Youngstown Daily Legal News

New Mercedes model on cutting edge of electric cars

BRANDON KLEIN
Special to the Legal News
Published: October 1, 2019

With the debut of the Mercedes-Benz Vision EQS earlier this month the German automaker's concept sedan may have provided a glance into the future of electric luxury vehicles.

"The show car is able to meet these aspirations today while providing a new outlook for future large, electric luxury sedans, and illustrating a vision of purpose-built electro-design," the company said in a statement. "With the Vision EQS, Mercedes-Benz is making a clear statement for the continued future of high- quality vehicles and self-determined driving."

The company said it aspires to have a carbon dioxide-neutral new car fleet in 20 years, which requires a fundamental transformation of the company in less than three product cycles.

"This is not a long period of time when one considers that fossil fuels have dominated the industry ever since Carl Benz and Gottlieb Daimler invented the automobile over 130 years ago," the company stated.

The automaker is aiming to have 10 fully electric models in its global lineup by 2022 with some competing directly against the Tesla Model S, according to a report from Green Car Reports.

In a blog post for Worth magazine, Tensie Whelan, director of the New York University Stern Center for Sustainable Business, said luxury and electric vehicles are intertwined.

"Because luxury cars are typically not driven for long distances (an average Aston Martin owner drives his or her car under 10,000 miles a year), because the electric motor enables much more internal space without growing the exterior, because autonomous technology will enable people to enjoy their cars as an extension of their homes, rather than suffering a grueling traffic battle, and because an electric motor can deliver immense power, I think the future of luxury is electric," she said.

She described her experience checking out the Aston Martin Lagonda Vision Concept electric vehicle.

"When you no longer have to make room for an internal combustion engine, you can create an amazing living space inside a gorgeously designed car with an interior that features silk and cashmere, together with more futuristic elements such as ceramic tile," she said.

On the other hand, consumers have a higher expectation for luxury electric vehicles. Autolist.com surveyed nearly 1,600 car shoppers in August about going electric.

Most said EVs that cost $70,000 should have a range of more than 500 miles with 61 percent saying they should at least have 400 miles of range.

"That electric vehicles' range continues to be the biggest reason people avoid them has been particularly frustrating for EV automakers and proponents," said David Undercoffler, editor-in-chief of Autolist.com, in a column for Forbes. "Lower EV costs and wider availability from mainstream brands will continue to push awareness and consideration of EVs. 2020 will be a busy year in this regard, highlighted by debuts from Ford and Volkswagen."

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