News
Mercedes-Benz EQE pricing revealed for U.S.
Update 6:05 PM EST: Mercedes-Benz contacted Teslarati to correct pricing for the Pinnacle trim of all 3 EQE configurations. An earlier release from MB listed incorrect pricing.
Mercedes-Benz has announced pricing for the upcoming Alabama-built EQE SUV, the automaker’s second fully-electric sport utility vehicle following the EQS. Starting at $77,900, the EQE is expected to arrive at Mercedes dealers in the Spring.
The EQE lineup will feature three configurations: the EQE 350+ SUV, EQE 350 4MATIC SUV, and EQE 500 4MATIC SUV. All models will be offered in Premium, Exclusive, and Pinnacle trim levels in the United States, and for the first time, the fully variable 4MATIC all-wheel-drive system with torque shift will be offered at the same starting price as the base level EQE 350+ SUV, giving more value for customers in Mercedes’ highest volume model.
Specifications and Features
Mercedes-Benz wanted to keep the sporty yet luxurious feel of its vehicles, and that continues with the EQE SUV, which started production in August 2022. Wheels will vary in size from 19 to 21 inches and are positioned flush with the outer edge of the body, the company said. This is in an effort to improve aerodynamics within its model family.
Aerodynamics didn’t stop there, either. Mercedes-Benz crafted an underbody with numerous aerodynamic details that help complement the drag coefficient to support better range ratings and try to eliminate overall range loss as much as possible.
More range support features were added to the EQE, including the addition of a heat pump, which has become an obvious option for many EV makers after Tesla included one in the Model Y several years ago, and an intelligent powertrain management system.
Tesla highlights Model Y’s heat pump innovations in new promotional video
The heat pump works in parallel to Tesla’s by utilizing heat from the inverter and electric motor and the high-voltage battery system to heat the vehicle interior. Along with that, the intelligent powertrain management system:
“The second innovation is an all-new intelligent powertrain management system that monitors at 160 times per second, if the front electric motor is necessary. If not, a clutch disconnects or re-engages the front motor in 100 milliseconds. The decoupling of the front drive unit reduces drag and improves range.”
Along with improvements internally to support range and aerodynamics, Mercedes-Benz has included a new Automatic Lane Change Feature, making the EQE the first model in the EVA2 family to have this feature with the optional Driver Assistance Package. It is available in the top two trim levels and can automatically initiate lane changes or pass slower vehicles without driver intervention.
The interior features the MBUX infotainment system with a 12.8″ OLED multimedia touchscreen portrait display and a 12.3″ driver display.
While each trim has its own strengths, all three have EQ-specific innovative technologies but will have plenty of leeway with an array of additional options that will allow for further personalization and customization.
The vehicle will be built at the Mercedes-Benz plant in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, and a battery factory in nearby Bibb County will supply batteries for both the EQE and EQS.
Premium Trim:
- EQE 350+ SUV – $77,900
- EQE 350 4MATIC SUV – $77,900
- EQE 500 4MATIC SUV – $89,500
Highlights for Premium Trim include:
- MBUX EQ Navigation Services, including Navigation with Electric Intelligence
- Parking Package with Surround View System and PARKTRONIC
- Heated Front Seats
- MB-Tex Upholstery
- Power Tilt and Sliding Panorama Roof
- Burmester® Sound System
- Keyless-Go Comfort Package
- 64-Color Ambient Lighting EQE
500 4MATIC Additional Standard Equipment:
- AMG Line Exterior
- 20″ Wheels
- Leather Upholstery
- 10-Degree Rear Axle Steering
Exclusive Trim:
- EQE 350+ SUV – $80,000
- EQE 350 4MATIC SUV – $80,000
- EQE 500 4MATIC SUV – $91,600
Highlights for Exclusive Trim Include:
- All features of Premium Trim
- MBUX Augmented Reality for Navigation
- Active Ambient Light
- Driver Assistance Package including all-new Automatic Lane Change function
Pinnacle Trim:
- EQE 350+ SUV – $83,850
- EQE 350 4MATIC SUV – $83,850
- EQE 500 4MATIC SUV – $95,450
Highlights for Pinnacle Trim Include:
- All features of Premium and Exclusive Trims
- Four-Zone Climate Control
- Air Balance Package
- Energizing Comfort
- Head-Up Display
- 100W USB-C Package
- DIGITAL LIGHT Package
- Mercedes Star Pattern Logo Projectors (Front Doors)
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Tesla Cybercab is using a unique strategy for picking up the correct rider, which is a crucial part of ride-hailing to ensure people end up in the right place and are charged the correct price.
Cybercab will utilize an RGB strip in its front light bar that will illuminate in a variety of different colors to mark itself.
This identifying mark will also appear in the Robotaxi app, giving riders in the same location a notable distinction in an effort to avoid any confusion regarding who should get in each vehicle.
🚨 Tesla is using different light bar colors to help riders understand which vehicle is theirs
Pretty cool strategy pic.twitter.com/eGMpEMeRpc
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) August 27, 2026
Other ride-hailing services use similar strategies: Lyft and Uber rides are recognizable through driver identity, vehicle type and color, as well as license plate. Waymo will display the rider’s initials on top of the vehicle, letting them know that the specific vehicle for them has arrived.
Tesla’s strategy is unique and interesting, but there are some flaws. Cybercab’s main purpose is aimed toward being an autonomous ride for all, including those who have disabilities like being blind or even color blind.
Tesla will likely have something in the pipeline for those who cannot see colors or have limited vision. There will definitely be multiple ways to identify which vehicle is the one that “you” specifically ordered.
Cybercab is set to start giving public rides next Thursday, September 3, in Austin, as it announced a dedicated event last week and invited many members of the Tesla community.
Additionally, members of the public will be invited as well. Tesla has been offering employee rides in Cybercab for nearly two months.
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Tesla has said goodbye to one customization option for its vehicles: the wrap service it launched several years ago.
After launching an in-house wrap service in August 2020 for the first time in China. In the U.S., it launched in October 2023. Tesla continued to expand the program and adjust it with better pricing and fewer options for the Cybertruck.
By December 2023, it was giving owners of the Model 3, Model Y, and the Cybertruck the opportunity to give their vehicle a fresh look with a vinyl wrap.
Tesla revamps in-house vinyl wrap service with better pricing
It was only available in five locations: Costa Mesa, Oceanside, Santa Clara, West Covina, all in California, and Seattle, Washington.
However, Tesla made some big adjustments to its shop, and the wrap service is officially gone:
Tesla has made a LOT of changes to its online shop recently — price increases, price cuts, new options, and several products being removed entirely.
Some of the biggest increases are wheel covers. 👀
📈 PRICE INCREASES
• 2017-2023 | Model 3 Aero Wheel Cover — Style: Refresh…— Phoenix Self-Driving 🐦🔥 (@PhoenixFSD) August 25, 2026
Wraps are very popular across the Tesla lineup, especially since the company offers relatively few colors. Many choose to wrap their Teslas with interesting colors, patterns, or even finishes, turning their cars from glossy to satin or matte.
However, Tesla’s wrap service was so limited geographically that it never really had a chance to get off the ground or compete with local shops. Every area in the United States is now overflowing with detailing shops, mobile detailers, and other automotive specialists, many of whom perform wrap services.
Tesla’s service was confined to the Pacific time zone and only spanned across two states. It was never going to be something Tesla was a major competitor in, nor was it going to disrupt the wrapping industry. Now that the program has ended, it seems pretty ideal to believe it was always going to be a short-term thing.
Along with the wrap service, Tesla removed several other products, but nothing too crazy. The Model 3 Door Pocket and Cupholder Liners, the Model S 19″ Magnetite Wheel and Winter Tire Package, Model X/Y Ski/Snowboard Carrier for Hitch Rack, Tesla’s Electric Summer Party Tee, and the Electric Summer Tee were the other items the company totally eliminated from its online shop.
News
Tesla Robotaxi fleet gets a brain upgrade ahead of Cybercab launch event
Tesla’s Robotaxi service now runs longer hours nationwide as its unsupervised fleet quietly grows larger.
Tesla’s Robotaxi service just got easier to catch, with the company’s official Robotaxi account noting that rides are now available from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., seven days a week, across its operating footprint. The account also said its unsupervised fleet is “a lot bigger” than before, though without specifics. The bigger change is what Tesla says upgraded intelligence in vehicle distribution and routing is what’s actually cutting wait times, not a new Full Self-Driving version.
While Tesla did not name the team behind the upgrade, the language points to its AI and fleet software group rather than the driving stack itself. Vehicle distribution and routing in Robotaxi has functioned mostly as a dispatch problem with the software deciding which idle car goes to which rider, and how far it has to travel to get there. “Upgraded intelligence” suggests a smarter version of that dispatch logic, likely using demand forecasting to position idle cars near where riders are about to request them rather than reacting once a request comes in. Tesla’s AI division has built similar prediction systems for other parts of the business, including the neural networks that power FSD itself, so applying that same approach to fleet logistics would be a natural extension rather than a new discipline for the team.
Robotaxi now runs 6am to 10pm, 7 days/week
Unsupervised fleet is a lot bigger
Also, upgraded intelligence in vehicle distribution & routing means you wait less pic.twitter.com/UFZ4bqg2dZ
— Tesla Robotaxi (@robotaxi) August 26, 2026
Tesla is also about a week away from a separate robotaxi milestone. The company plans to launch Cybercab, its purpose built two seat robotaxi with no steering wheel or pedals, in Austin on September 3. Cybercab has been giving employees rides on public and private roads for weeks, and the September event is expected to fold those vehicles into the existing Robotaxi fleet within days of the launch.
Thank you so much @Tesla for inviting us to the Cybercab launch in Austin! 🤠 pic.twitter.com/F1rAR8zd5O
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) August 22, 2026
Austin previously ran Robotaxi from 6 a.m. to 2 a.m. as of last September, a schedule set before the service expanded into Dallas, Houston, Miami, Tampa, Orlando and the Bay Area. Wednesday’s post did not specify whether that extended overnight window still applies in Austin specifically or whether 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. is now the standard across every market. Tesla’s post, visible on its official Robotaxi account, framed the change simply as fewer riders waiting around for a car.
Whether the wider hours hold once Cybercab enters the fleet next week is the next thing worth watching. Tesla has tended to expand Robotaxi in increments, first geofence, then hours, then fleet size, and each step so far has arrived without much advance notice.
Tesla Cybercab uses a unique strategy for picking up the right rider
Tesla ends in-house wrap service that always seemed like a short-term program
