Mercedes EQC Review

Range     

With a relatively small 80kWh battery, the Mercedes EQC lags behind key rivals in terms of range. This is accentuated because the car itself is quite heavy, meaning the motors have to work harder to lug about the extra weight. The range is still pretty decent though, with official figures saying it will be between 231 and 259 miles – we’d suggest that means between 180-200 miles in the real world. 

If getting the maximum amount of miles between charges is your priority, then be careful which optional extras you choose. Big alloy wheels might look bling but the larger tyres create more drag on the road and mean you’ll knock 10% off your range.

Battery 

There’s only one size of battery offered in the Mercedes EQC and it has a capacity of 80kWh. Compare that to 100kWh in a Tesla Model X or Model S, 95 kWh in an Audi e-tron and 90kWh in Jaguar’s I-PACE and you’ll see that Mercedes isn’t going to be the prize card in any electric car Top Trumps games. 

However, if you don’t need those few extra miles of range then a smaller battery can make a lot of sense, as it results in a cheaper car which isn’t carrying around heavy battery capacity which you only use occasionally.

Charging

The EQC uses the most common types of charge plugs – Type 2 and CCS – which make it easy to top up the battery when you are out and about. Plug it in on a home or public charger with a 7kW feed and it will take 12 hours for a full charge. Oddly, the Mercedes isn’t able to accept the new 11kW home chargers though, which are now standard on some electric superminis. Another oversight is the lack of a charging timer built into the car, which means you'll need a smart wallbox if you want to take advantage of cheap night rate electricity. 

A rapid charger at a service station will take the battery from 20-80% charge in half an hour and Mercedes has an app that helps you find them, makes sure they are vacant and even helps you pay without having to download different apps for each supplier.