EQS SUV

Segment
SUV

We've known for a long time now that Mercedes is preparing to expand its fully electric lineup beyond the EQC SUV with several new luxury models including the production version of the Vision EQS luxury sedan. Before the EQS debuts next year, Mercedes' second electric model joining the EQC will be the EQA, a compact electric crossover that will compete with the Tesla Model Y and Volkswagen ID 3.

Previewed by the EQA concept at the 2017 Frankfurt Auto Show, the production version was originally going to debut in Q3 2020 and go on sale by the end of the year, but Autocar claims the reveal of the German automaker's answer to the Tesla Model Y has been delayed until next year.

According to the publication's sources, battery cell supply problems and disruption caused by the pandemic has forced Mercedes to delay the launch by around six months.

A change in production location for the upcoming EQB crossover was also blamed for the delay. Originally, the EQB was going to be built at the Smart Fortwo factory in Hambach, France, but will now be assembled in Rastatt, Germany, where the EQA will also be built.

Due to the delay, deliveries for the EQA aren't expected to start until the second half of 2021 in the UK, but the timeframe for the US launch is still unknown.

As well as the EQA, Mercedes still plans to launch the EQB and EQS in 2021, followed by the EQE in 2022. Unlike the concept, which was a stunning three-door electric hatchback, the EQA will essentially be an electric Mercedes GLA crossover based on the automaker's new modular electric platform.

Technical specifications for the production model are still being kept under wraps, but the concept was powered by electric motors producing a combined 268 horsepower and 369 lb-ft of torque, enabling it to accelerate from 0-62 mph in five seconds. Thanks to its 60-kWh lithium-ion battery, Mercedes claimed the concept could last up to 249 miles on a single charge.