Mercedes EQS 580: Why this ‘Made-in-India’ EV is a perfect highway marauder
- The EQS 580 from Mercedes-Benz India is being assembled at the company plant in Pune.
Mercedes-Benz India launched the country's first locally-assembled luxury electric car in the form of EQS 580 just last month. Underlining its credentials as India's longest-range electric vehicle (EV), the EQS 580 is promising to blow range anxieties to smithereens with an ARAI-certified range of 857 kms. For critics of EVs who highlight that such vehicles aren't meant for highways, the Mercedes-Benz EQS may come as a perfect retort.
| Mercedes-Benz EQS 580 - Technical details | |
| Max output | 526 hp |
| Max Torque | 855 Nm |
| Drive System Layout | All-Wheel Drive |
| Acceleration (0 to 100 kmph) | 4.3 seconds |
| Top Speed | 210 kmph |
| Range (ARAI certified) | 857 kms |
| Cd value | 0.20 |
While an ARAI-certified range of over 850 kms is mighty impressive, the real world figure is likely to be lesser and depends on a wide variety of factors. But even if one takes the most conservative range figure of somewhere between 650 kms and 700 kms, it still means that this luxury EV could be completely at ease on long trips.
Also check these Cars
107.8 kwh
580 km
3996.0 cc
Multiple
Why range of an EV is crucial for highway journeys?
Indian highways are littered with petrol pumps galore and it is mostly easy enough to find one when a conventional car is running low on fuel. But it is hardly a drive in the park for EVs which typically have an ideal range of around 350 kms to 400 kms. The fear of being stranded without a charging point in sight often keeps owners of EVs from driving out on open roads.
While the country's charging infrastructure is improving, it is largely concentrated on cities and major towns. The Delhi-Jaipur electric highway is set to open at some point next year but more such highways will take time. Clearly then, an EV with a range like that of the Mercedes EQS 580 means most long trips would be free from stress as it would not require a charge for at least 650 kms. This is as good as an S-Class with a fuel tank of 65 litres and an average mileage of around 10 kmpl. It is true that while the S-Class would be good to go after a 650-km-run post a refill and the EQS may need a charge, chances are most highway trips don't see owners driving for more than 600-odd kms at a stretch. It is also not recommended anyway owing to driver fatigue and possible attention deficit.
What highway journeys can you plan with the Mercedes EQS 580?
Mercedes claims that the EQS 580 is a capable EV on Indian highways and can last most distances before needing to be plugged in. The Germans claim as per the ARAI-certified range, the EQS 580 can go back and forth between Mumbai and Pune, Delhi and Jaipur, Chennai and Puducherry, Kolkata and Durgapur, Coimbatore and Madurai, and Cochin and Trivandrum.
The Mercedes EQS 580 can also do journeys like Mumbai to Goa, Bengaluru to Hyderabad and Mumbai to Ahmedabad before needing to be plugged in for a charge. All of these route options are indicative and as suggested by Mercedes.
What is the price of Mercedes EQS 580?
As a flagship electric sedan from Mercedes, the EQS 580 does command a significant price at ₹1.55 crore (ex-showroom). But considering this is slightly less than the S-Class and the facts that it requires servicing only once in two years and there is significantly less running cost compared to petrol models, the EQS 580 may make a lot of sense for those who can afford it.
