The carmaker’s electric sub-brand’s entry-level cars will enter production in 2020.
The car maker will show its electric hatchback concept, named EQ A, at the Frankfurt motor show.
The car will take on BMW’s i3 and the yet-to-be-launched Volkswagen I.D. hatchback. The new EQ A is part of 10 new all-electric models that the company is currently developing as part of a €10 billion (approximately ₹76,306 crore) programme. Production version of these cars are expected to arrive in international markets before 2025.
The EQ A is expected to be the volume seller of the EQ line-up and it’s underpinned by Mercedes' new MEA (modular electric architecture) platform. The car maintains a conventional silhouette – there’s a defined bonnet line at the front, traditional glasshouse, with a cabin that seats five and a hatchback-style tailgate at the back. Mercedes hasn’t revealed any details about the engines just yet. But a more performance orientated set-up, with a second electric motor mounted within the rear axle, allowing for four-wheel drive capability, similar to that seen on the EQ C, is also possible, according to company sources.
Mercedes officials suggest the EQ A will be assembled on a special electric car line at its plant in Rastatt, Germany.
