Elevated EQC is an amazing all-terrain EV with portal axles
Mercedes has turned its first all-electric SUV into an extreme off-roader. The EQC 4×4² is a one-off experiment to prove that electric drive works in all conditions, not just the urban jungle.
To give the EQC true all-terrain ability the car has been fitted with portal axles which allow the wheels to be positioned lower than the axle centers, increasing ride height. In this case the ground clearance has been doubled to 11.5 inches, which is even taller than a G-Class. The additional height means the EQC 4×4² can ford water hazards up to 16 inches, and it has better approach and departure angles than the G-Class at 31.8 and 33 degrees.
The EQC 4×4² wears 20-inch wheels and 285/50 R20 Cooper Zeon tires for loose surface grip. Off-road drive programs couple the instant torque of the electric drive with targeted brake interventions to maintain traction at all times. The 402-hp twin motor arrangement is unchanged from the standard production model (not yet available in the U.S.A.) and power comes from an 80-kW lithium-ion battery.
As required by law, the car has an external noise generator, but Mercedes has amped it up by using the headlamps as external speakers—lampspeakers in Mercedes’ parlance. An internal acoustic system similar to Audi’s is also provided to give driver feedback and “an interactive, emotionalizing driving sound.”
Aside from the obvious height difference, the car wears a gun metal grey wrap and black wheel arch extensions, plus a brace of logos. Mercedes suggests fitting a roof tent and an inflatable dinghy to give adventurers even more freedom to explore.
Mercedes doesn’t say where in the wilderness you’ll find a charging point when you exceed the car’s 290-mile maximum range.
