Mercedes-Maybach introduces a murdered out ‘Night Series’ version of the EQS SUV
Just over a month after introducing its first all-electric model in the EQS 680 SUV, Mercedes-Maybach has announced a new “Night Series” aesthetic for those who like black. These designs span across multiple Maybach models in addition to the EQS SUV and offer plenty of distinct and exclusive features inside and out. Hope you like Maybach logo…
Following a bit of teasing from the top-tier luxury sub-brand of Mercedes-Benz, Mercedes-Maybach publicly debuted its own spin on the EQS 680 SUV in mid-April, of which we got the chance to see it up close and sit inside during a trip to Lisbon with the EQE SUV.
One thing I noticed about Mercedes-Maybach’s first all-electric model was how many brand emblems were integrated into the design – I lost count well into the thirties. Don’t worry, you’ll see some more of that in the images below. The SUV’s original exterior features exclusive two-tone paint with an ornamental pinstripe available in five different color combinations or one solid color if requested.
At the time, I made a comment about all the chrome on the souped up EQS SUV and one of the designers told me that Maybach was already exploring a blacked-out version to please younger consumers who may find all the chrome a little “too much.” Well, here we are about a month later talking about the Night Series – a darker, stealthier version of the Mercedes-Maybach EQS SUV. Check it out.
Maybach puts portfolio on the night shift, including EQS SUV
This evening, Mercedes-Maybach introduced its new blacked out Night Series to the EQS SUV, GLS, and S-Class. Per the release:
Mercedes-Maybach presents Night Series – the next chapter in the brand’s mission of evolving its curated portfolio and creating moments in which magic is born. It showcases striking details such as dark chrome elements, surfaces that catch the light like a cut jewel and interiors that elevate Maybach design to new heights. Through an unexpected and progressive storyline, Night Series defies convention to spark new brand desire amongst new audiences.
While the new Night Series features three separately curated designs for each of its vehicles, Maybach has integrated the following elements into each of them:
- Dark chrome elements
- Rose gold details
- A wheel design with a dark-glossy Maybach pattern
- Herringbone interior accents
- An exclusive Night Series start-up animation for the MBUX interface and unique ambient lighting
In the EQS SUV specifically, the brand has added the Maybach emblem in rose gold with dark chrome refinements to the headlamps. They are complimented by a front grill panel featuring darkened pinstripes above a dark chrome-plated pattern of the Maybach emblem on the front air intakes.
I told you there would be a lot of emblems.
The running board (seen above) has also been blacked out and features what else, but Maybach branding in dark chrome. Similar to the original Maybach electric SUV, the Night Series package comes in an exclusive two-tone exterior finish (Obsidian Black/Mojave Silver), or in one solid finish of Obsidian Black or MANUFAKTUR Diamond White.
The SUV’s interior features Econyl carpet and vegetable-tanned Nappa Leather in two variations – MANUFAKTUR Crystal White with Black Pearl, or MANUFAKTUR Black Pearl colorways with contrast topstitching.
Mercedes-Maybach states the Night Series version of the EQS SUV will come available on the 2024 model year EV, which is expected to arrive alongside the original 680 design later this year.
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Paris’ bike-share system, Vélib has long been considered one of the shining success stories of urban micromobility. With a massive fleet of over 20,000 pedal and electric-assist bicycles around Paris, the service has helped millions of residents and tourists get around the City of Light without needing a car or scooter. But lately, a growing problem is threatening to knock the wheels off this urban mobility marvel: theft and joyriding.
According to city officials and the service operator, more than 600 Vélib bikes are now going missing every single week. That’s over 30 bikes a day simply vanishing from the system – some stolen outright, others taken on “joy rides” and never returned.
“At the moment we’re missing 3,000 bikes,” explained Sylvain Raifaud, head of the Agemob company that currently operates the Velib system. That’s nearly 15% of over 20,000 Vélib bikes across Paris.
The sticky-fingered culprits aren’t necessarily professional thieves or organized crime rings. Instead, they’re often regular users who treat the shared bikes like disposable toys.
The city estimates that many people have figured out how to pry the bikes out of the system’s parking docks, unlocking one for a casual cruise and then ditching it somewhere far from a docking station.
Once pried free, the bikes are technically usable for the next 24 hours until their automatic locking feature kicks in. At that point, the bikes are often simply abandoned. Some end up in alleyways. Others get tossed in rivers. A few just disappear completely.
And since the bikes are intended to be parked at their many docking stations around the city, they don’t have GPS chips, further complicating recovery of “liberated” bikes.
The issue started small but has grown into more than an inconvenience – it’s beginning to undermine the entire purpose of the service. With bikes going missing at such a high rate, many Vélib docking stations are left empty, especially during rush hours.
Riders looking for a quick commute or a convenient hop across town are increasingly finding themselves without available bikes, or having to walk long distances to find a functioning one.
That kind of unreliability chips away at user confidence and threatens to drive potential riders back into cars, cabs, or other less sustainable forms of transport at a time when Paris has already made great strides to dramatically reduce car usage in the city.
The losses are financially painful, too. Replacing stolen or vandalized bikes isn’t cheap, and the resources spent on tracking down missing equipment or reinforcing anti-theft measures are stretching thin. Vélib has faced theft and vandalism issues before, especially during its early years, but this latest surge has officials sounding the alarm with renewed urgency.
Officials acknowledge that there’s no easy fix. Paris, like many cities with bike-share systems, walks a fine line between accessibility and accountability. Part of what makes Vélib so successful is its ease of use and widespread availability. But those same features make it vulnerable to misuse – especially when enforcement is limited and the consequences for abuse are minimal.
The timing of the problem is especially unfortunate. In recent years, Paris has seen impressive results in reducing car traffic, expanding bike lanes, and promoting cycling as a key part of its sustainable transport strategy. Vélib is a cornerstone of that plan. But if the system becomes too unreliable, it risks losing the very people it was designed to serve.
Meanwhile, as Parisians increasingly find themselves staring at empty docks, the challenge for the city and Vélib will be to restore confidence in the system without making it harder to use. That means striking the right balance between freedom and responsibility, between open access and protection against abuse.
In a city where cycling is supposed to be the future of mobility, losing thousands of bikes to joyriders and sticky fingers isn’t just frustrating; it’s unsustainable.
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