2024 Mercedes-AMG EQE SUV Aces Real-World Highway Range Test on a Hot Summer Day

Today's car market is filled with crossovers and SUVs. Even though gearheads complain that hatchbacks and sedans are slowly being phased out, it's important to remind ourselves that auto companies are for-profit entities: they'll always play into the market's hand. If people want high-riding vehicles, that's what they'll get.

So, here we are: a quirky-looking all-electric Mercedes-Benz mid-size SUV received the AMG treatment and wants to be part of your lifestyle change for the better. It has a starting price of around $110,000 before taxes and fees and boasts a dual-motor powertrain putting out 617 hp and 701 lb-ft of torque.

It can have an output of 677 hp and 738 lb-ft, but only when the customer pays for the AMG Dynamic Plus Package. That also enables it to achieve a zero to 60 mph time of 3.4 seconds.

As such, don't even dare to think about the updated EV tax credit. The qualifying MSRP limit is $80,000.

Fortunately, the range-topper isn't eligible for the "Acceleration Increase" special. That videogame-inspired downloadable content (DLC) has been updated and is no longer just a subscription. Customers can also pay to have the total power output of their non-AMG EQE and EQS models unlocked forever.

A hefty push in the EV sector

You can't order the Mercedes-AMG EQE SUV at the time of writing. But fret not because it's coming to US customers this September. The order books will open soon.

The vehicle is also AMG's first all-electric SUV, but their work has been cut short thanks to the EQE Sedan underpinnings. The motors and the battery pack are the same.

Starting next month, you'll be able to decide between buying a Mercedes-AMG EQE SUV or a BMW iX M60, an Audi SQ8 e-tron, a Fisker Ocean Extreme, a Tesla Model X Dual Motor, and a Cadillac Lyriq AWD.

To help you decide easier, here's a real-life look at what the all-electric and snazzy AMG-prepped EQE SUV can do when you're not tracking it or trying to sprint from one traffic light to another.

This particular range test gives us an in-depth look at how efficient the EQS SUV's little brother can be when there are 94 degrees Fahrenheit (34.4 degrees Celsius) outside, and it has to travel at an average speed of 70 mph on highways. The gilded peony's manufacturer-rated range is 279 miles. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has not published its findings.

Useful technical details to remember

The vehicle rides on 21-inch wheels wearing EV-specific (Pilot Sport) tires made by Michelin. It also has carbon ceramic brakes, but they're not important for an efficiency test. The German automaker recommends running the tires at 46 psi in the front and 51 in the rear. This all-electric AMG has a gross vehicle weight rating of 7,044 lb (over 3.1 metric tons). It needs more volume inside the tires to support the heavier load.

The Out of Spec reviewer also made sure to run the vehicle in Comfort Mode with recuperation set to normal, as most owners will probably do because these are the standard start-up settings. The high-performance EQE SUV also has a Slippery Mode that cuts the powertrain's output in half. Comfort Mode gives the driver 493 hp to play around with, while the maximum power figure is achieved with Race Start and Boost enabled.

While replenishing the energy storage unit to 100%, he left the car on and the A/C running so the system wouldn't have to work too hard while driving. Afterward, it was left on Eco mode with the temperature set at 70 degrees Fahrenheit (21 degrees Celsius). That is how an honest attempt to discover how far a Mercedes-AMG EQE SUV can go on a full charge looks like.

The CCS-equipped vehicle's battery pack is built on the 400V architecture, so don't expect maximum charging speeds to exceed the 170 kW per hour threshold. Only models like the Porsche Taycan or Hyundai Ioniq 5 can take advantage of the 350-kW DC fast chargers.

It may be the wrong approach for a machine wearing the Affalterbach-specific badge. Still, EVs, especially the posh ones, must be able to double as a convenient commuting appliance.

At 100%, the SUV displayed a maximum possible range of 292 miles. The first 70 miles of driving consumed 25% of the usable battery. After 30 miles more, the state of charge dropped to 65%.

Half of the battery was gone after the driver racked up 137 miles of traveling. But the outside temperature kept increasing as he was driving on the highway. The SUV might have tried to protect the energy storage unit through better thermal management, which may have increased electricity consumption.

Not great, not terrible

After 263 miles, 5% of the battery was left, and the vehicle warned the driver about the low state of charge. From that level downward, the vehicle slowly reduces power. For example, the driver gets just 60% of the motor output. At 3% state of charge, it cuts the available horsepower in half.

The battery was nearly depleted after 272 miles traveled at an average speed of 64 mph. The vehicle's calculator estimated three miles of range left, but the power output was already capped at 40%. Thus, the initial estimation was just 20 miles off.

The consumption for this trip was 332 Wh per mile or 0.33 kWh per mile or three miles per kWh. It's a reassuring figure for a test done at highway speeds, on a hot day, and in Comfort Mode. But this being an AMG, efficiency won't matter much to the buyer. Nobody will spend extra money on a fast SUV and drive it extra slowly.

However, it's good to know that the 2024 Mercedes-AMG EQE SUV can take you from one point to another without any range anxiety.

Finally, here's a list of all-electric SUVs that are currently available in the US. It might help you make the right choice.