New 2022 Mercedes EQE: prices, specs and first-ride review in the electric E-Class

Prices and specifications for the Mercedes EQE electric saloon have been revealed. The entry-level car starts from £76,450 in EQE 350+ AMG Line trim, rising to £88,450 for the EQE 350+ Exclusive Luxury. The faster AMG EQE 43 and 53 models will go on sale at a later date.

For now, all EQE models use the same 90.6kWh battery and 288bhp electric motor. The cheapest AMG Line car, on the smallest wheels, will do up to 395 miles on a charge. Mercedes claims a 367-mile maximum for the AMG Line Premium Plus, which gets 21-inch multi-spoke wheels as standard.

On sale now, the zero-emissions equivalent of the E-Class competes with the Tesla Model S and Porsche Taycan, as well as the forthcoming BMW i5 and Audi A6 e-tron executive saloons. The EQE is the second model to use Mercedes’ platform specifically designed for electric cars, following the larger and more expensive EQS. 

But it’s not just underpinnings these cars have in common; they both feature a sweeping roofline, short overhangs and a small bootlid for improved aerodynamics. The black panel design used on the EQE in place of a grille is a design cue shared not only with the EQS, but also the rest of the EQ line-up.

That range now comprises the EQA, EQB and EQC. The next two additions are expected to be SUV versions of the EQE and EQS – both of which have already been spied testing under camouflage.

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Mercedes EQE prices and specifications

The Mercedes EQE 350+ is priced from £76,450. AMG Line cars get 19-inch wheels, Artico man-made leather and the Advanced Package, which includes a 12.8-inch infotainment display and 12.3-inch digital dials, as well as Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and wireless phone charging. Active parking assistance and a reversing camera are also included.

Upgrading to AMG Line Premium (£81,450) gets you 20-inch wheels and the Advantage Package – including an powered driver’s seat with memory function, 64-colour ambient lighting, keyless go and an automatic tailgate. The larger wheels see official range drop from 395 to 383 miles.

Above this sit the EQE 350+ AMG Line Premium Plus and the EQE 350+ Exclusive Luxury. Both cost £88,450, but offer slightly different equipment lists. The AMG Line Premium Plus brings 21-inch wheels (and a 367-mile official range), digital headlights and the Acoustic Comfort Package with extra sound insulation. The Premium Plus Package is also included, adding things like a panoramic glass roof, head-up display, four-zone climate control and a Burmester stereo.

Exclusive Luxury gets a less sporty appearance, with different 20-inch wheels. However, it has the same digital lights, Acoustic Comfort Package and Premium Plus Packages as its sibling. Inside, the AMG Line car’s black trim is swapped for open-pore walnut wood.

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Performance, range, battery and charging

Three versions of the EQE are confirmed to be on the way initially: the entry-level, rear-drive EQE 350+, plus the EQE 43 (above) and EQE 53 from Mercedes’ AMG performance division. However, more will follow in due course.

The EQE 350’s single rear-mounted electric motor produces 288bhp and 530Nm of torque for a 0-62mph time of around six seconds. Both the EQE 43 and 53 get Mercedes ‘4MATIC’ all-wheel-drive thanks to their dual-motor setups. Power and torque outputs for these are 469bhp/860Nm and 677bhp/1,000Nm for the 43 and 53 respectively, which is enough to slash the EQE’s 0-62mph time to 3.3 seconds.

All three EQE variants announced so far feature a 90.6kWh battery, the result of which is a 395-mile range for the entry-level 350 model. However, specifying bigger wheels does affect range, with the AMG Line Premium Plus managing a less favourable 367 miles. Provisional range figures for the AMG EQEs stand at between 287 and 331 miles for the 43 and between 276 and 322 miles for the 53.

As standard, the EQE is fitted with an 11kW on-board charger, but an upgrade to 22kW is also available. Charging the EQE's 90.6kWh battery should take close to 10 hours if you have access to an 11kW home wallbox, although a full recharge from a more common 7.4kW unit will take close to 15 hours. Use a charging point capable of 22kW or faster, and you’ll cut that time down to just five hours.

The EQE can also rapid-charge at up to 170kW. That’s slower than the flagship EQS, Porsche Taycan or Audi e-tron GT’s maximum rate, but from a fast enough point, the EQE’s battery can still be topped up from 10 to 80% capacity in just over half an hour – equivalent to adding 155 miles of range in 15 minutes.

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Technology

A 12.8-inch central infotainment touchscreen and a 12.3-inch digital driver's display come as standard in the EQE. When the car was revealed, it was thought the EQE would lift the Hyperscreen infotainment system from the EQS as well. However, while it is mentioned on the EQE section of Mercedes UK’s customer website, this option doesn’t appear to feature on the configurator – suggesting that it may not be available yet.

In the EQS, it features three displays under a single piece of glass: a 12.3-inch digital driver’s display, a 17.7-inch central infotainment touchscreen and another 12.3-inch screen for the front passenger. As microchip supply constraints improve, this may be added to the EQE at a later date. Both the standard system and the Hyperscreen run the latest version of Mercedes’ MBUX software.

Mercedes also looks set to offer rear-axle steering for the EQE – although again, it doesn’t yet feature on the UK configurator. The first option is up to 4.5 degrees of steering angle, however, another setup that reaches up to 10 degrees is available; this reduces the EQE’s turning circle from 12.5 metres down to 10.7 – less than a MINI Electric’s. The car can also receive over-the-air (OTA) software updates from Mercedes, with the option to purchase additional functions from the ‘Mercedes me Store’, while subscriptions, time-limited activations and free trial phases are also planned.

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Mercedes EQE first-ride review

We rode shotgun in a near-production prototype of the EQE to get our first taste of the pure-electric saloon before it arrives later in 2022. Our time in the car revealed impressive performance, even from the entry-level EQE 350. The car felt alert and fast, even if it doesn’t have quite the same whiplash-inducing acceleration as some rivals. But with all of the single electric motor’s 530Nm of torque delivered in an instant, it’s certainly not sluggish.

The ride from the passenger seat felt comfortable and controlled, with a cushioning quality over scarred road surfaces while still offering decent resistance to body lean in corners. It’s worth pointing out that our test car was fitted with air suspension, which may be optional in the UK, but overall, we have little doubt that the basic EQE could handle the extra performance the AMG-tuned 43 and 53 models will deliver.

We’ll refrain from judging the EQE until we can get behind the wheel ourselves, but it seems like another strong Tesla rival is about to enter the ring as Mercedes condenses the EQS’ fast, smooth and refined formula down into a smaller, less expensive saloon.