Mercedes continues to dribble out details about the 2022 EQS and today they announced the electric vehicle will be launched in August.
While the company didn’t go into specifics, the August date likely applies to Europe. However, Americans won’t have to wait long to get their hands on the electric luxury car as Mercedes has previously said it will arrive at U.S. dealerships this fall.
Besides announcing the launch date, Mercedes revealed an assortment of details about the EQS’ charging features. The big news is that it will have a Plug & Charge capability, which enables the vehicle to communicate with charging stations via the charging cable.
Also Read: Mercedes Teases The EQS’ Chunky Profile
This enables charging to start instantly as billing will be automatically handled by Mercedes me Charge. This makes recharging a breeze as all drivers have to do is plug-in the car to charge and unplug when finished.
Unfortunately, the Plug & Charge capability will be limited to Ionity rapid charging stations in Europe and “selected stations” in the United States at launch. That could change in the future and Mercedes noted compatibility with Plug & Charge will be shown on the EQS’ navigation system as well as in the Mercedes me app.
Speaking of charging stations, Mercedes me Charge is billed as “one of the world’s largest charging networks” as it consists of 500,000 AC and DC charging points worldwide with over 200,000 in Europe alone. They’re operated by more than 400 different companies, but they can be accessed by Mercedes customers who will benefit from an “integrated payment function with simple billing, after they have registered their payment method with the Mercedes me charge partner once.”
Last but not least, the EQS will support bidirectional charging in Japan. This is a cool feature which effectively turns the EQS into a giant battery that can power your home during an outage or send electricity back to the electrical grid when demand is high. Unfortunately, it appears bidirectional charging might be exclusive to Japan as it relies on the CHAdeMO charging standard.
Mercedes is keeping additional information under wraps, but the company reiterated the EQS will have a range in excess of 700 km (435 miles) in the WLTP cycle. The model will also be followed by the EQE as well as crossover versions of the EQE and EQS.
