DRIVE TALKING

MERCEDES REVS UP ELECTRIC OFFERING

TALKING of electric cars, Mercedes-Benz launched the allnew EQS and EQE in Ireland this week, the full electric equivalents of the S-Class and E-Class.

The EQS comes in two variants, neither of them cheap. The 450+ clocks in at €129,965, while the all-wheel-drive AMG 53 4MATIC will cost €180,015. Range is a very impressive 735km, and there is 333hp on tap.

The car also features the stunning new hyperscreen display, running the full width of the dashboard, and with extraordinary colour and clarity. It immediately puts M-B ahead of the game for in-car entertainment and connectivity at the luxury end of the market. The EQE will come in four variants, starting from €85,980, with the top-of-the range model checking in at €120,180.

Driving range for this one is 645km, which also is impressive. I had very brief drives in both during the week and I’ll reserve full judgement on real-life range for a proper week-long test, but I can tell you for sure that there’s no issue at all with luxury — both are showstoppers in that regard.

Mercedes plans to have EV versions of all its range by 2025, followed by EV-only production from 2030, and fully carbon-neutral manufacturing by 2039.