Yahoo Finance Mercedes revs up its all-new electric 'Tesla killer'
Mercedes-Benz is preparing to reveal a new electric flagship it hopes will give the German car maker a bigger share of the zero-emissions market and take on rivals such as Tesla.
With 700km (435 mile) range, the new EQS which will be launched on April 15 will compete with Porsche’s Taycan andVW’s Audi E-tron, as well as the Tesla Model S.
Mercedes has been slower than its rivals to make a big push into the electric market, losing market share.
However, it is now getting into gear and will be producing eight electric models in three continents by next year.
A concept version of the EQS was first previewed at the 2019 Frankfurt motorshow, and the car is one of the most eagerly anticipated launches of the year, according to Telegraph motoring correspondent Andrew English.
Mercedes chief operating officer Markus Schaefer said its slow drive into electric motoring was down to getting the infrastructure in place to produce them.
“We boosted flexibility of all factories worldwide so that we can produce hybrids, fully electric cars and combustion vehicles everywhere, depending on customer demand and individual market developments,” he told Bloomberg. “It took a while for us to prepare all this, but now it’s time to deliver.”
The slew of new electric vehicles from German motoring powerhouses could signal the beginning of the end for Tesla’s dominance of the market.
While the company co-founded by Elon Musk leads global sales of electric cars, Tesla has repeatedly come under criticism for poor build quality and problems with aftermarket care and servicing.
Entry into the market in force by players such as Mercedes and its German peers, with reputations of high production standards and established networks to support vehicles after sale, could soon see Tesla’s popularity slip.
