Since brands like Audi and Jaguar operate in the highest segments with electric vehicles and Porsche is set to release the Taycan this year,
Mercedes couldn't stay behind. Behold, their first electric production car. After small series of the SLS Electric, the B-Class and maybe even Smart,
this is the EQC. It's based on the Mercedes GLC, it's on the same platform and they're being built in the same factory. That means it hasn't been...
designed as a standalone electric car. That has some effects, but I'll get to those later. The Audi E-Tron next to it however,
has been designed as a standalone electric car. It's clearly operating in the same segment as the Mercedes.
If we look at the price, the Mercedes without options will set you back €80.000 whilst the E-Tron costs €84.000.
The way they stand before us, with all kinds of features selected, the Mercedes costs €101.000 and the Audi €115.000,
with the latter having more equipment.
Right, when you get in here, there are a lot of familiar features if you already know the GLC.
Also, the cockpit of the GLC is very similar to other Mercedes'. Some small details are different though.
The vents have different shapes, the door panels are different so that the fact it's an EV stands out more.
If we look at the exterior, it's clear that a lot of people have their opinion about this car. And they're mostly negative.
It's a remarkable choice by Mercedes that the EQC looks incredibly different than the GLC it's based on.
It's slightly longer as well, that's why it looks different. It makes you wonder if it's even based on the GLC, despite sharing the platform.
I already mentioned that there was something quite interesting going on. Because it's based on the GLC, it shares the same platform.
So Mercedes has to anticipate on the crash probability. Because the GLC has an engine to process some of the blow.
So to solve that problem, they've encased the electric motor in the front in a pipe frame. That way, the lack of a 'real' engine...
is countered. It does make the EQC heavier, which you'll feel in the drive.
What also stands out in the drive is the silence. Even for an electric car, this EQC is very quiet. You don't even hear the electric motor.
No Star Wars-like humming. It's so incredibly quiet. Usually, wind and tire noises stand out then, but the isolation is so good,
that you can barely hear anything. Mercedes is very striving when it comes to that, this might be the quietest car in its class.
Of course, it's still a Mercedes. That means it's clearly aimed at comfort. However, I always say that Mercedes is the benchmark when it comes to...
combining handling and comfort. And the handling is good on nice surfaces and followthroughs, but it suffers a little under the weight when you...
encounter imperfections. It's incredibly heavy and thus it doesn't always go very good at the front. It's not able to process them.
And we do have a lot of speedbumps in the Netherlands. You have to go slow, because you will hit the tarmac. That's how soft it is.
And that's very annoying. I've seen that in Skoda's or in the Citroën C3, but I expect better from a Mercedes.
That's a downside if you live in the Netherlands, because you have to crawl across speedbumps. In an SUV, get the irony?
Charging is an important feature in this car, and Mercedes is kind of lagging behind. The Jaguar I-Pace can't charge 3-phase,
this Mercedes can't either. Only single-phase charging is possible. You are able to charge with higher ampères, but you won't see that...
a lot in the Netherlands. Or you have to go to a quickcharging station, at which you're able to charge up to 120 kW.
That's quick enough, but 3-phase charging adds so much to personal charging. Especially at home.
I think it's too bad that this Mercedes doesn't have that. And I can already tell, that point will go to the Audi.
The drivetrain is very smooth. It's quicker than the Audi as well, because it has more power at lower speeds.
What stands out to me is that the throttle is very Mercedes-like. It's very heavy and it doesn't offer a lot of boost.
Except for when you put your foot down, because it then releases all of the boost available. That could've been a little more refined.
Anyway, because of the four-wheel drive it can do 0-100 km/h in under five seconds. And that's very good for a car like this.
When it comes to the brakes, it has two modes in which it can brake regeneratively. And they're both pretty hard.
In the second mode, it's almost like you're driving down a mountain in first gear. That's how much it brakes on the engine.
Because you've got the choice, it's very pleasant. Exclusive to this Mercedes is the automatic mode,
in which the car looks ahead to keep track of traffic or the road. For instance, it will know when you approach a roundabout and adjust...
the amount of regeneration done by the brakes. You'll have to get used to the automatic mode, but I think that won't take very long.
Then, the most important question of all. What is the range? It's powered by a 85 kWh-battery pack. The week I was in,
in the summer but not incredibly warm, it did 340 km when I drove around normally. It can change because of the weather,
so when it's very cold it might do 300 or when the circumstances are perfect, 360 km. Very good for the Netherlands.
Then, the E-Tron. The most hyped car of the past ten years. It has to be said, when I get in and drive off, the car feels lighter.
The way the car has been setup as well. The balance, weight distribution, the way the car handles...
You clearly notice that this car has been built as an electrical car, whilst the EQC is based on a regular car.
This just feels more right. If I look around me, the dashboard is very futuristic.
Materials look good, similar to in the Mercedes. So they can share the points. However, Mercedes has more of an traditional interior.
The optional camera mirrors are present here as well, and I've got to be honest. I think it's the most worthless piece of tech ever.
Not only doesn't it add anything, it makes things worse. I did give it a shot by driving long distances with it,
and on the motorway it's okay. When you want to park in reverse however, I go completely crazy. You're unable to see and you can't...
trust the parking sensors, because they beep even if you've got room left. No, save yourself money and go for regular mirrors.
Then, the electrical capacities. With its 95 kWh-battery pack it stands out that the Audi gets just as far as the Mercedes. However,
I should drive both of them for three months to give you a definitive conclusion, but it's kind of similar.
On the other hand, this has 95 kWh, whilst the Mercedes only has 85 kWh. Sure, they don't always use the maximum capacity,
but it stands out that Audi isn't as economical when you compare kilometres per kWh.
On the other hand, when it comes to charging, you get much more options.
You can have 3-phase charging, something only offered by Tesla's. That's very good if you have a home charging station, because you...
can fully charge your car overnight. Something you can't do if you've got an empty EQC.
Quickcharging then. You can do that up to 150 kWh which is incredibly quick. The quickest until the Taycan will arrive that is.
And that's of added value if you want to use this car a lot for your daily commute. Just hook it up at FastNed and your car is charged...
The drive then. What stands out is that the Audi isn't very quick. It does 0-100 km/h in around six seconds, which was a good...
hot hatch time, but we're used to quicker electric cars. It doesn't seem to be the lack of power, because it produces just as much as the EQC.
It's more that Audi doesn't want to use as much power when setting off, at high speeds in the inbetween-sprints it's just as quick.
Audi just doesn't think it's necessary to flame of the line.
The chassis is a tad less comfortable than the Mercedes, but it's still very zen nonetheless. Especially in Comfort-mode.
Also, the dampers process the bumps a lot better than in the Mercedes. You can encounter speed bumps with more speed and ease.
So, the total package. It's pretty clear right? The Audi is a tad more expensive and it needs more kWh for the same distance,
but as a car it's been built much better. The Mercedes still feels like a car that has been rushed only to release an electric car based...
on an existing model. That can be a winning recipe, because I like the e-Golf better than the BMW i3, which was an electric exclusive.
Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. The Audi has been thought through even better, has better charging possibilities,
has a better drive, handles the weight better and you're not obligated to choose these camera's instead of mirrors. So we've got...
a clear winner here today. The Audi E-Tron.