Did you ever fantasize about road-tripping in business-class fashion, however you do not have the money to make that dream a actuality? Effectively, the used electrical car market is scorching proper now, and it is making seemingly unattainable fashions just like the Mercedes-EQS obtainable at unbelievably low costs.
The EQS is—in idea, anyway—the S-Class of EVs. It’s the electrical equal of what sure automobile magazines think about the greatest automobile on the planet or the quintessential luxurious sedan. At a beginning value of $104,400 earlier than taxes and costs, it’s additionally the costliest electrical sedan within the German automaker’s portfolio.
U.S. consumers haven’t any urge for food for costly EVs.
Excessive MSRP is the most important roadblock to wider adoption of EVs. However shoppers have repeatedly proven, that once they’re priced proper, there is a massive marketplace for them. This sentiment, coupled with an inflow of recent EVs and rising competitors, is driving down the values of used EVs. And the Mercedes-Benz EQS is not resistant to that.
In reality, the EQS has in all probability by no means absolutely lived as much as the “electrical S-Class” thought. As opulent and highly effective as it’s, Mercedes followers did not fairly heat as much as the soap-bar-like rounded styling, and the screen-heavy inside can rub some folks the fallacious means. However that does not imply it is not a terrific used worth, particularly with the reductions we’re seeing.
Used EV costs have been crashing these days. And the EQS isn’t resistant to that pattern. Used EQS fashions, with just a few thousand miles on their odometers, at the moment are obtainable at lower than half of their MSRP. Contemplating what the EV is provided with, the offers appear fairly insane.
On the used automobile shopping for web site Automobile Gurus, there’s a 2023 EQS obtainable in Freeport, New York, for as little as $41,826 on the time of publication. The itemizing was first noticed by AutoEvolution. That’s lower than the beginning value of a brand new Tesla Mannequin 3 Lengthy Vary or the entry-level Mannequin Y.
This specific gray-colored limousine has clocked 26,094 miles. It has a 108.4 kilowatt-hour battery delivering an EPA vary of 352 miles. So theoretically, the battery well being ought to be fairly good, with minimal degradation. It additionally appears nearly model new, with no seen dents or scratches.
That’s not the one one. A number of different listings throughout the U.S., together with in Georgia, Florida, North Carolina, California and Kansas, amongst others present used EQS fashions up for grabs within the $40,000 value vary. Many can be found within the $50,000 and $60,000 value brackets as properly, which can be almost half of its unique worth.
Most of those trims are the entry-level EQS 450+ fashions. However don’t be fooled by that time period as a result of there’s nothing “entry-level” about this sedan. Its rear-axle mounted motor churns 355 horsepower and 419 pound-feet of torque, sufficient to spur it from a standstill to 60 miles per hour in 5.8 seconds.
Customary options which are arduous to seek out at this value embody rear-axle steering, adaptive dampers, a ton of lively and passive security options and ambient lighting that adapts to the surroundings, like visually augmenting alerts from driver-assistance techniques. Even with out the MBUX hyperscreen, issues look fairly upmarket. There’s the common 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and a 12.8-inch central show from the S-Class.
U.S. automobile consumers have made it crystal clear that prime buy costs are a roadblock to the broader adoption of EVs. The overwhelming majority of shoppers aren’t keen to lay our a fortune on big-ticket objects like a automobile. Despite the fact that these are regrettable resale values for sellers who purchased the EQS with the unique value, they’re unimaginable offers for others.
Furthermore, gross sales of EQ fashions have been down in latest months. EQS sedan and SUV gross sales have been down 46% within the first quarter of this 12 months, whereas general BEV gross sales have been down 4.5%. Mercedes-Benz has additionally canceled the subsequent technology of EQS and EQE platforms resulting from poor gross sales. As an alternative, the present fashions will proceed to get upgrades over time, and Mercedes will work to unveil extra EV variants of its identified lineup, just like the G-Class with EQ Expertise.
The EQS might not be as svelte as another EVs on the market. However if you wish to journey in opulent fashion at modest costs, there’s no different choice prefer it in the marketplace proper now.