi trucks in its California delivery fleet.
Reyes Beverage Group (RGB) plans to deploy the first twenty Freightliner electric semi trucks at its Golden Brands – East Bay and Harbor Distributing – Huntington Beach warehouses, marking the first phase in the company’s transition to a fully zero emission truck fleet by 2039. An additional nine eCascadia Class 8 HDEVs are scheduled for delivery to RBG’s Gate City Beverage – San Bernardino warehouse before the end of 2024.
RBG’s decision to adopt the Freightliner eCascadia builds on its recent transition to renewable diesel and its ongoing idle-time reduction program. These electric vehicles (EVs) “go electric” will contribute significantly toward the company’s stated goal of reducing its carbon emissions 60 percent by 2030. These 2 trucks will save some 98,000 gallons of diesel fuel annually, and avoid putting nearly 700 metric tons of carbon dioxide and other harmful emissions into California’s air each year.
“We are excited to be among the first in our industry to adopt these electric vehicles,” explains Tom Reyes, President of RBG West. “This is a significant step toward our sustainability goals and ensuring compliance with state regulation as we transition our fleet to EV.”
Freightliner’s eCascadia electric semi trucks offer a number of battery and drive axle configurations with ranges between 155 and 230 miles, depending on the truck specification, to perfectly match customers’ needs without compromising on performance and load capacity. RBG’s Freightliner eCascadia tractors will rely on electric charging stations installed at each facility, allowing them to recharge to 80% capacity in as little as 90 minutes for RGB’s trucks, which feature a typical driving range of 220 miles as equipped.
Electrek’s Take
Food and beverage trucks operate everywhere – not just at the ports but in urban population centers, too. That means they’re pumping out harmful emissions right where a lot of people live and work, and that’s no bueno, making the electrification of these vehicles a no brainer for anyone who cares about the quality of life of the people who live and work near them.
SOURCE | IMAGES: Daimler Trucks.
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