Mercedes-Benz EQV: The second all-electric EQ model is a passenger van



When there’s space to work with, packaging an electric drivetrain on an existing body is a lot less complex. Mercedes-Benz has shrewdly leveraged on its V-Class platform to produce the EQV – its first all-electric premium MPV that can seat up to eight passengers.

Unlike RWD or AWD variants of the V-Class that are internal combustion powered, the EQV is front-wheel driven with an electric motor mounted over its front axle. This arrangement frees up space on the floor which is now taken up by lithium-ion batteries with a total capacity of 90 kWh, enough for a range of up to 405 km per charge.

Mercedes-Benz is silent on the EQV’s 0-100km/h achievement, only revealing that it has an output of 204 hp and 362 Nm, and that top speed is limited to 160 km/h. The battery pack of the EQV can be replenished from 10% to 80% in 45 minutes via a 110 kW quick charger, or it’ll require overnight charging when using Mercedes-Benz’s 11 kW wallbox charger. The EQV’s on-board charger is also water cooled.

Aside from a new black panel radiator grille on the outside, the V-Class’ practical interior is largely unchanged in the EQV; seating is still multi-configurable while the dashboard gets some gold accents and a new MBUX interface with a 10-inch centre display.