Things are happening fast for battery electric vehicles at Mercedes-Benz these days. The Mercedes EQC is still under consideration for the USA after a delay that means it may never arrive, but others will. The expansion of the 'EQ' brand lineup will soon continue with not only the flagship EQS sedan but also the Mercedes-Benz EQE, a slightly smaller sedan with three main rivals in its crosshairs, the Tesla Model S, Porsche Taycan, and the Audi e-tron GT.

Our spy photographers recently spotted an advanced prototype undergoing final winter weather testing and the camouflage was relatively light. In other words, a full reveal is happening soon. According to Automotive News Europe, that debut is currently scheduled for September at the Munich Motor Show, formerly the Frankfurt Motor Show, assuming there will even be a live event.

This Munich debut confirmation comes directly from Mercedes CEO Ola Kallenius himself. Riding on the same Electric Vehicle Architecture (EVA) as the EQS, the EQE will be built at the carmaker's factory in Bremen, Germany beginning in the second half of 2022. A second production line will later open in Beijing. By now you might be wondering what the larger EQS will rival. The answer is nothing (for now). Mercedes intends for the EQS to be in a league of its own in all key areas, specifically luxury, technology, and size, although the already-confirmed BMW i7 will likely be a suitable rival.

"There will not be a luxury sedan in the market, nor is there one right now, that compares to the size, the packaging and the space as the EQS," Kallenius said. "It sits a segment above including a back seat where you can actually sit comfortably."

Therefore, the EQE will play a major role as more of a volume seller than the EQS. The EQE will have a shorter wheelbase than the EQS but chances are its overall exterior styling will be pretty similar. It'll be powered by a pair of electric motors, one at each axle, for a permanent all-wheel-drive setup. Somewhere in the neighborhood of 469 horsepower and 560 lb-ft of torque is expected. On the WLTP standard, a 350-400-mile range is likely.

Further down the line, SUV variants of both the EQE and EQS are planned, though they're not likely to arrive until the 2023 model year.