• Large battery means long range but lengthy charging time
• We haven’t been able to replicate fast-charging claims
• Unlimited mileage warranty – with provisos

What are the running costs?

Gone are the days when an electric car was automatically dead cheap to run. Though there are still some dedicated domestic EV charging tariffs with super-low costs per kilowatt hour (kWh), if you’re forced to rely on the public charging network you’ll be paying a hefty amount to keep the EQS topped up.

Mercedes-Benz claims it is possible for a 10 to 80% charge to be dispatched in 31 minutes, but we found that even when accessing powerful 350kW rapid chargers the EQS didn’t replenish its updated 118kWh battery pack anywhere near that quickly. If you have a 11kW wallbox at home – which requires a less common three-phase supply – it still needs 10 hours for a full charge. On a more common 7kW wallbox you’ll need 15 hours and 30 minutes.

In terms of driving range, the official WLTP testing figures that imply that the EQS 450+ can cover up to 511 miles per charge should be treated with caution. Our testing tells a different story – motorway driving during temperate weather, we could cover an easy 375 miles, but when temperatures dropped to freezing, this falls to closer to 300 miles. This is still impressive for an EV, and can be increased to 400-plus miles in gentler driving away from the motorway.

What is useful, however, is that the EQS gives you not only an anticipated range based on how you are currently driving but also a theoretical maximum based on the remaining battery level. This goes some way to relieving range anxiety. But then, if you’re considering a high-end electric car, especially for chauffeuring duties, you’re probably anticipating the need to deal with this kind of concern.

Note also that the EQS is in the most expensive 50E insurance group.

19

Servicing and warranty

Servicing intervals for the Mercedes EQS are every 20,000 miles, with Mercedes-Benz ServiceCare plans available to spread the cost or allow you to pay up front for a block of maintenance if that helps you budget.

The standard Mercedes-Benz EQS warranty is three years with unlimited mileage – with a 30 years of unlimited ‘perforation’ protection as well (so it shouldn’t rust). The battery is covered by a 10-year warranty, but this is limited to 155,000 miles. Extended warranty coverage is available from Mercedes-Benz at extra cost.

Reliability

• Lots of recalls already
• But no consistent reports of poor reliability
• Leave an owners’ review if you’ve got one

The EQS is still relatively new at the time of writing, so there’s not a great deal of reliability data to go on. However, Mercedes-Benz passenger cars haven’t historically been the most reliable over the past couple of decades, and its electric cars have a variable reputation as well. So while there have been no reports of screaming horrors with this car, it’s perhaps not a surprise that there have been eight official recalls in its first year of production…

The majority of these relate to electronic components not meeting specification. Which is presumably quite a frustrating experience on such an expensive vehicle. If you’ve got one and want to add your own thoughts, why not write a Parkers owners’ review to help guide others.