Daimler AG unveiled the electric “sibling” of its flagship Mercedes-Benz S-Class luxury sedan, taking the fight to market-leader Tesla Inc in the battle for market share as electric car sales take off, Trend reports citing Reuters.
The EQS is the first in a family of Mercedes-Benz cars built on a dedicated electric vehicle platform built from the ground up. It will go on sale in Europe and the United States in August, then in China in January.
"We set the bar very high," with this car, Daimler Chief Executive Ola Källenius told reporters. "Customers in this segment expect a blend of hi-tech innovation and modern luxury... and that's what we're trying to achieve with the EQS."
Daimler has not revealed pricing yet for the EQS, saying that will come in the summer closer to the launch date.
with a range of up to 770 kilometres (478 miles) and a new display screen that will cover almost the entire dashboard - an optional feature - analysts see an effort to seize the initiative from Tesla, which had a head start over other carmakers and boasted a longer battery range and hallmark touchscreen infotainment system.
In a client note earlier this week, Deutsche Bank referred to the EQS as "Mercedes' Tesla fighter" and said the car "will likely set the benchmark in terms of technical features, as well as design and quality," for both traditional carmakers and newer entrants like Tesla.