Mercedes goes ELECTRIC with the new EQV MPV

The new Mercedes EQV arrives as a fully electric MPV, seating up to eight and with a 90kWh battery pack delivering a range of 252 miles.

With most MPVs used to carry broods of children or gaggles of employees around urban roads, it makes perfect sense to ditch the dirty diesel engine you’ll usually find under the bonnet and bolt in a battery electric powertrain. Which is exactly what Mercedes has done with the new EQV people carrier.

The second production electric vehicle from Mercedes, following on from the EQC SUV, the EQV is exactly what the name suggests – a Mercedes V-Class with the engine binned and batteries and motors brought in.

Electrickery is stored in a 90kWh battery sitting under the EQV’s floor, with power going to a front-mounted electric motor good for 201bhp and 267lb/ft of torque, which isn’t going to win a traffic light grand prix, but is enough to not be a pain in traffic.

Range is said to be 252 miles – although we expect that’s rather load dependent – and adjustable regenerative braking means you can probably mimic Nissan’s e-Pedal one pedal driving style, and the battery can be charged to 80 per cent in under 45 minutes with a suitable rapid charger.

Inside there’s room for up to eight, but although the EQV will be built in two sizes the UK is expected to get just the long wheelbase version, and it comes equipped with Mercedes 10″ MBUX screen, with an exterior which looks just like the regular ICE V-Class but with a grille that appears to have come from the EQC.

It looks like the EQV won’t actually go on sale for another year, and when it does you can probably expect a £10k premium over a similar ICE V-Class.