mercedes-benz eq

The fully-electric 2021 Mercedes-Benz EQA 250 has arrived as part of the company's ever-expanding electric model range. Mercedes-Benz has based the EQA on the GLA, but instead fitted the small SUV with a thermally-managed 66.5kWh lithium-ion battery pack, powering a 140kW/375Nm electric motor driving the front wheels via a single-speed mechanical transmission. MORE: 2021 Mercedes-Benz EQA 250 prototype: International first drive

The 2021 Mercedes-Benz EQA has been officially unveiled tonight, the first of six new EQ-branded Mercedes-Benz electric vehicles to lob before the end of 2022. Essentially an all-electric version of Mercedes-Benz's GLA small SUV, the EQA slots into the line-up as the brand's entry-level electric vehicle and, if the €47,540.50 (AU$75,000) starting price in Germany is any guide, should be priced from around $85,000-$90,000 when it arrives in Australian showrooms in mid-2021.

Daimler has announced it will pour €70 billion (AU$114B) into accelerated development of electric technologies. According to electric vehicle (EV) website Electrek, Daimler – parent company of Mercedes-Benz and associated brands – is investing the money over the coming four years, after the company's Supervisory Board approved its budget to 2025.

Now the petrol-powered GLA has officially been revealed, Mercedes-Benz has released a camouflaged all-electric EQA SUV mule into the wilds of snowy Europe. Built on the same MFA II underpinnings as the A-Class, B-Class, GLA, GLB, and CLA variants, the EQA is expected to offer an electric range nudging 500km when it lobs in 2021. Externally, the EQA looks nearly identical to the GLA released earlier this week.

The new Mercedes-Benz EQB electric crossover has been spied during testing in Europe. As with other members of the all-electric EQ range, the EQB is based on an existing model — in this case the GLB — and uses a platform designed primarily for petrol and diesel engine cars. This strategy affords Mercedes-Benz a lot of flexibility to scale production up or down depending on demand, as well as reducing development costs.