Ian Lamming raves about the latest EV from Mercedes, the EQE saloon
THERE’S no way of avoiding this, I’ve got to rant.
It takes around three minutes to fill a car with petrol. It’s taken three hours to charge the electric car.
It shouldn’t, of course, and this in no way reflects badly on EV manufacturers, rather the utterly pitiful infrastructure this country is cursed with.
I’m in the Lake District and head to Booths supermarket in Windermere where there are just four InstaVolt chargers – if you are lucky. I say if you are lucky because the other day they were all out of order, in an area that attracts 20 million visitors a year, an increasing number of whom come by EV.
Today is little better as only one is working and three other holidaymakers and a local are ahead of me in the queue. Now there’s no chance of waiting and having time to charge without getting a £100 fine for exceeding the two hour car park limit, so I jump ship and head to the nearest chargers in Kendal.
Booths again but three of the InstaVolts are occupied leaving me to drive the Mercedes EQE saloon into the fourth – easy. No, not really, it’s broken. So I ring the helpline on the board and guess what, the number doesn’t work. Oh, and I have to get a £1.40 car park ticket for the privilege of spending 85p/kW (compare that to the 28p you pay at home) but it’s ok as I can sit in the supermarket cafe and get that refunded…oh no I can’t unless I spend over a tenner.
I start to rave to anyone who will listen about the vagaries of EV motoring. I fully admit they are without exception incredible to drive but the charging always leaves me anxious and angry.
There’s a happy couple from Wales who love their EV as they have solar panels at home and know the best places in the country to charge when they are making longer journeys – that obviously doesn’t include the Lake District. But the young man next door is less convinced. He’s had the same Windermere experience and when he made an emergency pitstop at a hotel with just four miles left of the range the staff wouldn’t let him use their charger at any price.
That’s better, rant over and at least Mercedes’ latest EQE saloon has a decent range and an accurate range indicator. It gives you a minimum and a maximum range depending on whether you are using the ancillaries, such as the heating etc, and the difference can be as much as 91 miles. Even when you have everything blasting forth the 100 per cent charge equates to a healthy 265 miles. With everything off it’s as much as 356. That’s more than enough to get you the hell out of Windermere.
EQE is a very striking looking car particularly in AMG Line trim with its 21in alloys. It’s so incredibly sleek and sporty, with the smoothest of silhouettes and low, wide stance. It’s a looker so I whack a picture on my Insta to gauge response, which is whole-heartedly good. One respondent says his mate fancies buying one and asks what I think. My Insta response is this: “It is very smooth, fast and quiet with a superb ride and great interior.
“The only slight problem I have is the seat which gives me lower back pain so your friend needs to take a decent test drive. Otherwise I really like it.”
I’ve since had to qualify this after thinking logically about the multi-way adjustable seats. How can they be uncomfortable with all that adjustment? The answer is they can’t, it was me and after closer inspection I find another switch which shortens the seat squab and cures the issue completely. I’ve been stretching too far with my right leg to reach the throttle and that’s been putting pressure on my sciatic nerve. Shorten the seat and the problem is solved. That leaves the EQE pretty much perfect then.
After a two week break from driving, a properly good palate cleanser, what an excellent way to start the new term.
Climbing inside what is a very attractive vehicle, the experience is heightened further by a delightful interior. In many ways it is minimalist. Even the gear lever is on a stalk so the transmission tunnel is purely for storage. In front of that is a large touchscreen for myriad functions and if you can’t be bothered to explore that just say ‘hey Mercedes’ and an AI voice comes back with ‘how can I help you’?
The small chunky steering wheel sits perfectly in your hand and is super-positive giving EQE lightning responses. The EQE300 is blessed with plenty of instantaneous power, which lies a mere right foot dab away and it will happily sit at the legal maximums without troughing too vigorously through the battery charge. If you remove the charging angst, the Mercedes is beautifully relaxing to drive. It feels perfectly balanced and, as it carries the weight low down, it feels incredibly planted to the road. ‘Drivers’ will love it.
There’s mood changing ambient lighting to caress the senses further and the rear seats boast limo-like legroom. Twin sunroofs let in plenty of natural light and the EQE is just plain good for your mental health and wellbeing.
If the infrastructure was there EV motoring would be the way forward but until that moment it requires great thought and planning. At least its shortcomings give us Brits yet another thing to complain about and that can’t be a bad thing.
Fact File
Mercedes EQE 300 AMG Line Premium Plus
Engine: 89kW electric motor
Power: 245hp, 550Nm
0-62mph: 7.3 secs
Top speed: 130mph
Range: 337 miles
Transmission: one-speed automatic
CO2 g/km: 0
Price: £86,290.00
