Mercedes Plans To Topple The Model S With EQE EV Sedan

The Taycan crushed the Model S. Oh wait, no it didn't. I was 2X the cost with 2/3rds the range. OOPS.

Mercedes needs to make sure the EQS is not priced stupidly and that it has 300+ mile range FIRST before it crows about an EQE.

It's almost like Darringer is coming around to recognize that Tesla owns the EV market and is going to be pretty tough to unseat.

No, I completely agree that Tesla owns the market, but they are a terrible company with shoddy engineering (ironic for Porsche/Audi/VW) and shitty build quality. They should be easy to topple. The Model S is ancient. The Model X is ugly and stupid. The Model Y is generic and ungainly. They should be sitting ducks.

I'm very excited about the Mach E because Ford chose to make something that stands up to the test. Porsche got arrogant.

The Model 3 already toppled the S (and X).

And that's a real problem for Tesla because the S and X have more profit in them.

I think the Y will be the highest margin car, maybe 30%. The S is probably now less than that with the price drops. What used to be a $140k car is now $99k with free unlimited supercharging.

True on the Mach-E. Looking forward to seeing it. A shame that Ford has such epic launch plans derailed this spring for this and the Broncos.

Just delayed. BUT in the meantime they have not been silent with dealers. You won't be disappointed in the Bronco.

Merc won't topple it because it will be crazy stupid expensive for what you get for your inherited/married/embezzled buckaroos in comparison to the Tesla.

As much as I personally loathe Musk -Tesla does have some nifty competitive advantages over the other OEMs here complete with a fawning media to provide endless free press that others have to pay for to gain product exposure just like Apple but bigger. It pays to be a disruptor!

Not with this design

I actually really like the design in the photo above. Then I read this:

"Regarding its specs, well, it probably won’t match the Model S on range or match the fastest variants for performance. There will probably be more than one variant of EQE, though, but the EQE400 model will have all-wheel drive, 402 horsepower and 564 pound-feet (765 Nm) of torque and a range as high as 373 miles (600 km), so it will be right up there with the current Model S (at least in terms of range)."

Okay, great looks, range, and likely comfort. The fact it won't compete on performance is a little disappointing, it may also be more expensive.

But then I read this........................

"The only problem with it is that it’s still some two years away from hitting the market, as a 2023 [!!!] model year car."

What??? There is no way this is going to be competitive 2-3 years from now. They won't be dealing with the current Model S, but perhaps a 2nd gen Plaid variant by then. I'm expecting 400-500 miles of range and 0-60 in the low 2 second range in 2022/23. Lucid will also have a 400+ mile range car with 1,000 horsepower and a traditional luxury design for around $100k.

MB needs to step up fast or just throw in the towel and partner with Tesla again. MB is the reason Tesla still exists, they gave them a $50M investment when they were about to legit go bankrupt in the Roadster days. I'm sure Tesla would be willing to repay the favor by OEMing some of their tech. A giant slow company like MB is unlikely to outTesla Tesla. They either need a skunk-works division that functions as a clean sheet startup or to partner up with the leader in the space.

The next Model S need to be an entirely different kind of car.

Daimler DID save Tesla with their $50 million investment.

They later sold their stake for $780 million. Very nice return on investment.

If they had kept it, it would be worth almost ten BILLION today.

Tesla is now worth more than VW, BMW and Daimler COMBINED. Hard to believe but it's true.

Not true: "Tesla is now worth more than VW, BMW and Daimler COMBINED."

Valuation is a pie in the sky estimate, NOT what a company would sell for.

Thus, if Tesla were on the market, its sales price would be nowhere near its valuation.

Lol. Let me know when you have a new GT500 in stock for $25k.

Your attempt at being clever produced an unfortunate non sequitur.

Mercedes would have been better off making an S-Class variant that was a BEV. This bar of soap will not sell well. And while I like the look of a Model S, I suspect will be come back refreshed at some point looking sharp and still being the BEV class leader for range, features and performance. And likely the interior will be a step up next time as well.

And electrified S Class would have been precisely the WRONG first move. On so many levels. The traditionalists would have bitched that their car had been ruined and the new adopters would have dismissed it as bandaid engineering.

That's why I said variant. ICE S-Class for those who want it. BEV S-Class for the rest.

And the BEV S Class would we a catastrophically wrong move.

EV buyers are "early adopters" and they would perceive the BEV S Class as an S Class with an EV bandaid. Early adopters want the "next thing" not the current thing adapted. The EQS--assuming the futuristically cool aura of it can be translated to production--is absolutely the way to go.

This is also why the Mach E is absolutely a brilliant move toward an EV Mustang. The Mach E is the "next thing" Mustang and when Ford follows up with an EV Mustang as they plan to do, Mustang purists will accept it more readily.

If I were in their shoes, I would make a statement car like the Taycan that is priced higher and spec'ed well above the existing lineup in performance. I could see a light crossover version of the S-class with a 200 kWh battery (500-600 miles of range) for $200k turning a lot of heads. Then work your way down the lineup.

Oh, also they could have a department similar to AMG that specializes in EV conversions of existing cars. Not as ideal as a purpose-built solution but it would let them quickly electrify the entire lineup today versus waiting 5-7 years for new models.

Odd to say this about a company like Benz, but I feel the only way they will find success in the EV market is by besting the range of Tesla and matching performance (because how much faster can SUVs or Sedans really go?). AND ...and this might be the kicker...they need to provide a higher value quotient to go along with a higher level of luxury. They also need to go against the grain. I think people are attracted to Tesla EVs for the same reason they are attracted to the newest iPhone or GAlaxy or other tech products - that “that’s pretty cool” factor. Tesla has it with autonomous driving, the abilities of the software (I.e., pet mode), falcon doors, etc. There just isn’t much “cool” factor from the Audi e-Tron or Benz EQC.
It’s not an impossible task but it needs to happen sooner than later.

To add to the smartphone analogy, Benz, BMW, and Audi trying to make a dent in the EV market doesn’t feel too much different than Motorola or Nokia trying to become players in the smartphone market. Apple and Samsung came along and totally dominated the smartphone market because they came along and offered the “wow” factor of smartphones while a Motorola and Nokia stayed focused on their existing line of products. Now both companies have a line of smartphones that are actually priced ridiculously well but they don’t really change the game so very few buyers care. Maybe the Razr brings something new to the smartphone world but people seemed to have moved in from feeling I-spy with flip phones and the reliability of folding screens is still in question.

True their quality is better than what it used to be but still lacking compared to mainstream car manufacturers. But when it comes to the EV front Tesla still owns the Left Lane. Its quite simple and its gives them a built in advantage over everyone else. They only make EV's where everyone else has Ice vehicles and still need to keep their profit on those. Unless that changes Tesla is still going to be out in front.