Mercedes-Benz has updated its electric SUV, the EQC, with a faster 11 kW charger. This change is with regards to the EQC 400 4MATIC. The EQC is the first in the line of a full electric portfolio which include the recently teased EQA and EQS models. This comes after a bit of a rocky start for the new line of electric vehicles that includes a recall and a delay in the launch of the car in the US market which is the biggest market for electric vehicles. The EQC initially had a 7.4 kW onboard charger which would charge the 80 kWh battery in 11 hours from 10 to 100 per cent. Now, the new charger speeds up the charge time to just 7 hours and 30 minutes.
(The EQC gets two asynchronous motors, one on each axle. The combined power output is of 402 bhp and the peak torque output is a staggering 760 Nm.)
"With the EQC 400 4MATIC, Mercedes-Benz put the first vehicle of the Mercedes-Benz EQ brand on the road, as the pioneer and milestone of the Ambition 2039 strategy. With a more powerful onboard charger with 11 kW the EQC is now receiving a technological upgrade and can thus be charged at home much more quickly at the Wallbox and at public charging stations with alternating current," said the German company in a statement.
(The Mercedes-Benz EQC is loosely based on the Mercedes-Benz GLC. In fact, it shares the same platform with the GLC)
The EQC can do up to 110 kW of DC fast charging which is handy. This, however, is still slower from what one expects to get from a Tesla. The EQC also has a weaker range than all of Tesla's vehicles. Apart from this, there is also a 4x4 squared version of the EQC, a one-off unit which takes the SUV's capabilities to the next level.
