Mercedes-Benz wades into the micromobility fray with its first electric scooter

By John Elkin Published September 20, 2019

Image used with permission by copyright holder

Mercedes-Benz quietly announced at the recent Frankfurt Motor Show that it’s jumping on the micromobility bandwagon with an electric scooter. Micromobility refers to short-distance transport, usually less than five miles. With urbanization on the rise, the majority of trips people take fall within the category of micromobility and thus are prime candidates for bike and scooter usage. In the United States, for instance, roughly 60% of all trips are five miles or less.

Buried in a press release about accessories was the first mention of a partnership with Swiss micromobility maker, Micro. With its e-scooter scheduled for an early 2020 release, the Stuttgart automaker has found a way to keep the Mercedes name relevant to even those that have ditched the automobile. No specifications were announced by Mercedes-Benz, but scooters are averaging about 7.5 to 10 miles between charging, and a top speed of roughly 15 miles per hour.

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Micromobility is more than just a buzzword for electric scooters, e-bikes, and even electric skateboards. By the year 2030, the micromobility market is projected to be worth between $200 billion and $300 billion dollars. Worldwide, investors have already poured more than $5.7 billion into micromobility startups during the past four years.

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In June, Germany passed into law the use of electric scooters on its roadways. In that short time, the electric scooters have blossomed all over German city streets. Not to be left behind, rival automakers Volkswagen and BMW have made similar announcements. Other automakers betting on the expansion of micromobility are Hyundai, Ford, and General Motors.

“These agile, electrically powered scooters are the perfect way to cover short distances quickly and without harming the environment,” Mercedes wrote in its release. “The new E-Scooter in the Mercedes-Benz EQ brand family was developed in cooperation with the scooter specialist Micro, and is specifically designed for the first or last mile, making it the perfect companion for those wanting flexible mobility solutions.”

As metropolitan cities grow more congested and options to widen roads decrease, people will look for an option to deal with their environment. Automakers pay close attention to trends and mobility of all kinds. Judging by the growing movement into micromobility, it certainly looks as though this is the next big thing.

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Mercedes is finally bringing an electric van to the U.S.

Front three quarter view of the 2024 Mercedes-Benz eSprinter electric van.

Mercedes-Benz might be known for luxury cars, but it also makes vans, and it's finally bringing an electric van to the United States.

Scheduled to start production this summer, the 2024 Mercedes-Benz eSprinter is an all-electric version of the Sprinter full-size cargo van that's already a favorite of delivery services like FedEx and Amazon, as well as camper van converters. While the automaker has been selling electric vans in Europe since 2010, the new eSprinter is the first one aimed at the U.S. market.

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Front three quarter view of the 2023 Mercedes-Benz EQE SUV.

As Mercedes-Benz has steadily expanded its EQ range of electric cars, the lineup has become a bit like the late stages of a Tetris game. It’s mostly complete, but with a few gaps still left. And the 2023 Mercedes-Benz EQE SUV is the piece that perfectly fits one of them.
Mercedes recently launched two other electric SUVs at opposite ends of the price spectrum. The EQS SUV is positioned as the lineup’s flagship, while the EQB is the entry-level model. The EQE SUV slots between those two in size and, presumably, price. The latter hasn’t been confirmed yet, and likely won’t be until the EQE SUV’s planned March 2023 on-sale date.

Design
As the name says, the EQE SUV is a utility-vehicle version of the EQE sedan, which will likely beat it to showrooms by a few months. Mercedes did the same thing with the EQS, which is available in both SUV and sedan body styles.
With its tall, upright profile, the EQE SUV definitely looks like a proper SUV compared to the low-slung EQE sedan. Park it next to an EQS SUV, though, and you’ll have to get out a measuring tape to spot the differences.
The EQE SUV is 0.6 inch narrower and 1.2 inches lower than the EQS SUV, but the most significant difference is in length. The EQE SUV is 10.3 inches shorter than the EQS SUV, with a 2.1-inch shorter wheelbase. And while the EQS SUV has three-row seating, the EQE SUV has two rows. Based on our experience with the EQS SUV’s third row, that’s not a big loss.
The interior design theme carries over from other Mercedes EQ models, with an expansive sloping dashboard designed to accommodate many screens, and multicolor ambient lighting that should look pretty dramatic at night. However, leatherette upholstery is standard, rather than real leather, which Mercedes is now spinning as a vegan option.

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Front three quarter view of the 2023 Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV.

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As the name states, the 2023 Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV is an SUV derivative of the EQS sedan. With the EQS sedan positioned as the electric analog to the Mercedes S-Class, the EQS SUV is the electric version of the GLS-Class. And like that vehicle, the EQS SUV is available with up to seven seats across three rows.
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A defining feature of Mercedes’ EQ lineup is aerodynamic bodywork aimed at maximizing range. The typical SUV is not aerodynamically ideal, but Mercedes managed to achieve an impressively low drag coefficient for an SUV — at 0.26, it’s close to the Toyota Prius. But function clearly took precedence over form. Mercedes deserves credit for not going in the polarizing direction BMW did with its two-row iX SUV, but the EQS SUV looks like a melting scoop of ice cream.
More disappointing is the third row, which should be the EQS SUV’s defining feature, but seems more like a useless afterthought. Adults will find it difficult to insert themselves into the third-row seats, let alone tolerate riding in them. As in most three-row vehicles, the rear seats also pretty much eliminate cargo space. And if you want to fold them down to create more cargo room, you’ll have to do it manually as Mercedes didn’t include a power-folding system — a bit disappointing for a six-figure car. The EQS SUV also lacks a frunk; like the EQS sedan, the hood is sealed.
The EQS SUV looks like a melting scoop of ice cream.