After various announcements, Mercedes is finally unveiling its T-Class with electric drive – the EQT. In addition, the Swabians give a preview of an electrically powered microcamper version of the EQT under the Marco Polo label.
You have to smile when you walk towards the new EQT, which was top secret until a few days ago. From a formal point of view, it is after all the world premiere of the electric T-Class – this is basically just a new drive, the basic parameters of which are not really new.
And what a T-Class looks like has been known for a long time anyway. But! The specifically designed black panel grille as a sign of the silent drive is definitely worth a closer look and legitimizes the world premiere – at least from the perspective of the Mercedes group.
The Swabians had already let us look at their cards a bit and even granted a ride a few months ago. And the data on the subject of the drive is also known: the electric motor has an output of 122 hp and draws its energy from a 45 kWh battery. And so the target group remains sharp.
Even if most drivers do not cover a lot of kilometers and drive well under 100 kilometers a day – low nominal ranges have a hard time being accepted by consumers. The EQT should already be able to drive around 280 kilometers according to the practical WLTP discipline. With a charging capacity of up to 80 kilowatts, the battery can be charged from 10 to 80 percent on the DC charger in just over half an hour.
How good if the journey is the goal – then you will also be happy with the future planned microcamper variant of the electric T-Class. After all, the crew should spend a minute or two on the fast charger if they use it diligently. In any case, the interior designers are by no means lacking in inventiveness, although they are relying on the long version of the EQT that will follow in the future for their conversion work.
Clever cupboard and drawer systems conjure up electric (induction) and gas cookers in just a few simple steps. The right counterpart is in the form of a 16-liter compressor refrigerator in the vehicle and is also integrated into the camping architecture, which appears quite noble thanks to the use of chic wood. Of course, the developers have also accommodated a sink.
A fairly easy-to-erect high roof with a cozy zip construction accommodates sleeping accommodation that is almost two meters long and around one meter wide. From there you can also stick your head out and look at the starry sky, for example. The second “bed” can be set up in the rear of the Concept EQT Marco Polo1 and is even a bit larger.
The mini mobile home is not quite ready yet – it is expected in the course of the coming year. But even the close-to-production study has clever gadgets such as an electrically height-adjustable table whose packaging is so clever that it can be accommodated in the relatively compact car. In addition, the windows can be darkened so much at the push of a button that you can no longer see into the vehicle from the outside. Handy for changing in the car, for example.
If you want to have a camping-ready EQT faster, you have to use the module that will be available soon, with which the short version can also be equipped with the most important features. There is a cleverly designed bed with so-called disc springs that stretches across the entire rear compartment (where there is otherwise a table, by the way). And of course the gas cartridge cooker with only one plate. There is also a 15-litre cool box and a 12-litre fresh water tank with a sink.
Both the entire vehicle with the still somewhat unwieldy name Concept EQT Marco Polo and the camping module look quite valuable and stylish when first seen live. It is therefore to be expected that Mercedes will be compensated appropriately for its efforts.
The group is currently still silent on pricing, but the short EQT in the basic edition alone is said to start at around 49,000 euros (without funding). So there should be some tens of thousands more. So much for the prejudice that camping is something for the tight purse. Certainly not in this form.
