Mercedes prepares to start production of electric EQS SUV flagship

Mercedes-Benz will unveil the EQS SUV, the brand’s flagship full-electric SUV, on April 19 as it expands its lineup of dedicated EVs.

The EQS SUV will be built in Mercedes’ factory in Vance, Alabama, and exported to Europe and other global markets. It joins the EQS and EQE sedans on the EVA platform; an EQE SUV will be announced next.

The reveal of the EQS SUV is timed for the Beijing auto show; the model is expected to be launched toward the end of this year.

Ahead of the reveal and start of production, Mercedes last week released official pictures of the seven-seat EQS SUV’s interior and camouflaged exterior. 

Production in Alabama is expected to start in June. To support production of the EQS, EQS SUV, EQE and future EVs, Mercedes has has opened a battery pack plant the site, and says it will begin sourcing battery cells in the U.S. by mid-decade to power the wave of EVs.

The Japan-headquartered battery supplier Envision AESC -- also a partner of Renault-Nissan -- will build a U.S. factory to supply a new generation of battery components for Mercedes.

Exterior photos show a long wheelbase with relatively short front and rear overhangs.

Inside, the optional 56-inch wide MBUX Hyperscreen, which combines instrument panel, central touch screen and an entertainment screen for the passenger, is also available on the EQS sedan.

Mercedes has not provided technical specifications for the EQS SUV, or confirmed its name, but the EQS sedan – with which it will share underpinnings -- offers up to 780 km (485 miles) of range from a 108-kilowatt hour battery, and has an output of up to 560 kilowatts hp from electric motors on the front and rear axles (lower-power models have a single motor). The single-motor EQS starts at about 97,000 euros ($107,000) in Germany.