ELECTRIC MOVE

Mercedes-Benz has taken the wraps off its first all- electric vehicle. The EQC is a mid-size SUV with a range of more than 450 kilometres, available to purchase from the middle of 2019, with plans for a smaller SUV to follow a year later.

The car will be powered by two electric motors, one mounted on the front axle and one on the rear, enabling it to accelerate from zero to 96 km/ h in under five seconds.

Markus Schäfer, Executive Board member Mercedes-Benz Cars, Production and Supply Chain, said: “Our decision to produce electric vehicles on the same line as models with combustion engines enables us to respond flexibly to demand and use plant capacity to best effect.

“The electric initiative means two things for us: emission-free vehicles and ‘clean’ production. With a CO2-neutral energy supply to our German plants by 2022, we are actively promoting the sustainability of our production.”