#Mercedes-Benz unveils EQA, a compact electric SUV

Mercedes-Benz is looking to muscle in on Tesla’s turf.

The German luxury car maker on Wednesday unveiled a new compact electric SUV that it said will go on sale next month at “very attractive price points”.

The EQA — described as an “urban entry model” that Mercedes’ board member Britta Seeger said will highlight the company’s focus on “sustainability, versatility and fresh look” — is the first of several electric models the automaker plans to launch in 2021.

The mini SUV will have a 265-mile range, the company said in a video presentation, and will go on sale in Europe on Feb. 4,

Electric vehicle sales took off in Europe last year as carmakers scrambled to meet European Union CO2 emissions targets. Sales received a boost from subsidies included in economic stimulus measures rolled out in France and Germany, in particular.

Sales of fully electric and plug-in hybrid models rose 122 percent across the EU through the first three quarters of 2020.

Tesla got a head start on traditional carmakers with their vast investments in fossil-fuel vehicles and has dominated global sales. The mass-market Tesla Model 3 is the world’s best-selling EV, followed in distant second place by Renault’s Zoe.

With Post wires.