It’s no secret that Mercedes-Benz dropped the ball when styling its all-electric EQ-branded models, particularly the EQS and EQE. The jellybean look may have seemed futuristic and unique in the Mercedes range, but it alienated traditional buyers, and so for the replacement models, Stuttgart’s stylists are giving their new EVs more conventional looks, as evidenced by this electric E-Class/EQE spied near the Nürburgring. Things got so bad that here in the U.S. – with only 11,660 EQE sedans and SUVs sold in 2024, versus 17,638 E-Class sedans and 67,928 GLE-Class SUVs – that EQE production has been stopped and new orders were paused last month, so the replacement model needs to be a winner, though it may take some time to get here.
More Traditional Looks, But Still Some Clear EV Character
SH Proshots/Autoblog
The first thing to note is that, although the jagged fake body cladding beneath the camouflage won’t find its way to the finished product, the overall shape of this new electric executive sedan is far less blobulous than the EQE. The headlights are also more traditional in shape, though they retain a rounded design that would look at home on the new GLC EV. Other hints of the electric underpinnings of this E-Class appear in the mass of blanked-off space between these headlights, which will likely house a grille-shaped panel with horizontal accents and an oversized Three-pointed Star emblem. Interestingly, this prototype (which is missing its glasshouse trim, for some reason) appears to have protruding door handles, unlike the electric C-Class AMG prototype we recently spotted.
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Another design choice that will set the E-Class apart from its smaller sibling is in the rear, where a conventional trunk appears (the C-Class mule had a fastback-shaped rear end). Atop this trunk lid are some vanes that will surely not make production and a small lip spoiler that will. Presumably, Mercedes is testing some sort of aerodynamic metric with these nodules. Placeholder taillights only tell us that the rear lights will be rectangular, but we can bank on star-shaped DRL accents front and rear. Finally, a diffuser panel is evident behind the tow hitch, and a low trunk opening should make it easy to load luggage.
A New Platform To Go With New Styling
SH Proshots/Autoblog
Mercedes has been making remarkable strides in EV efficiency, including achieving a 749-mile drive on a single charge, and it’s only sensible to apply these advances to the next E-Class EV. Thus, the car will sit atop the 800-volt MB.EA-M platform, which underpins the aforementioned GLC and will be found beneath the upcoming C-Class EQ. This means we can expect a two-speed transmission like Porsche’s Taycan, more efficient silicon carbide inverters, and much faster charging times. A full reveal is expected in 2027, and while that’s still some way off, it’s pretty early for a full replacement when the EQE has only been in production since December 2022. That’s the price Mercedes must pay for misjudging the market. Until then, our spies will be watching closely.
