Electrifying stuff! All-new electric Mercedes E-Class spotted for the first time

The all-new, all-electric Mercedes E-Class has been spotted for the first time as it begins to get in shape for its heavyweight title fight against the BMW i5, Volvo ES90 and the award-winning Audi A6 e-tron.

The E-Class with EQ Technology, as it will officially be called, is expected to be unveiled in late 2026 before hitting the streets sometime in 2027. It will also serve as the replacement for the Mercedes EQE, which was created to be the pure-electric alternative to the E-Class. 

However, before any mid-level executives get too alarmed, the E-Class is still going to be available with good old-fashioned combustion power in the future. Mercedes recently decided its EV strategy would be to offer combustion and electric versions of its long-established models, such as the GLC, C-Class and E-Class, side-by-side. 

It’s the same strategy rival BMW has been successfully employing for years. As an example, the i5 is simply the zero-emissions version of the latest BMW 5 Series, and the full selection of petrol, hybrid and electric models is available for you through the Auto Express Buy A Car service. 

The two versions of the E-Class will look almost identical, as you can see from our spy pictures that handily show the current sixth-generation E-Class keeping an eye on its electric twin. The internal-combustion model will eventually be facelifted to match the EV’s design. 

What will the electric Mercedes E-Class look like?

The new E-Class EQ has a much more traditional three-box saloon shape than the futuristic but very computer mouse-like design of the EQE. The long bonnet that will stretch out in front of the driver hopefully contains an equally enormous frunk, because there was no storage under the nose of the EQE. 

We think the latest E-Class is an understated yet handsome executive saloon, however, our opinion may change when the EV arrives, because Mercedes is slapping gigantic illuminated grilles on all its cars now. The electric Mercedes GLC EQ was the first to feature the divisive new design, and frankly the light-up grille is so bright we’re surprised it hasn’t burned through the camouflage on this prototype. 

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Of course, there will still be a massive three-pointed Mercedes star in the centre of the grille. The E-Class is also likely to inherit the GLC EQ’s three-pointed star daytime running-light signature, and a similar set-up at the rear, which sees the star-shaped tail-lights incorporated into a black bar that wraps around the back of the car. 

The latest E-Class already features plenty of displays inside, but nothing like the 39.1-inch, pillar-to-pillar Hyperscreen set-up found in the GLC EQ. Something similar will probably find its way into the executive saloon, along with all the other technology, such as Mercedes’s latest MBUX infotainment system and an AI-powered virtual assistant.

How much range will the electric Mercedes E-Class offer?

For all their similarities, the combustion and electric versions of the E-Class will sit on different platforms. More specifically, the E-Class EQ will sit on the brand-new (and very matter-of-factly named) Mercedes-Benz Electric Architecture (MB.EA) platform. 

It’s the same EV-dedicated architecture that underpins the GLC EQ that just went on sale, and will be used by the C-Class EQ that’s set to be revealed in the first half of 2026. 

So while technical specifications for the E-Class EQ haven’t been revealed yet, once again it should inherit a lot from the new GLC EQ. That includes an 800-volt electrical system that allows for ultra-rapid charging – currently up to 330kW – a two-speed transmission that helps boost efficiency and performance, plus the air-suspension system from the S-Class limousine.

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Every GLC EQ currently features dual motors that deliver nearly 500bhp and an immense 94kWh battery, which provides up to 406 miles of range. It’s possible the E-Class EQ will use the same set-up, which we would expect to offer around 450 miles of range or further in the more aerodynamic saloon. That would trump the EQE, which could cover up to 426 miles on a single charge. 

What engines will be available in the new Mercedes E-Class?

The launch of the E-Class EQ in 2027 has been neatly timed, because that would be about the time the current combustion-powered model would be receiving a mid-life facelift anyway. By that point the Mk6 E-Class will be celebrating its fourth birthday. 

We expect the regular E-Class to remain available with the same selection of mild-hybrid petrol and diesel engines, and plug-in hybrid powertrains you can currently get, including the 577bhp AMG 53, although we wouldn’t be surprised if that got even more potent. 

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