AUTOMOTIVE

2022 MERCEDES-BENZ EQS 450+ The All-Electric Flagship Points the Way to the Future.

2022 MERCEDES-BENZ EQS 450+

Power: 245kW electric motor, 329 horsepower Transmission: Single-stage transmission Configuration: Rear-wheel drive Wheelbase: 126.38 inches Curb weight: 5,597 pounds Base price: $102,310 As driven: $109,460 Range: 349 miles

The EQS might seem to be Mercedes-Benz’s toe in the current of electrified vehicles, but it’s more like a headlong dive into the future. It rides on a totally new architecture built exclusively for electric vehicles, yet luxury is still paramount. Emphasizing luxury as well as technology is an indication of how the company will design and integrate battery-only vehicles into its portfolio.

The EQS is not simply an S-Class with an electric motor. Although the 126.38-inch wheelbase is almost identical to the current S-Class, it has a cabforward, fastback body design that is completely new. As you can see from the car’s bar-of-soap profile, aerodynamics were a key consideration in the design. The traditional grille has been replaced by a black panel decorated with a Mercedes-Benz star pattern. A drag coefficient of 0.20 is among the lowest for a production car and that contributes greatly to efficiency and range. Every little improvement helps add distance between charges.

There are two EQS models: The 450+ has rear-wheel drive, a 245kW electric motor that puts out 329 horsepower, 406 pound-feet of torque, and has a range of 349 miles. The 580 4Matic has an electric motor on each axle, giving it all-wheel drive, 516 horsepower and 611 pound-feet of torque. An AMG performance model with 630 horsepower is in the pipeline.

The rear-wheel-drive 450+ has a linear throttle response that feels like a traditional gasoline-engined luxury sedan, and that should appeal to buyers moving into an electric car for the first time. Acceleration was smooth, silent, and sublime under normal driving conditions, as if the car was gliding on a cushion of air. The lack of engine noise means you can hear the tires and wind, but those sounds are far from intrusive.

Some electric vehicles emphasize the instantaneous torque of electric motors

to the point that they feel overly responsive to small throttle inputs. While 329 horsepower is not a lot for a car that weights 5,597 pounds, the 406 pound-feet of torque was more than adequate for the 450+. If you mash the throttle 60 miles an hour comes up in 5.5 seconds, but this is a car built for cruising rather than stoplight sprints.

The EQS doesn’t have a transmission in the traditional sense, so there are no gears to shift. Acceleration is strong and constant, like water from a hose. Regenerative braking, which Mercedes calls recuperation, turns the electric motor into a generator that sends electricity back to the battery when coasting. Steering-wheel paddles, ordinarily used for shifting gears, now select the levels of recuperation: heavy, normal, or none. Normal is the default mode and recuperation is modest. That means the car coasts a little when you let up on the throttle. With heavy recuperation, the car slows dramatically when you release the throttle, so you hardly need to brake.

Range is a key number for electric cars, and the EQS has a more-than-comfortable 349 miles, because it has a 107.8kWh lithium-ion battery pack. The big battery adds weight but enables the total range that helps first-time buyers get over range anxiety. For example, if you wanted to drive to Denver and stopped for lunch about halfway at a place near a fast charger, you and the car could both get full in about 35 minutes. That’s not much different than doing the same trip in a gasoline-engined car.

The EQS houses a new generation of batteries with significantly higher energy density. The battery management software, also developed in-house, allows updates over the air so the energy management system can remain up to date throughout the vehicle’s life cycle.

Mercedes says that it takes a little more than 11 hours to charge the battery from 10 to 100 percent using a Level 2 (240-volt) charger like what could be installed in a home. A DC fast charger can bring the battery from 10 to 80 percent in about 35 minutes or add about 180 miles of range in 15 minutes.

Mercedes offers seamless access to a public network of almost 60,000 places to charge nationwide through ChargePoint and other major charging networks like Electrify America. There are another 60,000 semi-public chargers at shopping malls, hotels, and workplaces. Mercedes provides complimentary 30-minute charging per session for the first two years at all Electrify America DC fast chargers that make extended road trips possible. Mercedes says the navigation system and Mercedes Me app can handle trip-planning, locating stations, and initiating payment for all charging sessions.

Mercedes has put significant effort into designing an interior cabin that reflects the company’s reputation for

luxury. The 580 4Matic’s Hyperscreen is a 56-inch curvedglass screen that stretches the width of the instrument panel. Underneath, three screens appear to merge into one. The displays contain gauges for the driver, a central screen for controlling audio, climate, and numerous vehicle functions, plus a third screen in front of the passenger. The 450+ does not have the full-width screen but two 12.8-inch OLED screens like the current S-Class.

The interior materials are typical of an S-Class and raise the bar for competing brands. The seats have a wide range of adjustment plus heating and cooling functions. The rear seat has more-than-adequate legroom and the hatchback trunk is generous. A suite of safety and convenience features includes adaptive cruise control with steering assist, lane keeping assist, blind-spot monitor, backup camera with a 360degree view, LED headlights with adaptive high beams, anti-lock brakes, and stability control.

Rear-wheel steering turns the back wheels up to 4.5 degrees, and that aids agility giving the car a tighter turn ing radius at low speeds. The battery placement contributes to a low center of gravity that makes this big sedan feel connected to the road at highway speeds.

The car I drove had a base price of $102,310. Options included a 110-volt charging cable, Energizing Air control with HEPA filter, 21-inch AMG wheels, summer tires, black headliner, and AMG interior and exterior trim packages. The sticker price was $109,460.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR / PHOTOGRAPHER

Tom Strongman has a degree in photojournalism from the University of Missouri and was formerly the director of photography and then the automotive editor of The Kansas City Star. Tom, a member of the Missouri Press Association Photojournalism Hall of Fame, has written about and photographed cars for more than three decades.