The new Mercedes EQB 250 has an FWD setup with a single electric motor good for 190 horsepower (140 kilowatts) and an instant torque of 385 Nm (284 lb-ft). As expected, the entry-level version is not the most athletic electric crossover out there, needing 9.2 seconds to hit 62 mph (100 km/h). Flat out, it will reach 100 mph (160 km/h).

Nearly €50,000 before EV-related incentives doesn’t make the EQB 250 exactly cheap, but then again, it is a compact luxury crossover. It’s also immensely practical if you need to carry more people as Mercedes offers an optional three-row layout for an extra €1,416. We should also mention the cheapest trim level has the highest range by covering 472 kilometers (293 miles) between charges thanks to its 66.5-kWh battery pack. The EQB 300 and EQB 350 4Matic both have a significantly shorter range, at 422 km (262 miles). All figures are based on the WLTP test cycle.

Customer deliveries of the new Mercedes EQB 250 have already commenced in Germany, with other European markets to get the electric crossover in the coming months. If the EQB’s boxy styling is not your cup of tea, there’s also the mechanically identical EQA 250 available from just under €44,000. That makes it €5,000 cheaper than the equivalent EQB, but torque drops by 20 Nm (15 lb-ft) to 370 Nm (272 lb-ft).

The EQA 250 is quicker in the sprint since it needs 8.9s to reach 62 mph (100 km/h) from a standstill or 0.3s less than the EQB 250. It shares the same 66.5-kWh battery, but the range drops to 428 km (266 miles) or 44 km (27 miles) less than its EQB counterpart.

Source: Mercedes-Benz Germany

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The reveal was made by company CEO Ola Kallenius this week during an interview in Atlanta. Mercedes’ head honcho is confident people shopping for an EQA or the boxy, seven-seat EQB are willing to accept a shorter range since these zero-emissions crossovers are mainly used around town, therefore not needing sophisticated batteries that provide an extended range.

The larger and more expensive electric cars from Mercedes, such as the newly released EQS fullsize sedan, will stick to nickel-based battery. With the largest pack, it has enough juice for 350 miles (563 kilometers) per EPA or 478 miles (770 km) according to the WLTP standard applicable in Europe.

Arriving in 2024 and 2025, the next-generation EQA and EQB, the electric crossovers could switch to lithium iron phosphate batteries. Ola Kallenius said Mercedes is currently “looking at” this technology for the two compact EVs to avoid nickel and cobalt in lithium-ion batteries as supplies of both are constrained, thus driving up the prices.

While it’s a bit disappointing to hear about a high-end marque such as Mercedes having to resort to using downgraded batteries, continuing with nickel would make the EQA and EQB too expensive for the segment in which they compete. It’s understandable why it will be going down this road, especially since nickel is known to be prone to fire, so the engineers want to avoid this additional problem.

As a final note, Mercedes is plotting a veritable EV onslaught to follow an EV-heavy 2021 as the EQA and EQB SUVs were followed by the EQE and EQS sedans. The EQE SUV and EQS SUV are coming next year, complete with a Maybach version of the latter, with a fully electric G-Class due in 2024.

Source: Automotive News

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Its purely electric cousin has largely retained the design, but you will notice the conventional front grille has been replaced by a glossy plastic panel reserved for EQ models that obviously don’t need to cool a combustion engine. A horizontal fiber optic strip of light provides a visual connection between the daytime running lights of the standard full-LED headlights. Another major difference is at the back where the EQB has gained a full-width LED light bar to mirror the aforementioned EQA.

To further separate the electric version from its internal combustion counterpart, Mercedes has developed new alloy wheels specifically for the EQB. These come with two- and tri-tone finishes and can be as large as 20 inches. Some of them have a blue decorate trim while others a more elegant rose gold look.

Despite its boxy shape, the electric crossover has a drag coefficient of only 0.28 thanks to those wheels we mentioned earlier, as well as the completely closed cooling air system in the upper section. The underbody is largely enclosed to optimize airflow, while the front and rear aprons have been tweaked to make the body smoother.

If you’ve ever been in a GLA/GLB, the interior should feel extremely familiar as it has been essentially carried over. There are some revisions to the trim and upholstery, along with dedicated EV screens in the instrument cluster and infotainment system, but the cabin is basically the same. That’s actually great because Mercedes has managed to raise the bar quite high when it comes to interiors offered in the compact segment.

Much like the GLB can be had with seven seats, Mercedes will also offer the EQB with an optional third row. The rearmost seats are mostly for kids and teenagers as people taller than 1.65 meters won’t have enough headroom to sit comfortably in the third row. The silver lining is the backrests of the second-row seats can be adjusted and those seats go fore and aft by 140 millimeters.

Initially, Mercedes will sell the EQB in China as an AMG Line model with 288 horsepower (215 kilowatts). Europeans will get the electric crossover later this year in multiple configurations, with front- or all-wheel drive and over 268 hp (200 kW) of power. This Euro-spec model will have a lithium-ion battery pack with a usable capacity of 66.5 kWh, providing enough juice for a WLTP range of 419 kilometers (260 miles) for the EQB 350 4Matic model with AWD.

Come 2022, the EQB will also be launched in the United States where Mercedes won’t be bringing the curvier, five-seat-only EQA. The new EV will be produced in Beijing by the BBAC (Beijing Benz Automotive Co.) joint venture for the Chinese market while the rest of the world will get the vehicle from the Kecskemét plant in Hungary.

Source: Mercedes-Benz

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Being an electric adaptation of the combustion-engined GLB, it means the EQB will largely inherit the design of the gasoline- and diesel-fueled compact crossover. That’s exactly what happened with the GLA’s conversion to EQA by getting some mild cosmetic tweaks, aero wheels, and a blocked-off grille. It remains to be seen whether the EQB will also receive a full-width light bar at the back as it’s the case with the EQA. Inside, it will be offered with seven seats instead of the EQA’s five-seat layout, along with a cargo capacity of up to 1,700 liters with the second and third rows of seats folded.

We’re expecting the technical specifications to closely mirror those of the EQA pictured below, so there will be a base front-wheel-drive version with an electric motor good for 188 horsepower and 375 Newton-meters (277 pound-feet) of torque. Performance should be borderline identical, meaning the 0 to 62 mph (100 km/h) sprint will likely take around 8.9 seconds and top speed will be electronically capped at 100 mph (160 km/h).

Further down the line, both the EQA and EQB will be available with all-wheel drive by gaining a rear-mounted electric motor. The silent compact crossovers are going to pack a combined output of 268 hp, which should dramatically improve performance and traction on slippery surfaces thanks to the addition of 4Matic.

As far as the battery is concerned, the EQA’s lithium-ion pack will probably be installed in the EQB as well. It has a usable capacity of 66.5 kWh and can last for up to 265 miles (426 kilometers) between charges, based on the WLTP cycle. Mercedes has already confirmed there will be a more efficient derivative that will cover 311 miles (500 kilometers) on a full charge.

Much like the EQA, the boxy EQB should feature support for 100-kW charging to take the battery from 10% to 80% in roughly thirty minutes. Using a regular 11-kW AC charger to fully recharge the battery from 10% will require close to six hours.

The EQA goes on sale this spring while the EQB will initially be launched in China before arriving in Europe later this year, with the US getting the electric crossover in 2022. It could end up slightly more expensive, so look for a starting price of over the €47,540 sticker that Mercedes is asking for the EQA at home in Germany before any applicable EV-related incentives.

Source: Mercedes-Benz

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Mercedes has previously announced the world premiere is scheduled to take place on January 20. As a matter of fact, production of the first-ever EQA has already commenced at the Rastatt plant in Germany. Later this year, the model will also hit the assembly line in China through Daimler’s local Beijing Benz automotive joint venture.

As evidenced by this thinly covered prototype, the EQA will largely inherit the exterior design of its conventionally powered GLA counterpart. It comes as no surprise the front grille is closed-off seeing as how there’s no combustion engine underneath the hood that needs to be cooled down. The grille should be like what Mercedes installs on its other electric crossover, the bigger EQC.

To further separate it from the GLA, the three-pointed star has designed new front and rear bumpers and we’re also expecting some aerodynamic alloy wheels to maximize efficiency. The exhaust is obviously gone, and there could be some revised graphics for the headlights and taillights to give the EQA its own visual identity.

Technical specifications are shrouded in mystery at this point, but we do know the electric crossover will be followed later this year by the EQB as an electric variant of the GLB. It should have virtually identical hardware but hiding underneath a boxy body lending a more spacious interior. The EQB will be made in Hungary at the Kecskemét factory as well as in Beijing through the same BBAC joint venture.

The EQA and EQB are just two of the many EVs that Mercedes will be launching by the end of 2022. Additional eco-friendly models include the bigger EQE and EQS SUVs, with both getting sedan counterparts. Even the mighty G-Class will spawn an electric derivative later this decade as part of Daimler’s EV push.

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