Mercedes-Benz unveils EQA electric crossover with less than 300 miles range

Mercedes-Benz opened the curtain for the EQA crossover, its latest electric vehicle as part of a list of new EVs that are being planned for the coming years. The compact SUV will have a range of less than 300 miles, a battery of 66.5 kWh and a net list price of € 39,950 ($ 48,442).

The EQA, which is based on the German automaker GLA’s class of SUVs, is slated to go into production this year in Europe, but is unlikely to arrive in the US anytime soon. That said, a spokesman for Daimler, the parent of Mercedes-Benz, said that EQA is still being considered for the US market.

American car buyers would do better waiting for the EQB electric crossover, which will be closely related to the boxier GLB class vehicle. EQB is also scheduled to go into production later this year. Meanwhile, the EQS and EQE models will be the first EVs built on Mercedes’ new modular electric vehicle platform.

The EQA is built on the same platform as the $ 68,000 EQC SUV, which was due to start shipping in the US in early 2020, but has been pushed into 2021. And as with the EQC, Mercedes is counting on the New Cycle European Driving Code (NEDC) to make a 486 kilometer (300 mile) range estimate for the EQA.

This is unfortunate because the NEDC standard is widely considered outdated and is in the process of being replaced by the World Harmonized Light Vehicle Testing Procedure (WLTP), which is supposedly a little more stringent. The United States Environmental Protection Agency conducts its own tests to set range estimates for electric cars, which tend to be smaller than NEDC and are considered to be closer to real-world performance. If and when the EQA comes to the USA, it is very likely that your EPA estimated range will be less than 300 miles.

The EQA, which is being launched as “EQA 250”, will have a 66.5 kWh battery, which is slightly above the average for EVs on the road today. Tesla’s largest battery is 100 kWh, available on the Model S and Model X, which is one of the largest batteries available today.

The EQA will start in Germany at € 47,540.50. Mercedes says it plans to launch additional variants of the crossover, including a four-wheel drive version with an additional electric power train that increases the output power to 200kW or more, while also offering a version with a range of more than 500 kilometers ( 310 miles) based on the WLTP standard.

Interested buyers will have some options with regard to the interior of the EQA. They can choose two 7-inch monitors for the instrument panel and main infotainment screen or a wide-screen variant with two 10.25-inch monitors. It will not have the recently unveiled 56-inch touchscreen from Mercedes-Benz, which will be launched in the next EQS luxury electric sedan.

The EQA will come as standard with the automaker’s second-generation MBUX infotainment system, which avoids physical buttons in favor of a fully digital (and voice-controlled) user experience in the car.

Mercedes-Benz sees the EQA as an “entry point” in the automaker’s growing family of electric vehicles. Priced more modestly than the EQC SUV, the new crossover is sure to find its fair share of interested buyers. The question is whether the German carmaker can compete for curious EV buyers when Volkswagen, Tesla, BMW and others seem to be progressing at a faster pace.