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PARIS, Sept. 29 (UPI) -- Mercedes-Benz unveiled a concept for a high-performance electric SUV that will be part of a new line of non-gasoline-powered vehicles called Generation EQ. The German automaker showed off the concept at a preview to the Paris Motor Show, which opens to the public Saturday.
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Mercedes executives didn't reveal when sales would begin and the cost will be around the price of a "reasonably equipped Mercedes GLC" -- or around $50,000. By 2025, Dieter Zetsche, chairman of parent Daimler, said Mercedes plans to have 10 fully electric vehicles in the market.
"With 'Generation EQ,' Mercedes-Benz shows how electric cars can soon move into the fast lane. The concept vehicle, with the appearance of a sporty SUV coupé, gives a preview of a new generation of vehicles with battery-electric drives," the company said in a release.
EQ is the acronym for emotional quotient, but for Mercedes, it represents "Electric Intelligence."
"The mobility of the future at Mercedes-Benz will stand on four pillars: Connected, Autonomous, Shared and Electric. 'Generation EQ' is the logical fusion of all four pillars," Zetsche said. "The emission-free automobile is the future. And our new EQ brand goes far beyond electric vehicles. EQ stands for a comprehensive electric ecosystem of services, technologies and innovations."
The car has electric motors on the front and rear axles with a top output of 300 kilowatts per hour.
It can go from 0-62 mph in less than five seconds and the range is 310 miles.
The Generation EQ features a 24-inch high-definition screen to display navigation and driving information with no knobs or switches. Side mirrors have been replaced by cameras, projecting the rear traffic onto displays on the doors.
Other planned cars in the lineup include sedans and convertibles that will share engineering.
"It's probably a little too sci-fi for most, but I like the design of the EQ. But again, this is a concept vehicle -- it likely won't look like this if and when it ships as a production car," said Darrell Etherington, a writer for Tech Crunch. "Still, it's interesting to see where Mercedes believes transportation is heading, since if it truly believes in those four pillar concepts and pushing them forward, we'll have a very different view of car ownership by the time the EQ hits the road."
