Mercedes-Benz Concept EQA revealed

Mercedes-Benz has more than one battery-electric idea up his sleeve, as evidenced by the high-performance 200kW Concept EQA hot hatch teased last week.

The hotshot zero-emission hatchback, revealed at the Frankfurt Motor Show, shows the German giant's EQ battery electric vehicle (BEV) sub-brand won't just be about money-making SUVs. The Concept EQA showcases Daimler's scaleable electric power systems, with the all-wheel drive concept hatchback able to switch its power from wheel to wheel and from axle to axle around the car.

A two-door hatchback, the Concept EQA eschews differentials, instead mounting an electric motor on each axle and its drive modes, for example, allow a driver seeking sportier dynamics to shift some extra torque to the rear axle.

Concept EQA also debuts Mercedes-Benz' new Laser Fibre Lights headlights, along with a black panel front grille which can change colour, to signal which driving mode the car is using. The lights feature a fibre-optic cable embedded with a laser-activated medium, giving it a spiral-shaped light pattern.

It uses Daimler's new lithium-ion pouch cells, made by its battery-making subsidiary, Deutsche Accumotive, to provide up to 400kms of electric range from 60kWh of energy storage.

The entire powertrain is designed to be scaleable, so any potential production version could run a larger or smaller battery for a shorter or longer range, plus less or more powerful electric motors.

Benz will employ the same strategy in the EQC production car in 2019. The EQC has been confirmed for manufacturing in its Bremen, Germany, plant and is based on the Concept EQ car from last year's Paris motor show.

"With the Mercedes-Benz Concept EQA, our electric initiative is gathering pace: by 2022 Mercedes-Benz Cars will have more than ten all- electric vehicles on the market," Daimler CEO Dr Dieter Zetsche said.