Mercedes prices its all-electric EQC SUV at $67,900

INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
The Mercedes-Benz EQC 400 4MATIC, the German automaker first all-electric vehicle under its new EQ brand, will start at $67,900 when it
arrives in the U.S
early next year. Mercedes-Benz announced the price of the EQC 400 Wednesday at the LA Auto Show
The price, which doesn&t account for the $7,500 federal tax credit, is notable because it below competitors like the Jaguar I-Pace, Audi
e-tron and Tesla Model X. It been a year sinceMercedes-Benz unveiled the EQC, an all-electric SUV that kicked off the automaker plans to
invest more than $12 billion to produce a line of battery-powered models under its new EQ brand
And in March, TechCrunch got a brief ride in the SUV in Austin during SXSW
In short, information about the vehicle has been out there
But the price has not. The Mercedes EQC has a new drive system with compact dual electric drivetrains at each axle, which together generate
402 horsepower and 561 pound-feet of torque
The EQC can travel from 0 to 60 miles per hour in 4.8 seconds. Mercedes has configured the vehicle motors to handle different aspects of the
driving.The front electric motor is optimized for efficiency in the low to medium load range, while the rear motor is designed to create a
sporty driving experience. The vehicle 80 kilowatt-hour battery has an estimated range of around 200 miles, Mercedes-Benz has said in the
past
The company didn&t provide updated numbers
The battery has standard DC fast-charging that can reach an 80% charge in 40 minutes. The EQC will come standard with the company new MBUX
infotainment system, which is already in the A-Class
The infotainment system has put an emphasis on voice assistant technology and navigation, which will be critical for new EV converts worried
about locating charging stations
EQ-optimized navigation, driving modes, charging current and departure time also can be controlled and set via MBUX, the company said. MBUX
will recommend the shortest amount of time needed to get to a destination and uses online services to find available DC fast charging
stations to use if the operating range is insufficient
Mercedes-Benz customers can also find charging stations via the Mercedes me Charge card, the Mercedes me App or directly from the car. The
onboard charger makes the most from available external power, with the battery able to recharge from 10% to 80% in just 40 minutes. The EQC
will be available in three tiers at launch: progressive, premium and advanced
The progressive and premium tiers will offer two curated paint and upholstery options, while three selections will be available for the more
expensive advanced tier. The entry-level progressive trim will come standard with MBUX, two 10.25-inch digital displays with touchscreen,
advanced driver assistance system features like active brake assist with autonomous emergency braking and LED headlamps with adaptive
high-beam assist. Production of the EQC started this year at the Mercedes-Benz plant in Bremen.