- Mercedes says it’s the first pure EV minivan
- 100 kWh battery promises 249-mile range
- Part of Mercedes electric EQ sub-brand
- Production version due later this year
Mercedes-Benz took the wraps off its Concept EQV at Geneva, a precursor of a production minivan it says it will present at the Frankfurt Motor Show this fall. In addition to promising a range of 249 miles, the Mercedes EQV will have a fast charge capability that will replenish 62 miles of range in 15 minutes.
The appeal of Concept EQV lies in its flexibility. Mercedes-Benz Vans says that a number of different seating configurations ranging from family hauler to luxury executive transport is possible.
"The concept offers all of the brand-typical attributes from this segment that Mercedes-Benz customers have come to know, appreciate and accept. From a daily driver for the family, a leisure-time adventurer or a shuttle vehicle with lounge ambience, the combination of these characteristics with a battery-electric drive mean the Concept EQV is a concept car with a future. We are particularly excited that we will soon be able to offer a series-production model on the basis of this concept," explains Wilfried Porth, a Daimler board member representing Mercedes-Benz Vans.
Front-drive motor
The Concept EQV is powered by a 201-horsepower electric motor driving the front wheels. The entire powertrain, which includes the motor, fixed-ratio transmission, cooling system and power electronics are neatly packaged in the nose of the vehicle. Energy comes from a 100-kWh lithium ion battery pack mounted beneath the floor. Top speed on the EQV is limited to 99 mph.
The multiple configurations of the interior include an executive luxury seating package that accommodates six, and other combinations of captain’s chairs and benches that can handle 7 or 8 passengers.
Also: Check out the latest news from the Geneva Motor Show
EQ design cues
The look of Concept EQV ties in with other electric vehicles from the Mercedes EQ family. “The Concept EQV embodies our ‘Progressive Luxury’ approach by merging the analogue and digital worlds into a single entity.” Said Gorden Wagener, Daimler’s chief design officer. “The EQ design idiom provides the vehicle with its unmistakable appearance and has some impressively progressive shapes. And in the interior, too, the cool aesthetics of the exterior continue, being complemented by warm accents, like those in rose gold, which underline the whole ‘Welcome Home effect.’ The focus in the cockpit of our Concept EQV is on the new and intuitive MBUX system."
In addition to the futuristic exterior with the signature EQ front grille, the interior carries over the division’s blue color theme in the leather-look dashboard that is contrasted by rose gold accents, a design that recalls copper wires.
Currently, Mercedes-Benz only sells the Metris and Sprinter vans in the U.S. and not the V-Series vans on which the EQV is based. Mercedes has not said yet whether the production EQV would be headed stateside after its introduction late this year.
