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FromPatrick Freewah
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Daimler has already introduced several new cars, but none of that significance: the Mercedes S-Class electric EQS has become a benchmark for the group’s tipping point.
Stuttgart – On April 15th, Daimler faces an exceptional car show: an electric counterpart to the Mercedes S-Class will begin a new era in the Swabian Automobile Company – the futuristic looking electric sedan bearing the name EQS. The flowing luxury class model is both a vector of technology and a symbol of the premium brand’s innovative ability. So far, Daimler has barely emerged as a leader in electronic cars with Mercedes, but that’s about to change, as is its arch rival BMW:
CEO Ola Källenius eloquently announced the race to catch up: Daimler strives for nothing less than “the leading position” in electric motors and vehicle programs, “Al Suwaidi announced in the fall. Given the technological leadership of the competition, is this realistic? Not only in the states USA (Tesla *) and China (Nio, Baidu), but also in Europe, the competition for electric cars is great now.
Mercedes EQS: Daimler no longer only measures itself against manufacturers of conventional cars
In the era of electric mobility, well-known manufacturers such as Mercedes must continue to compete with long-term competitors such as BMW *, VW * and Co. But also arming itself against digital companies like Google, Apple * and Alibaba. Stefan Bratzl, director of the Center for Automotive Management Institute, says companies from the USA and Asia are moving more and more into auto manufacturers. It is about a “battle of the worlds” between well-established automobile manufacturers and cutting-edge technology groups. In the case of electronic cars, the importance of software efficiency is now more important than the pure automotive experience.
No wonder Daimler is also investing large amounts of money in order to be able to build a competitive electronic software suite for its electrical models. Technologically, the EQS is based on a new purely electric vehicle architecture called EVA, which will soon be installed also on other electric models. Additionally, a second e-vehicle platform is being planned, called MMA, which should be available from 2025.
Mercedes: EQS electric sedan with an impressive range – nearly 800 km
The 2021 Mercedes EQS is “the most important new offering for Mercedes of the past ten years,” says automobile expert Ferdinand Dudenhofer *. The new flagship features frameless doors, windshields that integrate seamlessly into the hood and a 1.41-meter-wide screen in the cockpit. Really impressive: Daimler guarantees customers of the new Mercedes product an electric range of 770 kilometers using the new WLTP process.
“If the EQS nearly adheres to the promised WLTP standard even under daily pressure, then Mercedes will in fact outgrow the Tesla S *, which has been the best-selling e-Pioneer for several years in a row,” says mobility researcher Ellen Enkel. The fact that the EQS, like the traditional combustion S-Class as a luxury sedan, is not a model for the average citizen, is of secondary importance at the moment. The company has not yet provided any pricing information. “At Mercedes, the S-Class has always been a pioneer in new technologies, which have been inherited over time in the lower car classes,” says Engel, stressing the importance of the technology transfer company.
Will this also work in the age of electricity? Investors’ hopes can be felt already in the exchange. The scandal surrounding alleged manipulative diesel vehicles and lack of innovative power in the eyes of experts caused the stock price to plummet for many years * in the meantime, but things have risen dramatically since the fall, further boosted by the planned turnover – from the truck division. Electronic car sales are also increasing, albeit at a very low level. In the first quarter, 2.8 percent of all Mercedes cars sold worldwide were purely electric vehicles. (PF / dpa) *Merkur.de It is a display of IPPEN-MEDIA