By Christopher A. Sawyer
The Virtual Driver

(October 10, 2016) Mercedes calls it the “Generation EQ,” an electric crossover concept with two electric motors, permanent all-wheel drive, and a modular chassis and battery pack that is scalable across all of Mercedes’ coming EVs, compact to luxury. System output can reach 400 horsepower and range 310 miles, but Mercedes also is hoping to sell customers everything from electric vehicles to wall box charging units to home energy storage units to charging services as they increase their “Electric Quotient.”

Rather than bore you with the endless claptrap Mercedes put in its press release at the Paris Motor Show, we’ll cut to the chase.

The EQ is the first of what promise to be many EVs issuing from Germany in response to European Union directives on emissions and “climate change.” It’s also the building block for that day (should it ever come) when automakers move the bulk of their production to producing autonomous conveyances.

Mercedes and others plan to meet demand with a modular platform and battery pack that can be scaled up or down in terms of length, width, height and wheelbase, and support multiple vehicle types.

The EQ’s structure is built from a mix of steel, aluminum and carbon fiber, much like current Mercedes vehicles. The twin-motor all-wheel drive has axle-variable torque distribution to send the right amount of torque to each end of the vehicle, torque vectoring for greater cornering agility, and 516 lb.-ft. of torque. Mercedes located the lithium-ion battery pack entirely within the wheelbase for a low center of gravity. Built by Daimler subsidiary Deutsche Accumotive, the modular battery pack has a specific total capacity of more than 70 kWh in this application.

Daimler AG Head of Design Gorden Wagener and his team have given the interior and exterior an “electro-look” with minimal seams and switchgear, flowing contrasts, and a 24-inch digital display in front of the driver.

In fact, the only physical switches are the traditional seat adjustment switches. All other functions are handled through the driver’s display or via reconfigurable OLED displays built into the steering wheel spokes.

The EQ’s face is dominated by a “Black Panel” grille with illuminated Mercedes star that incorporates the lighting elements, and is bordered in blue light. In the rear, there’s a similar Black Panel design with a white-illuminated Mercedes star at its center, and surrounded by optical fiber LEDs. These are electric blue at rest, but change to red when on the move and act as the brake lights.

The EQ also has “Car-to-X” technology that allows it to communicate with other communications-enabled vehicles and enabled infrastructure. This includes monitoring the battery pack’s state-of-charge, and alerting the driver to nearby charging stations if the charge is too low to reach the destination.

This is in addition to the 3D map navigation system that “reads” the turn radius, topography and traffic, and adjusts the driver assist systems for maximum efficiency and safety while showing dynamic energy consumption en route.

The Virtual Driver