Launched in 2019 as Mercedes’ first mainstream EV, the EQC has been axed without a replacement in the wings
After struggling to compete with the latest electric SUVs for the past few years, the Mercedes EQC has been dropped from the company’s range.
First previewed in 2016 by the Concept EQ and then put into production in 2019, the EQC was Mercedes’ first crack at a mainstream EV and its first pure-electric SUV of any kind. However, it was rushed to market and didn’t use a bespoke electric car platform; instead, the EQC was based on the combustion-engined GLC.
This resulted in compromises in several key areas, such as range – which was limited to 255 miles – efficiency and interior space. It also led to the EQC weighing around two-and-a-half tonnes. This all meant the EQC quickly became overshadowed when newer rivals emerged.
Competition was limited when the EQC first launched, and really only included the Audi e-tron (now Q8 e-tron), Jaguar I-Pace (also going out of production soon) and Tesla Model X (no longer available in right-hand drive). The BMW iX3 and iX arrived a few years later, while other alternatives like the Porsche Macan Electric, Audi Q6 e-tron and Polestar 4 all launched recently.
We’ve already spotted the replacement for the EQC out and about testing, however it’s not due to go on sale until sometime in 2025. Buyers looking for an electric Mercedes SUV are still fairly well catered for in the meantime, with the closest alternative to the EQC being the EQE SUV, which does use a bespoke EV platform and features the company’s latest technology.
The EQC’s forthcoming replacement is unlikely to wear the same name, as Mercedes is also dropping the EQ branding for its electric cars. However, the official name of the new model has yet to be revealed.
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