Electric Mercedes GLC: First Official Look

Mercedes plans to unify its combustion engine and electric cars by gradually eliminating the separate “EQ” lineup. The process started last year when the G580 with EQ Technology was launched and will continue with the next CLA later this month. In the meantime, a first teaser for the electric GLC reiterates the company’s plans to use the “with EQ Technology” suffix for its future cars that skip the combustion engine.

The old EQC was quietly discontinued in mid-2023 after only about four years on the market. It was never sold in the United States, but Mercedes now confirms that its replacement has received a US visa. Fully covered in camouflage, the GLC with EQ Technology is touted as an all-new development with rear- and all-wheel-drive configurations on the way. The models equipped with 4Matic will be fitted with a Disconnect Unit (DCU) to disengage the front axle to boost efficiency.

Mercedes says it engineered the rear motor in-house with a two-speed transmission. Both front and rear electric drive units benefit from silicon carbide inverters. The electric GLC gets an 800-volt architecture, enabling charging speeds of over 320 kW. Remember that the defunct EQC maxed out at just 110 kW with DC charging, so this will be a massive improvement. But peak power is one thing, and sustained power is another. The three-pointed star says its preliminary numbers show that the new model’s “premier battery variant” will consistently exceed 320 kW.

Details about the platform are shrouded in mystery, but Mercedes specifies that the GLC with EQ Technology has been engineered right from the start as a purely electric SUV. We’ll have to wait for the full reveal to learn whether there are any connections with the conventionally powered model or if the Tesla Model Y competitor is truly a bespoke EV. Multiple battery sizes will be offered, and the best one will use cells featuring anodes with silicon oxide blended into graphite for a higher energy density.

Like its predecessor, it gets a heat pump that grabs energy from the electric drive unit, waste heat from the battery, and ambient air. Compared to a similar vehicle equipped with a regular electric heater, the interior is heated using only about one-third of the electrical energy. The heat pump also preconditions the battery pack by reaching the optimal temperature to guarantee fast charging in all conditions. Mercedes throws in the heat pump as standard equipment.

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Mercedes-Benz

The GLC with EQ Technology is shown here in Arjeplog, Sweden, where Mercedes tested more than just the electric motors and battery. The EQC replacement also has a new braking system that bundles the brake booster, master cylinder, and ESP control into a small, presumably lighter module rather than keeping the components separate. Regenerative braking is supported to recover energy that would otherwise be wasted when braking and put it back in the battery for extra range.

As for styling, we’re getting the impression it’s not as bulbous as the bigger EQE SUV and EQS SUV. Mercedes recently said it intends to drop the controversial egg-shaped styling of the EQ range by making its next-generation EVs look more like the ICE products, echoing the strategy implemented from day one by archrival BMW.

The newcomer to Mercedes’ lineup is part of a product onslaught that includes 17 EVs and 19 ICEs due by the end of 2027. On the electric front, the German luxury brand is also developing C-Class and E-Class sedans, with the latter being a separate model from the EQE. The smaller G-Class is also likely to be offered without a combustion engine.