Mercedes-Benz Focuses on EQ Series... Can It Continue Its Prestige in Electric Vehicles?

[Asia Economy Reporter Kiho Sung] Mercedes-Benz is accelerating its expansion in the electric vehicle market. Following the domestic debut of its luxury electric concept car ‘Vision EQS,’ it is currently known to be applying for testing to receive electric vehicle subsidies for the EQC 400, which is currently on sale, drawing attention to whether the ‘Benz’ reputation can continue in the electric vehicle market.

On the 13th, Mercedes-Benz unveiled the Vision EQS for the first time in Korea at Motor One Goyang Exhibition Hall in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province. The Vision EQS was first revealed at the Frankfurt Motor Show last September.

The Vision EQS is Mercedes-Benz’s luxury electric concept car, known as the electric version of the flagship S-Class sedan. Mercedes-Benz plans to release a production-ready version of the Vision EQS in 2021.

Mercedes-Benz is a latecomer in the electric vehicle market. German automakers have so far emphasized ‘clean diesel’ and did not release commercial electric vehicle models. However, following the Volkswagen emissions scandal, their limitations were exposed, prompting them to actively launch electric vehicles.

The Vision EQS is the first electric vehicle to use Mercedes-Benz’s dedicated electric platform MEA (Modular Electric Architecture).

The exterior of the Vision EQS is impressively equipped with hundreds of light-emitting diodes (LEDs). Including the rear of the vehicle, a total of 940 LED lamps are installed. Being an electric vehicle allows for a high-capacity battery, which in turn enables the use of many LEDs.

The interior is characterized by spaciousness, as the engine compartment space is significantly reduced compared to internal combustion engine vehicles. Additionally, the elegant design reminiscent of airplane or yacht cockpits is striking.

Along with the unveiling of the Vision EQS, Mercedes-Benz is reported to have applied to the government for testing to receive subsidies for the EQC 400 electric vehicle.

A Mercedes-Benz Korea official explained, "We are currently in the testing process."

The EQC is the only electric vehicle model Mercedes-Benz has launched domestically. It was first introduced last October amid high expectations but faced difficulties in sales after being excluded from the electric vehicle subsidy program. In Korea, where there is a large temperature difference between summer and winter, electric vehicles must have a cold-weather driving range of at least 60% of the warm-weather driving range to qualify for subsidies. However, at the time of the EQC’s domestic launch, its cold-weather driving range was only 55.3% (171 km) of the warm-weather range, falling short of the application criteria.

Exclusion from the electric vehicle subsidy program directly impacted sales. According to the Korea Imported Automobile Association, a total of 47 EQCs were sold from its launch in October last year until April this year. Of these, only 17 units were sold in the first quarter of this year.

The government provides a maximum purchase subsidy of 8 million KRW for electric vehicles. When combined with local government subsidies, discounts exceeding 10 million KRW can be obtained.

Mercedes-Benz Korea is reported to have improved the EQC’s cold-weather driving range to 270 km through software updates carried out since early this year. If this performance is properly realized, the vehicle is expected to pass the testing smoothly.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.