Mercedes Benz has unveiled the first of its planned electric vehicle range in Ireland, the EQC, and will begin sales of the battery-powered SUV in the last quarter of the year.

The car will be sold through a small selection of Mercedes dealers.

Heading the model offering is the EQC 400 4-Matic, 300Kw/408hp model starting at €89,450, which the company claims is €3,445 and €10,800 lower than its two main rivals. Additional specifications such as an AMG exterior bring the price to €91,897, or there’s the AMG Electric Art Interior at €92,713 or full AMG Exterior and Interior for €93,546.

Sales manager Ciaran Allen said: “The EQC has been conceived to meet all the requirements for a battery-electric drive system while meeting every demand in terms of contemporary, sustainable mobility. 

“It’s a trailblazer for what will be a growing family of all-electric vehicles to come from Mercedes-Benz under its EQ branding. Other models in a ten-vehicle pipeline scheduled to launch here between now and 2022 are an EQV personnel carrier, plus EQA, EQB, EQS and EQE models based on their current petrol-diesel equivalents.”

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Probably the most significant performance feature claimed by Mercedes is the range of more than 450 kilometres on a single full charge, a range which would eliminate most of the charging anxiety experienced by most existing electric car drivers.

Further appeal lies in the 8-year battery guarantee (or 160,000 kilometres, whichever comes first), chargeable at an overnight home system or via public fast charge points.

Also available from October will be a potential collector’s item, according to Allen. It is the fully specified EQC Edition 1886 version, listed at €105,882 but requiring an outlay of just €95,882 when the SEAI grant and VRT tax rebate totalling €10,000 are deducted.

The car is classed a crossover SUV, with an extended roofline, window layout and low waistline, and according to Mercedes is “visually positioned between a conventional SUV and an SUV Coupé.”