And likely bound for Australia.
German luxury powerhouse Mercedes-Benz has lifted the veil off of the very latest addition to its ‘EQ’ electric sub-brand, aimed at a younger buyer who might want a little more from their electric hatch. The EQA is not a vanilla, yawn-inducing electric hatch like some of these cars can be. Rather, the EQA is designed to titillate the way any modern hot-hatch can, and helps keep the hearts of motoring enthusiasts (like this writer) warm in the knowledge that driving fun isn’t going the way of the dodo.
With some 200kW of thrust on offer, the smart-looking EQA sits right up there with the current crop of hot hatches, and its all wheel drive system is complex and intelligent enough to move power from the front to rear, and left to right wheels as required. Despite this clear focus on fun, the EQA boasts a range of about 400km, depending on the battery capacity installed.
"The progressive vehicle concept of the Concept EQA combines impressive dynamism with a long range that is ideal for day-to-day driving, and is based on an architecture exclusively developed for the battery-electric models." – Ola Källenius, Boardmember, Group R&D, Daimler AG
Charging shouldn’t be a hassle either, thanks to the EQA’s ability to be charged via wireless induction or by a wallbox, with the car able to accept regular plug-socket speeds or “rapid charging” from a DC connection. Mercedes-Benz is even working on a system that will allow the car to be charged from any charging station from any service provider worldwide without the hassle of multiple memberships and so on, via its free ‘Charge&Pay’ app.
Our market enjoys a healthy appetite for high-performance cars, and it appears that senior management in Mercedes-Benz Australia thinks that that hunger doesn’t demand an internal combustion engine. Comms boss David McCarthy thinks that the EQA will make for a great addition to the local range, and proves that Mercedes-Benz aims to provide its customers with greater options moving forward.
“Look in California, look in Germany. It just makes sense that you can give people in the market a choice. If you put effort into the infrastructure, the better. [The EQA] wasn’t going to be built in right-hand drive, but now that is confirmed. But there needs to be a commitment from the Government to vehicles that are powered alternatively in terms of infrastructure, regulation, and incentives. Some policy, any policy, would be good.” — David McCarthy, Senior Communications Manager, Mercedes-Benz Australia
McCarthy’s statement on the matter of electric cars kind of summarises the issues with alternatively-powered cars like the EQA, the Nissan Leaf, and their kind. While there are programs being pushed forward by various parties to get electric infrastructure ahead of the growing demand, initiatives are being hampered by a lack of clear direction on the matter from Canberra. But while we wait for that, you can at least enjoy the gallery below.
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