Electric cars can be a learning curve for many, especially when you least expect it.
I just deeply humiliated my wife.
She won’t talk to me. Wouldn’t or couldn’t, I’m not sure. She just sat there looking shellshocked as she blankly stared ahead down the road.
I felt awful. I thought it would be funny. But maybe it wasn’t my fault. Maybe it was the car?
Yes, it was the car’s fault. The 2021 Mercedes-Benz EQC400 Sport – $141,300 worth of mid-sized electric German SUV. It’s our electric long-termer, here to help us wade into – and through – this brave new world without a piston or connecting rod in sight.
That’s a whole lot of money for a car that’s similarly sized to a Toyota RAV4. However, the comparisons between more mainstream metal and this one end about there.
Firstly, it’s got a whole lot of expensive batteries on board – enough to drag this considerable 2500kg of kerb mass 417km, according to WLTP testing. More on that range later.
| Key details | 2021 Mercedes-Benz EQC400 Sport |
| Price (MSRP) | $141,300 plus on-road costs |
| Colour of test car | Salenite Grey Metallic |
| Options | None |
| Price as tested | $141,300 plus on-road costs |
| Rivals | Audi E-Tron | Porsche Taycan | Jaguar I-Pace |
Secondly, the EQC is impressive for its design and technology on the inside. It’s every bit a luxury car, make no bones about it. There are screens aplenty, and all kinds of functions and features for owners to bury themselves in.
There’s no shortage of piano black plastics around the centre console, with a nicely damped lidded compartment getting a workout during my short tenure. The seats are bloody comfortable, and the steering wheel is particularly nice to behold.
And thirdly, to the cause of my wife’s loss of colour and complete silence after screaming – the performance. My wife is no stranger to fast cars, with a string of low-geared and turbocharged hot hatches in her previous repertoire. However, nothing can really prepare you for the experience of a fast electric car bludgeoning you with its instant torque and acceleration.
0–100 kilometres per hour is dispatched – thanks to four grippy driven wheels no doubt – in just a shade over five seconds. Rolling acceleration feels a bit sharper than that, especially when it sneaks up on you.
In my defense, I did warn her.
“These electric cars are pretty quick, you know. It’s actually quite amazing,” I told her as we cruised along a 60km/h patch of two-lane road.
| Key details | 2021 Mercedes-Benz EQC400 Sport |
| Engine | Two 150kW asynchronous electric motors |
| Power | 300kW |
| Torque | 760Nm |
| Drive type | All-wheel drive |
| Transmission | Single-speed direct drive |
| Battery pack | 80kWh |
| Power to weight ratio | 120kW/t |
| Weight (tare) | 2500kg |
| Turning circle | 11.8m |
She didn’t respond, engrossed in something in her phone at the time. She hasn’t had much experience with electric cars before. Me? Only a smidge more. And I’ll happily admit that I was maybe a little giddy from the experience of 300 electric kilowatts.
“Ready?” I asked, as I saw the increased speed limit sign go past.
She didn’t say yes. But she didn’t say no.
And with a right-foot stab of about one or two seconds, I was able to induce a guttural, screaming growl from her that I have never encountered before or since. It was deep, wild and long-lasting.
The kids enjoyed the experience, gushing with giggles and calls for more. But my wife was on the other end of the spectrum. I felt like I had truly wronged her.
The acceleration feels instantaneous. And if you haven’t experienced an electric car with a good power to weight ratio before, there isn’t much that can prepare you for it. It’s so different to internal combustion: feeling strangely artificial – despite being real – and like somebody forgot to load the soundtrack.
But for future reference, maybe a proper warning would help.
Finally, after a long stretch of driving in silence – especially silent in an electric car, mind you – she spoke: “I thought my head was going to explode back there”.
We looked at each other, we smiled and we laughed. Finally, out of purgatory.
We had just begun our journey, which is probably a little different to most electric SUV users. Already living on the outskirts of metropolitan Sydney, we were heading further afield in search of a cameraman’s missing tripod.
He said he’d buy me a beer for my troubles, so the wife and kids were packed into the EQC before they knew it. And normally coming from an automotive space dominated by turbocharged diesel engines, I wanted to get to know this example of an electric car a little more acutely than normal.
Firstly, the big disappointment for me comes from the driving range. Switching on the air-conditioning – a non-negotiable step for most drivers, I am sure – reduces this number to around 360km.
It’s likely enough for most users, who can top up the batteries at home and a few spots around town. However, it still needs to be taken into consideration. And considering I’m heading out into the bush nowhere near a fast charger, I get a small taste of this whole ‘range anxiety’ caper.
But I needn’t have worried. Once the air-conditioning was turned on, the indicated driving range seemed quite accurate, and we had plenty left over to find a fast charger in the ‘burbs at the end of the day.
| 2021 Mercedes-Benz EQC400 Sport | |
| Seats | Five |
| Boot volume | 500L / 1460L |
| Length | 4774mm |
| Width | 2096mm |
| Height | 1622mm |
| Wheelbase | 2873mm |
For a country-road tourer, the Mercedes EQC is quite wonderful. It’s powerful, refined, quiet and sure-footed. Its steering and suspension seem nicely dialled for a car to cruise the long country roads of Australia. And considering it weighs two-and-a-half tonnes, it feels adept through the corners. The driving ergonomics are great, and the advanced driving aids don’t fall into the common trap of being overbearing.
The ride quality did start to deteriorate at times along faster sweeping bends with undulations and lumps to contend with. The EQC didn’t feel uncomfortable, but it certainly felt busy as it jiggled its way over some of the less-than-perfect sweepers of Putty Road. I’d say that’s a symptom of the weight.
Its overall size is similar to most other medium-sized SUVs of this ilk, and the amount of available space in the second row and boot doesn’t disappoint. Our kids slotted into the back – using ISOFIX and top tether points – without any dramas. They even managed an increasingly rare nap between both of them. Bliss.
And when the kids aren’t asleep in the car, the EQC has a wonderful Burmester-branded sound system that delights to be cranked high and hard. For those who are planning on spending bulk hours in their car, that can be a big part of the enjoyment factor.
Once we made it back into town, we plugged the EQC into a 50kW fast charger from the Evie Network, and replaced 45.184kWh of power in one hour and eight minutes for the price of $18.07. This took the car back up to around 92 per cent of its total capacity.
Charging at home via a regular old 10-amp plug is worth doing, but the sheer size of the battery means it will take quite a long time to put a big dent in the overall range. Something like a 7kW charger would be considered an essential inclusion for the EQC.
This first onslaught of new electric cars will always look more expensive than their fossil-fuelled and hybridised cousins, simply because batteries are expensive. And with 80kWh of lithium ion on board, it was never going to be a cheap exercise.
In comparison to something like an Audi E-Tron, Porsche Taycan or BMW iX, the Mercedes-Benz EQC makes sense. While the driving range is reduced when the climate control is switched on, it will still make sense for plenty of Australian buyers.
And give your passengers a clear and fair warning: rolling acceleration is bloody impressive.
MORE: Long-term report one: Introduction
MORE: Long-term report two: Around town
MORE: Everything Mercedes-Benz
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