Because electric cars can package their drivetrains almost any way their engineers see fit, it’s common to see the space traditionally occupied by the combustion engine converted into another trunk—or just a giant cubby for buffalo wings. Mercedes-Benz’s new flagship EV, the EQS sedan, however, trades this under-hood space for extra room in its sumptuous cabin and squeezes electrical and HVAC components into whatever space remains. As a result, EQS owners will never have to open their hoods for any reason but to fill the windshield washer fluid reservoir—which Mercedes has oddly moved right up to the fender.
Originally reported by Roadshow, that flap on the EQS’ left front fender, reserved for charge ports in most EVs, isn’t how you juice this electric Mercedes up. Not in the metaphorical sense, anyway, but the literal one, as the chute trickles directly into its washer reservoir from there. Mercedes tells The Drive the port is a technologically secure pop-out deal like the door handles, which only unlocks when the driver nears. Wouldn’t want hooligans filling the reservoir with something gross, would you?
This quaint detail is almost lost in the sea of strangeness that is the EQS, with its giant 56-inch touchscreen, record-shattering low-drag body, and carpets made from recycled yarn. As groundbreaking as it is bizarre, the EQS seems set to contend for the title of EV range king, with an advertised 478-mile range. It must be said, though, that this number isn’t Americas-applicable with our different EV range metrics, so we’ll have to wait on those—and consequently, the next real test of whether Tesla has any hope of keeping pace with legacy carmakers.
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