Following the AMG EQS, the Mercedes-Benz AMG series has added new members.
On February 16, the new Mercedes-AMG EQE was officially released, which is also the second pure electric production car launched by AMG. The new car is based on the regular version of EQE, with upgrades in power, suspension, braking and sound, and the addition of AMG's exclusive aerodynamics suite.
In terms of overall styling, the AMG EQE is similar to the higher-positioned AMG EQS released in September 2021, with vertically erected plating strips and multiple exclusive logos that advertise its AMG identity. Both models are from the EVA2 platform.
In the era of fuel vehicles, AMG is a well-deserved representative of performance vehicles, which is very different from ordinary models in terms of engine and chassis tuning, tire selection, suspension system, etc., and maximizing the vehicle's sport attributes is its ultimate goal.
However, in the era of electrification, the performance of vehicles is no longer unattainable, and the status of AMG is inevitably questioned. "AMG without engine sound has no soul." Some netizens complained that Mercedes-Benz pushes electric vehicles still use the idea of oil trucks, "Everything can be AMG is a failure." According to foreign media reports, AMG EQE will be listed in the United States in early 2023, and no price information has been disclosed at present.
Can the electrified AMG still play?
Although AMG has successively replaced the electric motor, the origin of the performance car is destined to be its identity and high-end positioning.
The AMG EQE continues the power rating of the fuel vehicle era AMG, offering two versions, 43 4MATIC and 53 4MATIC+.
Source: Screenshot of mercedes-Benz official website
In terms of power performance, the entry-level model AMG EQE 43 4MATIC can produce up to 350 kW (476 hp) of power and a maximum torque of 858 N·m, while the high-end model AMG EQE 53 4MATIC+ has a maximum power of 460 kW (626 hp) and a maximum torque of 950 N·m. Acceleration to 100 km/h takes 4.2 seconds and 3.3 seconds, respectively, with a top speed of 210 km/h and 240 km/h.
Optionally, it also takes power to the next level. Mercedes-Benz offers an optional package called Dynamic Plus for the high-end model, which can increase the vehicle's power output to a maximum of 505 kW (687 hp), a maximum torque of 1000 N·m, an acceleration time of 3.3 seconds per 100 km/h, and a top speed of 240 km/h.
Source: Mercedes-Benz
In terms of power batteries, both models are equipped with high-density ternary lithium battery packs with a capacity of 90.6 kWh. Even if the battery pack's high-voltage wiring harness is exclusively designed, it still has an endurance of only about 500 kilometers under WLTP conditions.
When AMG stepped into the door of electric vehicles, bid farewell to the judgment standards of fuel vehicles, compared with the biggest competitor Tesla, its former crushing posture was gradually surpassed by new players. Taking the Model S, which has a body size of basically similar, as an example, the current two-motor all-wheel drive version is priced at 889,990, the cruising range of this car reaches 652 kilometers, the official acceleration time of 100 kilometers is 3.2 seconds, and the maximum speed can reach 250 kilometers / h. As a performance representative in the field of electric vehicles, Tesla Model S Plaid's 100-kilometer acceleration time is only 2.1 seconds.
In fact, in terms of accelerating data, even the lower-positioned Model 3 High Performance Edition can compete with AMG EQE. The 339,900 yuan model is equipped with dual motors, and its acceleration time to 100 kilometers is also 3.3 seconds, and the maximum speed can reach 261 km / h. Although the battery capacity is 78.4kWh, its NEDC range can reach 675 kilometers.
In terms of intelligence, AMG EQE does not come standard with L2 level autonomous driving functions, but instead provides an optional package of DRIVE PILOT L2 level. Its perception system has a binocular stereoscopic forward-looking camera, a forward-facing long-range millimeter-wave radar, four short-range angle millimeter-wave radars, four surround-view cameras, and 12 ultrasonic radars. At this point, there is not much of an advantage over Tesla, which focuses on FSD.
Although the acceleration performance is not as good as Tesla, as a traditional luxury brand, whether it is Nappa leather-wrapped AMG seats, AMG high-performance steering wheels, or MBUX super-combined screens composed of three screens, AMG EQE still has its advantage of expressing a sense of luxury.
In addition, the sharp weapon of the lark on the AMG fuel vehicle has also been inherited by the electric model. The new car features the AMG Ride Control+ air suspension system, which has both suspension linkages and anti-roll bars optimized to improve stiffness.
It is also equipped with two adaptively adjustable dampers with pressure limiting valves to improve the accuracy of the handling. Perhaps the expectations are relatively high, and the appearance of the new car has been complained about by many fans. "I don't care how big the vehicle is, the electric car should have a more personalized design." One netizen said that AMG EQE's false grille and uncoordinated body proportions make the overall look non-aggressive, "Which is not ideal for performance cars." ”
In the era of electric vehicles, the performance threshold is no longer there?
Unlike the complex kinetic energy transmission system of the internal combustion engine, because the electric motor can achieve the advantage of maximum torque output at the start, the performance of the electric vehicle era is no longer exclusive to luxury brands.
Taking the BYD Han EV priced at 284,500 yuan as an example, its four-wheel drive high-performance version has an acceleration time of 3.9 seconds per 100 kilometers. This acceleration performance is basically the same as the Audi RS5 equipped with a 2.9T engine, which starts at 852,800 yuan. And in the fuel car camp of the 4-second club with 100 km acceleration, the price of Audi RS5 is relatively low, and the Mercedes-Benz AMG GT, which is priced at 986,800, has an acceleration time of 5 seconds per 100 km/ h. If you want to shorten the acceleration time to 3.7 seconds, you need to spend nearly double the price of the AMG GTC, the starting price of this car is 1.8269 million yuan.
For fuel vehicles, if you want to improve the power performance, you need to optimize the engine displacement, material process, transmission and body and other subsystems, and the car companies need to invest in the technology research and development of the engine and the gearbox, which needs to be accumulated over many years. This is also why in the field of performance cars, it has long been almost occupied by established giants such as the BBA.
The innate advantages of new energy vehicles provide the opportunity for latecomers to change lanes and overtake, and through the efficient output of the motor, excellent acceleration performance is no longer exclusive to million-level supercars. At present, the acceleration time of the Model 3 rear-wheel drive version and the high-performance version is 6.1 seconds and 3.3 seconds, respectively, and the price is 265,600 and 339,900, which also means that the owner only needs to spend 74,000 yuan more to shorten the acceleration time by 2.8 seconds.
Previously, Model Y also launched an "acceleration package" worth 14,000 yuan, and the accelerated time of the upgraded vehicle's 100-kilometer acceleration was increased from the original 5 seconds to 4.4 seconds. Acceleration performance is at your fingertips, allowing ordinary consumers to experience the experience that could only be owned by a Million Luxury car. But with that comes the industry's concerns about its security. An industry insider said that although new energy vehicles have excellent acceleration performance and lower the threshold to the mass market, if there is no good training and guidance, these spilled performance will also threaten the safety of drivers.
In order to ensure the safety of the vehicle, the throttle of many fuel vehicles will also be specially adjusted. A domestic brand vehicle engineer once told Future AutoMotive Daily that in order to prevent the vehicle from "jumping forward", it will not design the initial stage of the throttle process to be too sensitive. "At present, top sports cars are also beginning to prepare for electrification, and performance cars will develop around smaller batteries, higher motor drive power, and higher charging power in the field of electric vehicles." Zhu Yulong, an industry insider, believes that it is difficult to reflect the difference in the performance of electric vehicles, "In this field, the electric vehicle segment will form a more high-end performance competition." ”
The author | Qin Zhangyong
Edit the | Wang Yan