The EQC was one of Mercedes-Benz's first attempts at selling a global electric vehicle, but it never made it to the United States. Initially delayed by over a year, the crossover was supposed to arrive in 2021. However, the three-pointed star ultimately decided against granting the high-riding EV a US visa, "following a comprehensive review of market developments." Now, we’ve learned that the model has been discontinued worldwide for some time.
In an email sent to Motor1, Jan Weber, International EQ-Product Communications at Mercedes, confirmed that the EQC was actually discontinued in the second quarter of 2023. That's right—the last electric crossover was assembled more than a year ago. In July 2022, Business Insider reported on the EQC's scheduled demise in May 2023, but the German luxury brand never made an official announcement. We now have confirmation, albeit over a year after the fact.
Although the EQC is no more, the nameplate is expected to return for an entirely different EV. It'll be a Tesla Model 3 fighter with lessons learned from the ultra-sleek Vision EQXX concept. It should be about the size of a CLA or C-Class Sedan and sit on the Modular Mercedes Architecture. Much like the old EQC shared its underpinnings with combustion cars, MMA won't be a dedicated electric platform either.
However, Christoph Starzynski, Mercedes-Benz vice president of development for electric drive, told us in 2022 that the compromise would be on the ICE side. In other words, the architecture is primarily intended for EV applications and there will be some concessions made for ICE cars. So much for the "Best or Nothing" slogan, right?
Unlike today's EQ cars, the EQC (name not confirmed) is expected to do away with the much-criticized bulbous shape. To get an idea of its fresh design, look no further than the Concept CLA-Class. We're expecting some of the Vision EQXX’s aerodynamic know-how to trickle down to this production car.
In conceptual guise, the swoopy CLA was touted as having 466 miles of range in the WLTP cycle. However, we reckon that an equivalent EPA figure would be lower. The cheaper versions are expected to feature lithium-ion phosphate chemistry for the battery. More expensive ones will employ silicon-oxide anodes for a higher energy density to unlock more miles of range. Although Mercedes never revealed the battery pack’s size, the concept likely had a usable capacity of around 89.6 kWh. That's the math that resulted from the quoted range and an energy consumption of 5.2 miles per kilowatt-hour.
The EQC will also go up against a 3 Series Sedan-esque EV confirmed for a 2026 launch. The BMW model will ride on a dedicated electric car platform as Neue Klasse won't be used by gas vehicles. A future Audi A4 EV due later this decade will also have a bespoke electric car platform.
The Mercedes sedan will be one of four initial models on the MMA platform, alongside a pair of crossovers and a wagon. The newcomers are likely replacements for the current-generation GLA, GLB, and CLA Shooting Brake. Lest we forget a fully electric "Little G" is also planned to slot below the iconic G-Class, which has also received the EV treatment.
