[veeeight]

Mercedes EQA electric crossover now on sale

Mercedes-Benz has announced that its smallest electric car, the EQA, is now on sale, with prices starting at £40,495 OTR.

www.driving.co.uk

 

[veeeight]

With the possibility of AMG Versions!

Hot AMG-tuned Mercedes EQ electric models on the way | Autocar

AMG-fettled EQA is tipped to lead Merc’s potent EV onslaught

www.autocar.co.uk

 

[veeeight]

https://www.carwow.co.uk/mercedes/news/3970/mercedes-eqa-price-specs-and-release-date

 

[Southwestwall]

With the possibility of AMG Versions!

Hot AMG-tuned Mercedes EQ electric models on the way | Autocar

AMG-fettled EQA is tipped to lead Merc’s potent EV onslaught

www.autocar.co.uk

So you spotted the Autocar article ... this is what I'm waiting for and the story has been slowly gaining substance.

I recently ran the EQ Ready app for a week and although I already had a pretty good idea anyway, our routine travel habits are definite EQA territory.

A performance AWD version would be a suitable shoe-in for a crossover migration from the A35. In darkest Kernow, the top half of the speedo is all but useless, so a 100mph cap is no issue.

Full torque from standstill and a suggested sub 5-second sprint time on the other hand, should have a much more practical fun application.

Add much better ground clearance and towing capability, perhaps the second car's days could be numbered.

 

[Forrester]

The problem with the EQA is its quite low mileage on a charge which in reality in winter will not be much more than 200 miles. Generally this is okay for most in daily use but is a problem for those occasions where we need to do a longer trip and will need to spend time twiddling our thumbs at a charging point during the journey.

It's not yet a fully rounded proposition both for the vehicle and from the charging infrastructure point of view.

 

[Forrester]

The electric car grant has been cut and the price cap has been lowered.

Government cuts electric car grant from £3000 to £2500 | Autocar

Electric cars costing more than £35,000 will now no longer be eligible for the incentive

www.autocar.co.uk

 

[Southwestwall]

EQA 300 4MATIC und EQA 350 4MATIC - Bestellfreigabe April / Mai 2021 (mercedes-benz-passion.com)

4MATIC versions with more poke on the way.

 

[Forrester]

My neighbours just turned up yesterday with an EQC 400 4-matic. It's on a 70 plate so I'll be interested to see if they have bought it or it's a weekend test drive.

 

[Southwestwall]

Mercedes EQA U.S. release in focus after EQC gets cancelled (topelectricsuv.com)

More on the upcoming EQA variants.

 

[Forrester]

My neighbours just turned up yesterday with an EQC 400 4-matic. It's on a 70 plate so I'll be interested to see if they have bought it or it's a weekend test drive.

And sure enough it was a weekend test drive as their Volvo is now back on their drive and the EQC gone.

For such a new model, which encompasses the EQA MB seem to be trying hard to shift them. Which is never a good sign.

 

[antnee]

The problem with the EQA is its quite low mileage on a charge which in reality in winter will not be much more than 200 miles. Generally this is okay for most in daily use but is a problem for those occasions where we need to do a longer trip and will need to spend time twiddling our thumbs at a charging point during the journey.

It's not yet a fully rounded proposition both for the vehicle and from the charging infrastructure point of view.

The way to think about it is how quickly it can charge for the amount of time the range gives you. 70% of the battery (the 10-80% charge time quoted) can be charged in 30mins on a 100kw charger and gives around 175 miles of range. This is around 3hours of driving on UK motorways. I think stopping for 30 mins every 3 hours is fine.

 

[Forrester]

I take your point entirely but looking at the WhatCar road test of the BMW iX3 and the i-Pace. Respectively stated 285 miles on test 192 miles, i-Pace stated 292 miles on test 211 miles. I suspect on this basis and especially in winter we are looking well south of 175 miles with the EQA. Which for me means a hold up at the Dartford Tunnel, which those who use it know happens all the time, and I would be getting sweaty palms about making the trip from Hertfordshire to West Sussex without running out of juice. Let alone back again without charging. I am sure MB are flying a kite with the EQA and the next iterations will be the ones to wait for.

 

[antnee]

Range won't increase much for this size of car, it simply isn't needed for the sake of a 30min 10-80% charge. The extra weight reduces efficiency, therefore you get reducing returns. Mercedes are up there with the best in terms of efficiency.

I quite regularly do a trip which is around 110 miles each way, with no facilities at the destination. However I do usually stop for the loo and to grab a coffee on the way home, that 15 mins I'm parked up for will give a conservative 80 miles of additional range - that is plenty to ensure Im not running on the EV version of fumes as Im pulling onto my drive. The mentality for EV charging, is little and often which is the complete opposite to petrol/diesel so it takes a while getting used to.

 

[Forrester]

While I know that is what EV drivers do but do the batteries not gain a memory much more quickly by charging little and often.

 

[antnee]

Nothing has been reported, the general advise is to only rapid charge to 80% (where practical, going higher every now and then is fine) but it is also good to go to 100% on a slower charge to help the internal balancing. The BMS's are getting better and better, so a lot of the usual battery TLC you would need to do now becomes redundant.