Mercedes-Benz has marketed for the last few decades with the tag line of "The Best or Nothing!"
This February, Mercedes-AMG, the performance arm of Mercedes-Benz announced the two newest members to the BEV family of cars, EQE 43 and EQE 53. These two cars will ride on the EVA2 electric luxury and premium platform exclusive to the AMG line. This platform has had particularly focused attention to the areas of the drive, brakes, sound, exterior and interior design and specific equipment, ensuring a dynamic and emotively appealing AMG driving experience for the AMG connoisseur.
This EVA2 platform will allow the following specifications for the EQE43 and EQE53:
One interesting observation is that Mercedes-AMG is not building to the 800 VOLT level that Porsche, Audi, BMW, VW, GM, Ford, Hyundai and Kia have all committed to building at which makes one wonder if their 80% recharge time in 15 minutes can be achieved.
AMG has stated that their models have always stood for "Emotionality". As such, the hallmark of the AMG Driving experience is an important one and one that will deliver in all three driving modes, Balanced, Sport and Powerful. These modes will be available in both the Authentic and optional Performance programs on the EQE53 with AMG Dynamic Plus Package. Before once thinks we are talking about the actual driving experience of how the car performs, this is actually the Audio experience of how the car sounds. AMG will use their auto sound system to deliver a unique sound experience using special speakers, bass actuator and a sound generator. This AMG Sound Experience is based on the current driving status, the selected drive program or the driver's wishes for both inside and outside audio experience.
In regard to actual driving, the AMG platform will have AMG specific electric motors built into the front and rear axle for the ultimate performance. These motors have been built with an optimal balance of power, efficiency and noise comfort. The EQE43 motors have AMG specific tuning and control whereas the EQE53 will have additional adapted windings and laminations for higher currents and a specific inverter enabling higher engine speeds and more power which is noticeable during acceleration and top speed.
Rear electric motors will have a six-phase design with two windings with three phases each delivering a strong magnetic field. The AMG-specific liquid cooling system will allow repeated acceleration maneuvers without any needed prep time. The transmission has an oil heat exchanger that also includes a preheated mode for cold starts to increase efficiency.
The battery pack for both of these cars is a 90.6 kWh, ten modules with a total of 360 pouch cells. The battery management system is tuned specifically for AMG. The advanced pouch design has a reduced cobalt content for a high density, high charge / discharge life cycle consisting of nickel, cobalt and manganese in a ratio of 8:1:1.
The new battery design by Mercedes allows for short charging times using a charging system up to 170 kW of fast charging with direct current. The onboard charger allows charging from home at 11 kW or public using the 22 kW. Mercedes warrants the battery pack for 10 years and 250,000 kilometers (155,000 miles) whichever comes first.
Mercedes has taken a copy of one feature that was first on Ford ICE autos with their Flex not having a gas cap but a gas filler seal around the door that you open to fuel the Flex. You have this here in how they have sealed the door to the charge port unlike Tesla with no seal on the door, but two rubber covers you have to apply to the ports. As seen in the picture below, you also have the rubber seals over the ports in addition to the door seal.
The cars will have three levels of intelligent energy recuperation or what most people are familiar with as regeneration and can be activated via a switch on the steering wheel. You will have the ability to have one-pedal driving or traditional brake driving.
AMG all-wheel drive system will continuously distribute torque between front and rear wheels based on driving situation. This is done checking 160 times per second and the torque will be balanced also depending on the actual driving mode of the powertrain. One can choose between Comfort, Sport and Sport+ where torque is changed from balanced in Comfort mode to a heavy rear-bias in the interests of greater lateral dynamics in Sport+ mode.
The ride of these AMG cars is an adaptable AMG RIDE CONTROL+. This air suspension with adaptive adjustable damping on a four-link front axle and multilink rear suspension. To quote the press release:
The adaptive adjustable damping uses two so-called pressure limiting valves. These continuously variable control valves located outside the damper allow the damping force to be adjusted even more precisely to different driving conditions and drive programs: one valve controls the rebound phase, i.e. the force generated when the wheel rebounds; the other controls the compression phase when the wheel compresses. The rebound and compression phases are controlled independently of each other. This technology makes it possible to increase comfort on the one hand, but also to make the driving dynamics even sportier on the other hand.
The suspension control unit analyses data – including data from the acceleration and wheel path sensors – to adjust the damping force for each wheel in a few milliseconds to suit the situation. The AMG developers were able to significantly increase the spread between sportiness and comfort. Among other things, by widening the spread between minimum and maximum damping force characteristics, as well as even greater flexibility in characteristic mapping. By using the two adjustment valves, the damper is able to provide damping force adjustment across the full range of wheel vibrations. Thanks to the special design of the valves, the damper reacts quickly and sensitively to changing road surfaces and driving conditions.
Another AMG standard for these cars is rear axle steering with turn out and turn in depending on the speed. Below 60 km/h the rear wheels turn in the opposite direction of the front wheels. At 60 km/h and faster the rear wheels turn in the same direction as the front wheels.
These BEVs will also have the AMG DYNAMIC SELECT drive programs where the driver at a touch of a button can change to preset driving characteristics in five modes.
Due to the dynamic nature of these AMG Saloon cars, they will come with six-piston brake calipers in the front and single piston calipers in the rear. Standard brakes are 415x33 mm front and 378x22 rear. Optional AMG Ceramic brake system uses 440x40 mm in the front and only in conjuntion with the upgraded 21" rims versus the standard 20" rims.
AMG has taken the design philosophy of the class leading EQS to a performance level with its one-bow lines and cab-forward design with a fastback allowing it to be clearly distinguishable from the ICE auto versions. Here you can see the difference between the 43 and 53.
One will have to look very close as the differences are very subtle between the two.
Interior design is where Mercedes says they have applied AMG dominated style-defining touches that the AMG buyer expects. The following list is just some of the points they say you will have inside these autos. AMG Hyperscreen is an optional upgrade on the dash.
- Instrument panel and beltlines in space grey ARTICO man-made leather with NEOTEX grain and red topstitching
- Door center panels and also transition from center console to instrument panel in black MICROCUT microfiber with red topstitching
- AMG Performance steering wheel in Nappa leather, with flattened lower section, perforated in the grip area with silver-colored aluminum paddles for setting various recuperation levels, in addition to standard AMG steering wheel buttons
- AMG sports pedals, AMG floor mats and door sill trims with AMG lettering (illuminated with exchangeable cover)
EQE43 Dash
EQE53 Dash
Chairs for the interior with adaptable head rests.
Technical chart as per the press release:
Additional details can be read at the links below.
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