Affalterbach – Mercedes-AMG presents the EQE SUV, a further milestone in its electrification strategy – the first all-electric SUV from the performance and sports car brand. With its variable interior and performance-oriented drive concept, it is the most versatile electric vehicle in the Mercedes-AMG portfolio.
The new model also offers generous space for passengers and luggage. Like the AMG EQS Saloon and AMG EQE Saloon, the AMG EQE SUV is based on the electric platform from Mercedes-EQ. Two powerful electric motors and the fully variable all-wheel drive form the basis for the hallmark AMG dynamic driving experience. The Mercedes-AMG developers have also designed many other parameters independently.
“The AMG EQE SUV is another milestone in our Future of Driving Performance. The new model is our first all‑electric SUV. And, after the AMG EQS and AMG EQE Saloon models, this is already the third performance model that we have realized as a derivative on the Mercedes-EQ electric platform. With its variable interior and high-performance all-wheel drive, it is Mercedes-AMG’s most versatile electric vehicle. A real all-rounder – a real AMG!” says Philipp Schiemer, CEO of Mercedes-AMG GmbH.
“The compact format of the EQE SUV, the short wheelbase, and the performance-oriented drive concept form the perfect starting point for realizing an agile, highly emotional, and luxurious driving experience with our AMG-specific solutions. This particularly applies to the drive system, suspension, brakes, and sound. It ensures that our customers can look forward to the Driving Performance that is a hallmark of our brand,” says Jochen Hermann, Chief Technical Officer of Mercedes-AMG GmbH.
Exterior design with characteristic AMG features
The exterior design is characterized by generously modeled surfaces, reduced joints, and seamless transitions. Dynamic proportions emphasize the sporty character. Many AMG characteristic features guarantee a high recognition value and help strengthen the brand. These include the AMG-specific black panel radiator grille with hot-stamped vertical struts in chrome, integrated Mercedes star, and “AMG” lettering. A new feature is a brand-specific badge on the bonnet with the AMG emblem instead of the Mercedes star: It now also adorns a purely electric vehicle from Mercedes-AMG for the first time. Another front-end feature is the AMG-specific front apron, painted in the body color with A-wing in high-gloss black and chrome trim. The same look characterizes the front splitter in high-gloss black with chrome trim and flics and fins on the simulated air inlets. The air diffusers in high-gloss black on the left and right allow the AIR CURTAIN effect, which guides the air around the front wheels in a streamlined manner. The standard DIGITAL LIGHT headlamps feature a specific AMG projection when opening and closing the vehicle.
In the side view, AMG-specific wheel arch claddings in the body color and the seamlessly integrated, fully recessed door handles add visual accents. Added to this are aerodynamically optimized 21 or 22-inch AMG light-alloy wheels. The rear apron in the body color with aerodynamically optimized diffuser and longitudinal fins as well as the taillights in a helix design round off the dynamic appearance.
Interior design with a particularly sporty touch
The interior is also dominated by style-defining AMG features. Here, the new models offer a sporty ambiance including seats with individual graphics and special seat covers in ARTICO man-made leather with MICRO CUT microfibre and red topstitching. Alternatively, seat upholstery in nappa leather is optionally available, also with AMG-specific seat graphics. In addition, the AMG badge on the backrests of the front seats and the embossed AMG emblems in the front headrests emphasize the brand identity. There are numerous other features that underline the distinctive style of the interior:
- Instrument panel and beltlines in space grey ARTICO man-made leather with NEOTEX grain and red topstitching
- Door center panels and also transition from the center console to the instrument panel in black MICRO CUT microfibre with red topstitching
- AMG Performance steering wheel in nappa leather, flattened at the bottom, perforated in the grip area with silver-colored aluminum paddles for setting various recuperation levels, and the standard steering wheel buttons for individual assignment of vehicle-specific settings
- AMG sports pedals, AMG floor mats and door sill panels with “AMG” lettering (illuminated with interchangeable cover)
The AMG Performance steering wheel with its striking twin-spoke design and seamlessly integrated buttons combines visual stability with lightness. The steering wheel rim, which is flattened at the bottom and covered in nappa leather, can be heated as an option. The standard AMG steering wheel buttons impress with brilliant displays. This allows important driving functions and the drive programs to be controlled without the driver’s hands leaving the steering wheel. Numerous parameters can be selected directly. The menus on the left steering wheel button can be individually supplemented, exchanged or reduced. For this, there is a list in the Multimedia Touch Display or in the optional Hyperscreen with more than 15 information and setting options as direct selection for the steering wheel buttons.
Optional Hyperscreen with AMG-specific functions and displays for the MBUX infotainment system
Both new models can be optionally equipped with the innovative MBUX Hyperscreen. This large, curved screen unit extends from A-pillar to A-pillar. Three screens sit under a single glass cover and appear to merge into one. With adaptive software, MBUX adapts completely to its user and offers personalized suggestions for numerous infotainment, comfort, and vehicle functions. With the zero layer, the most important applications are always displayed situationally and contextually on the top level in the field of vision.
In Europe and China, dynamic content is also permitted on the passenger display while driving. Unrestricted viewing of films, text messages or presentations, plus internet surfing, are therefore possible. This is made possible by the “blanking function”, which prevents the driver from seeing the content. But even without dynamic content, the passenger display remains an attractive eye-catcher because then a new, AMG-specific screensaver appears.
MBUX offers a range of additional AMG functions that emphasize the performance character. This is particularly true of the distinctive displays in the instrument cluster, as well as the multimedia display and the head-up display. Quick access to the AMG DYNAMIC SELECT drive programs is provided by the corresponding direct-entry button in the center console.
The Dolby Atmos® sound format takes the audio experience in the EQE SUV to a new level. Individual instruments or voices in the studio mix can be positioned all around the listening area. A new kind of sound animation thus becomes possible: While conventional stereo systems usually have left-right dynamics, Dolby Atmos® can use the entire range and create a 360-degree experience.
With the premium digital entertainment platform from Californian specialist ZYNC integrated into a vehicle for the first time, customers enjoy a seamless digital entertainment experience. The advantages of the MBUX Hyperscreen are fully exploited. Through ZYNC, customers gain access to a wide range of renowned global and local streaming services. The ZYNC platform focuses exclusively on vehicle interiors and integrates seamlessly with vehicle hardware and operating systems. This enhances the audio-visual experience, interaction, and user-friendliness. ZYNC offers video streaming, on-demand content, interactive experiences, local video programs, sports, news, games, and much more besides, via a single user interface.
Performance-oriented drive concept with two electric motors
Both new Mercedes-AMG EQE SUV models offer a performance-oriented drive concept with two electric motors. The powerful electric powertrain (eATS) with a motor at the front and rear axle also offers fully variable all-wheel drive, which optimally transmits the drive power to the road in all driving conditions. The power spectrum ranges from 350 kW (476 hp) in the EQE 43 4MATIC to 505 kW (687 hp) in the EQE 53 4MATIC+ with optional AMG DYNAMIC PLUS Package with Boost function. The maximum torque ranges from 858 to 1000 Nm.
The AMG-specific electric motors at the front and rear axles are permanently excited synchronous motors (PSM). The decided emphasis on performance is already evident in the output and torque values. In addition, electric motors are characterized by an optimal balance of power increase, efficiency, and noise comfort. The electric motors of the EQE 43 4MATIC SUV feature AMG-specific tuning and control. The EQE 53 4MATIC+ SUV uses AMG-specific electric motors with adapted windings, different laminations, higher currents, and adapted inverters. This allows higher motor speeds and thus even more power, which is particularly noticeable during acceleration and at the top speed.
The electric motor on the rear axle is particularly powerful thanks to its six-phase design, based on two windings with three phases each. The stator with pull-in winding ensures a particularly strong magnetic field.
Added to this is the highly resilient thermal concept, which allows repeated acceleration maneuvers with consistently high performance. The centerpiece of the sophisticated design is the so-called water lance in the shaft of the rotor, which cools it. Other AMG-specific cooling elements in the cooling circuit include special ribs on the stator and the needle-shaped pin-fin structure on the inverter, which is made of high-performance ceramics. In addition, there is the transmission oil heat exchanger: In addition to cooling, the oil is also preheated during cold starts to increase efficiency.
Fully variable all-wheel drive AMG Performance 4MATIC and 4MATIC+
The power of the engines is brought to the road by the standard-fit AMG Performance 4MATIC (EQE 43) or 4MATIC+ (EQE 53) fully variable all-wheel drive. In contrast to the previous usage, the “+” in 4MATIC+ stands not only for the fully variable all-wheel drive that EQE 43 and EQE 53 both have but for the entire additional performance and dynamism that the EQE 53 offers. In both models, the system continuously distributes drive torque between the front and rear axles depending on the driving situation: compared to a mechanical all‑wheel drive system, the electric-specific system ensures a significantly faster response. The torque is checked 160 times per second and adjusted if necessary. The torque distribution depends on the selected drive program: in the “Comfort” program the focus is on maximum efficiency, while in “Sport” and “Sport+” the torque is more rear-biased in the interests of greater lateral dynamics.
AMG RIDE CONTROL+ suspension with Adaptive Damping System
The AMG RIDE CONTROL+ suspension with air suspension and Adaptive Damping System is based on four-link suspension at the front and multi-link independent suspension at the rear, each optimized with AMG‑specific wheel carriers, suspension links, and anti-roll bars with greater rigidity. In its basic features, it corresponds to the suspension of the AMG EQS and the AMG GT four-door Coupé, but its set-up has been adapted to the AMG EQE SUV. The rear axle carrier is connected to the bodyshell with 50 percent stiffer bearings and reduced bearing clearance to create even more direct road contact. The AMG engineers have specifically tuned all components to meet the special requirements of Mercedes-AMG customers. This applies to ride comfort as well as driving dynamics.
The Adaptive Damping System uses two pressure-limiting valves. These continuously variable control valves located outside the damper allow the damping force to be adjusted even more precisely to different driving conditions and drive programs: one valve controls the rebound phase, i.e. the force generated when the wheel rebounds; the other controls the compression phase when the wheel compresses. The rebound and compression phases are controlled independently of each other. This technology makes it possible to increase comfort on the one hand, but also to make the driving dynamics even sportier on the other hand.
The suspension control unit analyses data – including data from the acceleration and wheel path sensors – to adjust the damping force for each wheel in a few milliseconds to suit the situation. The AMG developers were able to significantly increase the spread between sportiness and comfort. Among other things, by widening the spread between minimum and maximum damping force characteristics, as well as even greater flexibility in characteristic mapping. By using the two adjustment valves, the damper is able to provide damping force adjustment across the full range of wheel vibrations. Thanks to the special design of the valves, the damper reacts quickly and sensitively to changing road surfaces and driving conditions.
Efficiency also feeds into intelligent driving level control, which enables better aerodynamics and lower power consumption. In the S and S+ drive programs, the Mercedes-AMG EQE SUV models already adopt the low suspension level from 0 km/h (-15 mm). In drive program C, speed-dependent control takes place with lowering from 120 km/h and raising from 80 km/h.
The special tires, which are specifically adapted to the requirements of the all-electric AMG Performance vehicles, also contribute to the high dynamic potential. Among other suppliers, the MICHELIN Pilot Sport EV MO1 tire specifically designed for electric-drive performance vehicles is worth mentioning. It is available in 21 or 22-inch sizes and features low rolling resistance combined with very high grip levels on wet and dry roads.
High-performance drive battery with a capacity of 90.6 kWh
The new Mercedes-AMG EQE SUV models are equipped with a powerful 328-volt high-performance drive battery manufactured using the latest lithium-ion technology. It has a usable energy content of 90.6 kWh and consists of ten modules with a total of 360 pouch cells. The battery management system in the EQE 53 SUV is also tuned specifically for AMG. In the Sport and Sport+ drive programs, the focus is on performance, in the Comfort drive program the focus is on operating range. The battery generation is characterized by a high energy density and a high charging capacity. Another new feature is the possibility to install updates for the battery management system over the air for continuous improvements over the life cycle. The EQE 53 4MATIC+ SUV also features an AMG-specific wiring harness adapted to the higher performance capability. A major advance in sustainability has been achieved in cell chemistry: the cobalt content is reduced to ten percent, while the optimized active material consists of nickel, cobalt, and manganese in a ratio of 8:1:1.
Short charging times through intelligent thermal management
Another advantage of the new battery generation is the short charging times. The energy storage system can charge up to 170 kW at fast charging stations with direct current. In this case, electricity for up to 170 kilometers (WLTP) can be recharged in just 15 minutes. Thanks to the onboard charger, the electrified AMG can be conveniently charged at home or at public charging stations with 11 kW or optionally 22 kW with alternating current. In Japan, bidirectional charging will also be possible, i.e. charging in both directions. In addition, there are intelligent charging programs that can be activated automatically depending on the location. Functions such as battery-saving charging make operations even more efficient.
Efficient thermal management also plays a part in shortening charging times. If the intelligent navigation with Electric Intelligence is activated, the battery is preheated or cooled while driving to reach the optimal temperature for fast charging at the charging point. The desired temperature range of the battery is achieved with the aid of the cooling circuit and a PTC (Positive Temperature Coefficient) booster heater integrated into it.
The battery design aims to ensure the optimum battery operating temperature under all operating conditions. The aluminum extrusions of the battery frame have defined cavities through which the coolant flows. All in all, intelligent temperature and charging management ensures that high charging currents can be maintained for a long time. The standard heat pump uses the waste heat from the electric drive (inverter and electric motor) and the high-voltage battery to heat the interior. This reduces the need for battery power for interior heating, and thus increases the range. Another function is pre-entry climate control.
The battery also stands out for its durability. The ECO Charging function makes a significant contribution to this: the intelligent control reduces the battery load during charging, and thus slows down the natural aging process of the battery. Customers can also benefit from the “charging interruption” function: the charging process can be paused at freely selectable times so as to use cheaper off-peak electricity at a later time, for example. The battery certificate stands for the long service life of high-voltage batteries. It is valid for up to ten years or up to 250,000 kilometers.
Intelligent recuperation for efficient energy recovery
The battery can also be charged through efficient energy recovery using recuperation. The recuperation power reaches up to 260 kW. The driver can adjust the level of recuperation in three stages via switches on the steering wheel, and receive situation-optimized support from ECO Assist. Here, one-pedal driving and combined braking to a standstill are possible in recuperation levels D and D-. In DAuto, up to 5 m/s² deceleration is achieved, 3 m/s² of which is due to recuperation (2 m/s² via the AMG high-performance brake system). With the help of the optional DRIVE PILOT, deceleration is automatic in response to detected vehicles ahead until they come to a standstill, for example at traffic lights.
Sustainable use of electrical power thanks to Mercedes me Charge
With Mercedes me Charge, customers can always be sure of “green” charging at every public charging station throughout Europe as of 2021. High-quality guarantees of origin ensure that as much green power from renewable energies is fed into the grid as is withdrawn via Mercedes me Charge. In the first three years after the purchase, there is no basic fee for Mercedes me Charge and thus Green Charging for customers. Another advantage is IONITY Unlimited: All European EQE SUV customers can use the IONITY fast charging network free of charge for one year via Mercedes me Charge. The new Plug & Charge function makes charging the AMG EQE SUV particularly convenient.
Mercedes me Charge is currently the largest charging network worldwide: It currently has more than 500,000 AC and DC charging points in 31 countries, including over 200,000 in Europe. Also included are the 336 fast‑charging stations of the IONITY fast-charging network co-founded by Mercedes-Benz. In addition, the functionality of Mercedes me Charge in MBUX has been expanded to include functions such as filtering and forecasting the availability of charging stations.
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