Mercedes-Benz EQE news: battery range, specs, design and release

Mercedes-Benz is planning to add an executive saloon to its all-electric EQ sub-brand in the next three years in a bid to take on the Tesla Model S, according to reports.

Documents from the Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology seen by Autocar refer to a new model called the “V295”, which is believed to be a codename for the German carmaker’s new EQE four-door saloon.

As its name suggests, the EQE will essentially be an electric version of the current E-Class executive saloon, the magazine says. It will, however, be built on a different platform than the combustion-engined model.

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The EV is the sixth car to be announced under the EQ brand and will join a line-up of ten electric models by 2025. This includes the new EQC SUV, plus the EQA hatchback and the EQS luxury saloon.

To tide fans over, here’s everything we know about the rumoured EQE:

Price

Pricing won’t be announced until closer to the vehicle’s release date. Given that the EQE will go toe-to-toe with the £67,000 Tesla Model S, we expect a figure somewhere in the region of £60,000 to £70,000.

Release date

Production of the EQE is expected to get under way in 2022 at the carmaker’s new hi-tech Factory 56 facility in Sindelfingen, Germany, says Motor1. Customer orders and deliveries are expected take place later that year.

Design

The EQE isn’t expected to arrive for at least another three years, so it’s unlikely that we’ll see the car’s final design anytime soon.

Judging by the newly launched EQC SUV and the company’s most recent electric concept cars, the EQE is expected to feature a gloss black grille with neon-blue highlights and thin vertical air vents ahead of the front wheels.

Sources told Autocar that the vehicle will be built on the company’s new MEA electric production platform, which will underpin the upcoming EQS saloon. The construction makes “extensive use of aluminium” and features a flat floor for “class-leading interior space”.

One source said that the model will be “shorter in length than today’s E-Class but offer space comparable to the existing S-Class”.

Battery range and performance

Under the aluminium bodywork will sit a pair of electric motors - one placed over the front axle and the other at the rear - providing all four wheels with power, says Motor1. A performance-focused rear-wheel-drive version is also said to be in the works, but it won’t arrive until after the standard EQE launches in 2022.

The two electric motors are rumoured to have a combined power output that exceeds the 402bhp and 564lb-ft of torque on offer in the EQC crossover, the motoring site says. But that doesn’t come at the expense of battery power, as the EQE should offer a maximum range of around 373 miles.

Sources told Autocar that “active air suspension and four-wheel steering” are set to feature on the electric car, as well as level three autonomous modes.