We are just about seeing the dawn of the electric age in India over the last couple of years with luxury car manufacturers like Mercedes taking the lead and launching not one or two but three electric cars in the country, with plans for a few more.
While electric infrastructure for cross-country trips is just coming up in our country we decided to take two of the Mercedes electric cars that have already been launched in India across California, the state that has been leading the charge for zero emission vehicles in the US.
THE CARS
First up was the Mercedes EQS 580 that is available in India for Rs 1.55 crore and is powered by 2 motors, one on each axle generating total combined maximum power of 516bhp and peak torque of 855Nm and is good for a top speed of 210kmph - much higher than anything we would get a chance of getting to. What was crucial for the road trip is that it has a certified range of 676km (WLTP), has a 107.8kW battery pack and supports DC fast charging of up to 200kW. This in theory means that if we get a 200kW or higher charger, the EQS 580 could be charged to full in just over half an hour. Of course that is only in theory. In practice, it takes time for charging to build up to the highest power that both the car and the charger support and the most effective period for fast charging is between 10 and 80 per cent. However our charging fate was in the hands of the other car.
That was the EQB 350 4MATIC. While the car available for purchase in India is the EQB 300, we had the slightly more powerful version of the electric SUV with us for the #EQAdventure. With 288bhp of max power and 520Nm of peak torque, it has a range of 412km (WLTP) and that is the same as the EQB 300 as well.
However maximum power it can take is 100kW from a DC fast charger and it has a 66kW battery and that would, in theory mean that it could be charged to 100 per cent in just 40 minutes.
Denne historien er fra January 2023-utgaven av Auto Today.
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Denne historien er fra January 2023-utgaven av Auto Today.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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MG Comet
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Dirty Dancer
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Linea Urus
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MUSEO LAMBORGHINI
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#OdeToOutstanding - south
The longest leg of the #OdeToOutstanding drive had Dhruv Saxena drive the dynamic Mercedes-Benz GLA from the literal edge of the Indian mainland surrounded by the Indian Ocean across the heart of the country to the national capital marveling at the incredible natural beauty, diversity and history of south and central India
#OdeToOutstanding - west
The western leg of the #OdeToOutstanding drive had Anagh Bhaskar take on the mighty desert region with the electric Mercedes-Benz EQB 350
#OdeToOutstanding - east
The eastern leg of the #OdeToOutstanding drive starts in the lush green forests of West Bengal. But there is more than just that. Rahul Ghosh tells you all about the outstanding drive in the Mercedes-Benz GLC
#OdeToOutstanding - north
The northern leg of the #OdeToOutstanding drive saw Dipayan Dutta take on the mighty Himalayas with the equally intimidating Mercedes-AMG GLE 53 4Matic+ Coupe
Dirt magnet
The Lexus NX has a new trim called the Overtrail. We took the SUV to a few trails and drove through mud to put its name to the test
MORE FIREPOWER
Alongside the EQA that featured in the last issue, Mercedes-Benz also launched the facelifted EQB. Here is how the updated SUV holds up
