EQ Session I: EQC development: On the way to the final product

Typical Mercedes

• A Mercedes-Benz is the perfect package that lives up to highest expectations: with comfort and well-being, benchmark safety, outstanding quality and great driving dynamics.

Challenges and opportunities

• Developing the EQC (combined power consumption: 22.2 kWh/100 km; combined CO₂ emissions: 0 g/km, provisional figures)* implied special requirements, e.g.:
  • Guarantee of great driving dynamics despite a heavy battery;
  • Extremely high NVH requirements;
  • Finding the right balance between range and performance;
  • High-voltage energy management (HV-EMM) providing the link between the battery and the power consumers;
  • To allow a flexible production, development of an e-drive platform which shares important reference points with combustion-engine cars.
• At the same time, opportunities existed such as fewer restrictions on vehicle design resulting from fewer mechanical components as well as new collaborations between different development teams, e.g. for the early integration of digital features.

Battery layout and electric drive system

• The battery of the EQC has a usable energy content of 80 kWh for a range of more than 450 km according to NEDC (provisional figure).
  The lithium-ion battery is heated at low temperatures for maximum efficiency.
• The electric motors with maximum rotational speeds of around 13,000 rpm have specific requirements for noise decoupling. The powerpacks are double-decoupled via rubber mounts to the subframe, supplemented by insulation.
• The driving experience is enhanced by different driving programs including “Comfort”, “Eco”, “Max Range”, “Sport” and an individually adaptable program.
• The newly developed electric drive system comes with an intelligent operating system and offers the characteristics of an all-wheel drive.
  The front motor is optimized for efficiency at low to medium load range; the rear motor is optimized for dynamics.

SUV segment

• The EQC belongs to the sporty SUV segment for several reasons:
  • The segment is extremely popular with customers
  • The high ground clearance allows for the packaging of key components between the axles and beneath the vehicle floor
  • A good weight balance without compromising on interior roominess due to the position of the battery packs
  • Plus high ground clearance and good dynamics, as typical of this segment
• Sustainability is a reoccurring theme found throughout this model. For example, customers will be able to order the EQC with seat covers made entirely of recycled PET bottles. About 100 components of the EQC are made from recycled materials or renewable resources such as hemp, kenaf, wool, cotton, paper or natural rubber.

Extensive testing

• The EQC completed the same rigorous testing procedures subjected to every Mercedes-Benz. This was supplemented by all-new testing procedures for electric vehicle components.
• All in all there were 500 individual tests. About 35 percent of them were digital tests. Digital testing covers all key areas of vehicle development: from simulation and verification of buildability to crash safety, aerodynamics, ride & handling, NVH and weight as well as consumption.
• Digital testing was complemented by extensive real-world testing on test benches, in the wind tunnel and at the crash test center to ensure the durability, safety, and functionality of the vehicle and its components.
• The EQC prototypes and pre-production vehicles have already covered more than 4.5 million kilometers in tests on four continents (Europe, North America, Asia and Africa).
• Test drives took place in all temperatures (winter and summer). They covered:
  • Three winters; three summers
  • Testing in Germany, Finland, Sweden, Spain, Italy, Dubai, South Africa, USA and China
  • “Taxi” test and frequent driver cycle
  • Road sign recognition
  • Testing methods specific to electric cars: e.g. electric motor during cold start
• Battery components were tested at our battery competence center in Stuttgart, covering everything from performance and range at different temperatures to overcharging and penetration testing.
• The charging lab in Sindelfingen simulates the currents in different countries and different systems around the world in order to ensure optimum performance on every continent.

* Figures for power consumption and CO₂ emissions are provisional and were determined by the German Technical Service Corporation. The range figures are also provisional. EC type approval and conformity certification with official figures are not yet available. There may be differences between the stated figures and the official figures.