Mercedes-Benz has officially revealed its new Concept EQA, which serves to preview the first compact all-electric vehicle from the German manufacturer.
The EQA measures 4 285 mm long, with a wheelbase of 2 729 mm, which means it’s about the size of the current-generation A-Class (although this show car comes in three-door flavour).
The show car features two electric motors: one on the front axle and another motor at the rear. Together, they provide a system output of more than 200 kW and 500 N.m.
The Stuttgart automaker says the EQA runs the obligatory 0-100 km/h sprint in around five seconds, while offering an estimated range of 400 km. The brand says the concept can be charged via a home wallbox charging or induction charging, while public rapid charging facilities will add 100 km of range in less than 10 minutes.
Furthermore, the drive characteristics of the vehicle can be changed by selecting one of two modes (sport and sport plus), each varying the permanent all-wheel-drive’s front to rear torque distribution.
Up front, the EQA features a black panel with an integrated LED matrix that flows from the bonnet. Not needing to channel air into a radiator offers an opportunity for the grille to adapt graphically to the different selectable driving modes.
For example, Mercedes says in sport mode the grille depicts a flaming wing, while in sport plus mode vertical struts in the style of a Panamericana radiator grille (similar to that seen on the AMG GT R and A sedan concept) are displayed.
In terms of headlamps, Mercedes-Benz has interestingly opted for laser optic fibre. Here, a laser-activated medium is embedded in the centre of a fibre-optic cable to ensure homogeneous lighting of the road.
The brand says the Concept EQA’s styling “has the potential to usher in a new design era” for Mercedes-Benz.
