Mercedes EQA

[grober]

Mercedes EQA | Mercedes News

Since its first announcement as a concept car in 2017 there has been little further info on Mercedes compact eV. The show car was a 3 door but this article in AUTO BILD depicts it as a 5 door around the same size as the current A/B class. Google Translate It will be built in HAMBACH FRANCE on...

forums.mbclub.co.uk

 

[raspy]

MB are doing some kind of premiere of the forthcoming EQA in a few days time (link at end of post)

Looks like it's based on the GLA and will be single motor at first, with production already started and in dealerships in the Spring

It will be interesting to see if they can focus on efficiency this time given the bloated EQC and hopefully they won't charge stupid money for the EQA

EQA premiere

 

[grober]

Looks like its based on the existing GLA-- nothing radical

Mercedes-Benz EQA Review 2024 | Range, Interior & Price

Read our review of the Mercedes-Benz EQA SUV. Get information on its range, charging speed, boot space and more. Compare new, used and lease prices.

www.carwow.co.uk

 

[raspy]

Looks like its based on the existing GLA-- nothing radical

Mercedes-Benz EQA Review 2024 | Range, Interior & Price

Read our review of the Mercedes-Benz EQA SUV. Get information on its range, charging speed, boot space and more. Compare new, used and lease prices.

www.carwow.co.uk

@grober Indeed.

How they can use these two bullet points next to each other is ludicrous! Upwards of £40k for a tiny little car?!

• To be based on the GLA
• Futuristic design

As much as I love MB cars, I think their approach to EVs is behind the times. I have a feeling the stuff coming out of Korean and Chinese car companies later this year will be better EVs with more value for money.

 

[alexanderfoti]

I wish they would stop making blasted 4x4 variants. EQC, a cars who's range depends very much on low CD and rolling resistance, and they make it a huge 4x4.

EQA - Again, based off a GLA. same issues.

 

[raspy]

I wish they would stop making blasted 4x4 variants. EQC, a cars who's range depends very much on low CD and rolling resistance, and they make it a huge 4x4.

EQA - Again, based off a GLA. same issues.

@alexanderfoti Having a saloon as an EV won't necessarily make it more efficient. EV efficiency depends upon a lot of things. I drove the Polestar 2 which was awful efficiency. The Koreans are much better, e.g. The Ioniq

I can understand why MB are going after crossovers and 4x4s for EVs as commercially speaking, that's where the demand is and where they can make the best margins. I suspect the EQA will be a hit with the company car market (assuming they manage to keep the monthlies down) rather than the private motorist.

I can't wait for companies like Nio from China to enter the UK market. More competition equals more choice for us!

 

[alexanderfoti]

Of course not, but of the vehicles to choose, a 4x4 is the worst in that respect.

I do not understand the desire for 4x4s in the current market. Our ze40 zoe gets 4+mipkwh without too much trouble. Weight is a big issue as always.

 

[raspy]

@grober @alexanderfoti

First drive in EQA prototype by Autocar. It doesn't make me want to reach into my wallet and place an order!

"At around 60mph, the accelerative potency begins to diminish, owing to a combination of increasing rolling resistance and aerodynamic drag, but it remains punchy enough for authoritative overtaking and swift progress."

"If there is any caveat, it’s the rear-seat accommodation, due to that raised rear floor. There’s no loss of overall leg room compared with the GLA, but because the rear bench is set comparatively low, your knees end up quite high. There’s also a transmission-tunnel-like ridge running down the cabin’s centre."

"That said, because it retains the same steering geometry as the GLA, the EV fails to offer quite the same sense of manoeuvrability as some of its rivals, and its turning circle is more than a metre wider than that of the ID 3."

"Packaging is the chief concern here, as Mercedes’ adaptation of an existing ICE platform leaves the EQA short on rear space compared with some rivals. "

EQA first drive

 

[Mr Fixit]

MB are way behind, we looked at electric cars but needed one that would do at least 4 return journeys to the wifes work as she does on-call HNS work, so that's 100-120 miles without a recharge. I was surprised just how many cars this criterion precluded.

We ended up with a Renault Zoe, 240-mile range, fast changer etc. It was the deal, 3 months in and £260 per month for a 2 year hire. So now the £280 per month lease £80 per mouth fuel are all gone, no Road fund licensing and about £6 per week. This suited well an allows for the market to solidify for the next one, we may even buy the Zoe in 18months and with a free charge point installed at home! Starts to make E Cars much more available!

 

[raspy]

MB are way behind, we looked at electric cars but needed one that would do at least 4 return journeys to the wifes work as she does on-call HNS work, so that's 100-120 miles without a recharge. I was surprised just how many cars this criterion precluded.

We ended up with a Renault Zoe, 240-mile range, fast changer etc. It was the deal, 3 months in and £260 per month for a 2 year hire. So now the £280 per month lease £80 per mouth fuel are all gone, no Road fund licensing and about £6 per week. This suited well an allows for the market to solidify for the next one, we may even buy the Zoe in 18months and with a free charge point installed at home! Starts to make E Cars much more available!

@Mr Fixit Great to hear you scored a deal on the Zoe. I know so many people who are really impressed with them.

My understanding in Germany is that there is a subsidy applied to even EV leases, not just purchases, so a Zoe is almost free in terms of monthly payments under 100 Euros. I wish they did that here too.

The premium European manufacturers like MB still make so much money from petrol/diesel cars, I suspect that's why they are doing this half hearted approach to EVs.

 

[grober]

On the EQ A front I suspect it's a production cost issue. The production of the entire Mercedes range is predicated on pressed steel robotic welding technology which they will have spent billions on. Developing electrical powertrains will have added to individual car production costs and perhaps using new lighter body construction techniques employing alloy , adhesives and carbon fibre for example might be a cost too far at the same time. I suspect that BMW found the same problem with the i3 and i8 models--- they just weren't making enough money from them.
Why The End Of The i3 Is Good News For BMW
ultimately for EV success manufacturers will have to turn to lighter body construction- better aerodynamics to compensate for the additional weight of the batteries--- perhaps the UK government's recent announcement of the restriction of ICE cars production was basically designed to serve notice to manufacturers to up their EV body production game on a reasonable timescale? Evolution rather than revolution

 

[raspy]

On the EQ A front I suspect it's a production cost issue. The production of the entire Mercedes range is predicated on pressed steel robotic welding technology which they will have spent billions on. Developing electrical powertrains will have added to individual car production costs and perhaps using new lighter body construction techniques employing alloy , adhesives and carbon fibre for example might be a cost too far at the same time. I suspect that BMW found the same problem with the i3 and i8 models--- they just weren't making enough money from them.
Why The End Of The i3 Is Good News For BMW
ultimately for EV success manufacturers will have to turn to lighter body construction- better aerodynamics to compensate for the additional weight of the batteries--- perhaps the UK government's recent announcement of the restriction of ICE cars production was basically designed to serve notice to manufacturers to up their EV body production game on a reasonable timescale? Evolution rather than revolution

@grober They have shareholders to satisfy.

I still don't know why MB can't make good EVs when Kia make the splendid e-niro and Hyundai make the Kona, both of which are really efficient.

It could well be "access to batteries" - which is the major cost of EVs

 

[Deleted member 126969]

Not long ago MB were making a big noise about how they want to be big players in home energy storage and EV and had invested heavily in battery tech and manufacture. Their offerings so far don’t seem to match that.

Ford seem far more serious, despite the stupid name, their latest EV is by all accounts a pretty good effort....despite being yet another SUV/crossover style of thing.

Given the amount of alloy components in a typical modern MB, I don’t see any reason why they can’t make a decent stab at an EV. Tesla are endlessly slated for poor fit & finish, but they have certainly got the EV drivetrain sorted and the core of their cars seem to be sound too. Looks like the finally sorted out their paint shop too, if the new TM3 is anything to go by. Just(!) leaves the highly variable panel gaps to sort out.

It’s not as if MB or any other ‘mainstream’ manufacturer makes a perfect car. Trivial it may be, but MB don’t seem to be capable of making a door handle LED that lasts more than 5 minutes, and this is an old problem given they are on v6 of the part...and it’s still rubbish. Less trivial are some of the common faults on the C350e for example, duff starter motors, poor connector waterproofing (charge socket, air suspension compressor), poor fuel line design/manufacture, not a single new technology there, just bread and butter stuff they should be able to do properly.

 

[Mr Fixit]

trouble is my wife loves it so much I have only drive 2 of the 2500 miles now on it! Mind you she has yet to dive the SLK;- Yikes