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By Kap Maceda Aguila
A BRIEF SOUTHWARD drive aboard two Mercedes-Benz battery electric vehicle (BEV) models comprised an exclusive “Sustainable Luxury in Motion” activity with media recently. Inchcape Philippines, distributor of the Stuttgart-headquartered brand, sought to bring to the fore its BEV offerings via the EQE sedan and EQB SUV through a ride-and-drive activity to and from its flagship dealership in Greenhills to Dasmariñas, Cavite.
“Mercedes-Benz is proud to have the widest range of BEVs in the EQ. We have six models, starting from the EQA, EQB, the EQE, the last with sedan and SUV versions, and the top-of-the-line EQS — also coming in sedan and SUV versions,” said Mercedes-Benz Philippines General Manager for Distribution and Retail Maricar Parco. “We introduced the EQ line about two years ago, and we’re very happy to share that we have now about 200 proud owners.”
Currently, Mercedes-Benz BEVs account for 12% of the brand’s sales in the Philippines, added Ms. Parco. The target is to grow that number to 50%. She revealed that they plan to bring in plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) models in the second half of the year.
Significantly, toward the end of Q2 or at the start of Q3, the much-awaited electric version of the iconic G-Class: The Mercedes-Benz G 580 with EQ Tech (which shows a departure from the traditional appellation style), will be launched.
For the drive, Inchcape Philippines conscripted the Mercedes-Benz EQE 350+. The model outputs 215kW and 565Nm, and musters a zero-to-100kph time of 6.4 seconds. The rear wheels drive the vehicle, motivated by a 90.5-kWh battery. WLTP standard testing reveals maximum range of 644km to 682km. Meanwhile, the front-wheel-driven Mercedes-Benz EQB 250+ boasts 140kW and 385Nm of output from its 70.1-kWh battery — helping realize a standstill-to-100kph time of 8.9 seconds and a WLTP-certified range of 422km to 473km. The entry point to the EQ line, the EQB 250, was also among the test units. This one can deliver a decent 450 kilometers on a fully charged battery.
The EQ models of Mercedes-Benz have gotten somewhat mixed reviews — mainly because of their radically different design versus its internal combustion engine (ICE) counterparts. “Quality is always the priority in Mercedes-Benz, along with safety and the design concept,” submitted Mercedes-Benz Philippines Assistant Vice-President for Product Planning and Training Benjamin Bautista. “Mercedes-Benz is also creating a separate image for its EQ line, as we are aware that we have purist customers in our core products in the E-Class and S-Class.”
He hopes that creating a new image for the EQ line will hopefully result in a larger market for these models. “However, it doesn’t stop us from perfecting our core values: ease of use, love, respect, and trust — while innovating toward wider electrification in the future,” Mr. Bautista stressed. Part of this future, he explained, will be PHEVs and range extended electric vehicles (REEVs).
Even as Mercedes-Benz continues to pin its hopes on its slew of full-electric offerings, we will see if the German automaker comes up with the next big thing to possibly follow in the footsteps of its EQs — possibly finding more resonance with a growing market that is becoming increasingly open and cognizant of the benefits of the electric format.
