Paris Motor Show: Merc’s EQ concept is the first in a whole electric car range

When the world’s oldest car maker says that it’s going all-out on electric car, you know something has changed. Mercedes has long been talking about electric and alternative fuel cars, but here in Paris, with the Generation EQ concept, we finally have something concrete. Although called a concept, it is apparently very close in style and substance to the all-electric SUV that Mercedes will put on sale in 2020.

"The mobility of the future at Mercedes-Benz will stand on four pillars: Connected, Autonomous, Shared und Electric. Generation EQ is the logical fusion of all four pillars," said Dr Dieter Zetsche, CEO of Mercedes-Benz. "The emission-free automobile is the future. And our new EQ brand goes far beyond electric vehicles. EQ stands for a comprehensive electric ecosystem of services, technologies and innovations."

The Generation EQ rides on a purpose-built chassis which will eventually form the basis of a whole range of all-electric saloons, coupes, convertibles, estates and SUVs in varying sizes. The chassis and body use a mix of steel, aluminium  and carbon fibre. In show form, it uses two electric motors, one in the front and one in the back, for a combined 400hp from its 70kWh battery stack. The one-charge range is quoted at 500km, so this gives Mercedes a serious rival to the likes of the Tesla Model X and Audi's upcoming Q6 e-Tron quattro. 0-100kmh is quoted as taking less than five seconds.

Mercedes is also keen on getting juice into those batteries as quickly as possible. The car is equipped with a Combined Charging System which, on electricity networks which have been upgraded to deliver 300kW (as is planned for many European networks) will make it possible to put as much as 100km of driving range into the batteries in just five minutes.

On the outside, the Generation EQ takes a mix of styling cues from the current Mercedes range and the striking Mercedes-Maybach Concept 6 coupe to make a rather stylish shape that is said to be very, very close to its final production form. The bonnet, windscreen and roof are designed to flow into one another, and the grille and three-pointed star are both backlit in white. There are even rose gold highlights for some of the trim and the wheels. "Generation EQ is hot and cool," says Gorden Wagener, Head of Design Mercedes. "Its fascination lies in a reinterpretation of our design philosophy of sensual purity, the aim being to create an avant-garde, contemporary and distinctive electro-look. At the same time, the design of the visionary show car, which has been reduced to the essentials, reveals an alluring progressivity."

Inside there are four individual seats, all draped in white leather and more rose gold in the trim. Instead of instruments and a central touchscreen, there is one massive 24-inch OLED screen which can be customised as the driver and passenger see fit. Wonder if you can get The Sunday Game on it?

While the Generation EQ has been setup for autonomous driving, it also has an interesting wrinkle on the driver aid front. The car uses ultra-accurate digital maps provided by HERE (which is jointly owned by Mercedes, VW and BMW) and it knows the length and radius of any upcoming corner or roundabout, allowing the car to tweak its own steering, traction, power and suspension settings to suit.

That mapping system also works out whether you have enough battery range to reach your destination. If not it can locate either the nearest charging point or use your contacts list to locate any friends or colleagues in the area who can provide a coffee and a power outlet…

Launching the car, Dieter Zetsche said that “in 2007, the e-smart was a pioneer of electric motoring. We're now flipping the switch. We're ready for the launch of an electric product offensive that will cover all vehicle segments, from the compact to the luxury class."