Today early morning Sept. 5th, most of the morning news agencies covered their main headlines with German Mercedes beating news. Unveiling its new all electric SUV.
Mercedes-Benz has flipped the switch on its first production series electric car. In the process the company has most likely also flipped the bird to Tesla. The sub-brand ‘EQ’ was announced at the Paris Motor show in 2016, but here in Stockholm, Sweden the first model has been unveiled. Known as the EQC this crossover SUV will have an electric range of 450 km and be built alongside mainstream Mercedes-Benz vehicles.
According to BLOOMBERG;
Mercedes-Benz, the world’s largest maker of luxury cars, is rolling out its first in a series of battery-powered models, adding to a growing array of high-end brands targeting Tesla Inc.
The Mercedes EQC crossover starts production in the first half of next year, part of a plan to develop its EQ electric line, Daimler AG Chief Executive Officer Dieter Zetsche told reporters in Stockholm at the car’s world premiere. The company intended to invest 10 billion euros ($12 billion) on the electric-car push, but the spending has become “more than that,” he said Tuesday, without specifying figures.
“There is no alternative to betting on electric cars, and we’re going all in,” Zetsche said. “It is starting right now”
The car joins the Porsche Taycan, Audi E-tron and Jaguar I-Pace in putting pressure on Tesla as the California-based carmaker struggles to ramp up the Model 3 and make a profit. Mercedes plans to assemble the EQC at its factory in Bremen, where the automaker also makes its best-selling C-Class sedan. Daimler will build the car in China for the local market.
The EQC is set be profitable and will “offer the best package” compared to rivals, he said, declining to comment on pricing.
However, before Mercedes, TESLA the new market giant had broken the slippimg of many auto makers, by announcing a news that was interpreted by many car related media as;
Turns out the Mercedes EQC won’t be the only new EV making its world debut this week, as Tesla will also be unveiling a mystery new model. According to Electrek, invites have been sent out to Tesla owners for a chance to win two VIP tickets to the Grand Basel motor show on September 5, which is described as the “the ultimate show for automotive masterpieces,” where Tesla will be showcasing a “surprise” new model. Judging from the photo on the invite showing the model’s sleek side profile, it will most likely be the production version of the new Tesla Roadster, a successor to Tesla’s first-ever production car launched in 2008.
Even, this was not so new, as AUDI already had another coverage by other media saying that:
Two weeks ahead of the planned unveiling of the production version, Audi is announcing today that it started production of its e-tron quattro all-electric SUV at its Brussels factory.
Peter Kössler, Member of the Board of Management for Production and Logistics at AUDI AG, watched “the first Audi e-tron models driving silently off the assembly” and commented:
“The Audi e-tron is a genuine pioneer. It features innovative technologies such as virtual exterior mirrors and combines traditional Audi qualities in handling and dynamics with technical Vorsprung that goes far beyond the car. Our Brussels plant was comprehensively modernized for the production of the electric car. This is the world’s first certified CO2-neutral mass production in the premium segment.”
Audi has been gearing up for the start of production over the last few years and things started to ramp up in recent months.
In July, the German automaker started electric motor production for the e-tron at its Hungary factory, but the bulk of the production process for Audi’s first next-gen EV is happening at Audi Brussels. (Source)
Now the world’s SUV car’s fans have to wait and see the global competitions in all electric cars.
