During my first spin in the production-spec 2022 Mercedes-Benz EQS on California roads this week, I learned what the electric sedan is like to drive and the official estimated range drivers in the US can expect from Benz's silent, luxury flagship. Mercedes said at a meeting in Silicon Valley this week that the rear-wheel drive EQS450 Plus will have an EPA estimated range of 350 miles, while the dual-motor EQS580 4Matic drops to 340 miles estimated per charge.
When the EQS debuted in April 2021, the automaker boasted of the slippery sedan's maximum range around 485 miles on the European WLTP testing cycle. We knew that number would drop once put through the US EPA's less generous tests, but I was expecting something around the 400-mile mark. The announcement of 340-350 miles has left me wondering: What happened?
Both EQS configurations feature the same 107.8 kWh lithium-ion battery pack and the same 329 horsepower electric motor on the rear axle, spinning the wheels with a generous 419 pound-feet of torque. While the EQS450 Plus stops there, the EQS580 4Matic adds a second, smaller motor to the front axle for a grand total of 560 hp and 631 lb-ft of all-wheel driven torque.
The difference in range from the two comes partially from the extra motor and partially from the two specs' standard wheels -- 20-inches for the EQS450 and 21s on the EQS580 -- but the dual-motor model keeps the gap slim thanks to its increased regenerative braking capacity and intelligent use of its motors. Around town in the 580, it wasn't uncommon to glance at the Hyperscreen's info display and see it operating in pure front-wheel drive at low speeds.
Given the aerodynamics and the size of the battery, the EPA's estimated range seems conservative, but it reminds me of Roadshow's experiences with the EQS' sportier competitors, the Porsche Taycan and Audi E-Tron GT. We've been able to handily beat the EPA's conservative ratings for those vehicles, so perhaps extended testing of the Benz will also see it exceed expectations?
I'm still waiting on a more granular breakdown from the EPA of the EQS' six different configurations. For now, Tesla's 405-mile Model S Long Range is still the gold-standard when it comes to EPA range -- at least, until that 520-mile Lucid Air gets here.
