Mercedes-Benz EQ SUV gets a model year, production location

[Suarez™]

The first Mercedes-Benz EQ electric vehicle will roll off the line in Bremen, Germany, in 2020, one of 10 EQ models the brand plans to launch by 2025. The very first will be based on the EQ Generation concept the automaker debuted at the Paris auto show last month; a midsize SUV about the size of the GLC-Class.

The EQ sub-brand is Stuttgart's response to the BMW i brand, as well as Audi's upcoming e-tron lineup, all vehicles the new electric Mercedes lineup will go up against in a matter of years. In concept form, the EQ Generation unveiled in Paris boasted a 310-mile range on a full charge and an output of 402 hp and 516 lb-ft of torque, figures that most likely will be revised by the time production versions start rolling off the line.

“Emission-free automobiles are the future. I am pleased that for the series production of our first electric EQ model, we can count on one of our most important partners in the global production network: our colleagues from Bremen," said Dr. Dieter Zetsche, CEO of Daimler AG and head of Mercedes-Benz Cars. "The Bremen plant delivers a maximum of flexibility and high speed, as well as Mercedes quality from the beginning, also for our electric models."