Mercedes-Benz announced today that it has started accepting orders for the EQS all-electric sedan, starting at €106,374.10 for its base model. Deliveries will begin in Germany by the end of September and in the United States in Q4.
In development for several years, Mercedes-Benz unveiled the EQS on April 15th, aiming to take a stab at the EV giants who have dominated the industry. Luxurious and fast, the EQS will battle with the Tesla Model S for the top spot in the high-end luxury EV sector, but Mercedes customers will have to pay slightly more than Tesla owners will.
The Daimler-owned Mercedes released a press statement earlier today that announced the acceptance of orders for the EQS. Capable of an estimated 478 miles of all-electric range, according to WLTP ratings, the EQS has the potential to be one of the best EVs on the market in terms of miles per charge. Coupled with a top speed of 130 MPH and 516 horsepower, the EQS is a competitive EV.
Mercedes EQS EV spied benchmarking against Tesla Model S and Model 3
As the EQS will be available to customers very soon, Mercedes-Benz is also rolling out the introduction of Over-the-Air updates, which will send software fixes and new features to vehicles over the internet. Tesla owners are familiar with this functionality as the automaker regularly rolls out new software versions that equip bug fixes and new entertainment features, among plenty of other things.
Mercedes said it would offer customers a “Roaring Pulse” sound experience and several mini-games to kill time while charging. These include Tetris and Sudoku. It will be free for one year but will cost €89 annually to continue. The OTA updates will also expand to more functions in the future, according to the company. It said that:
“The range of OTA functions is being successively expanded. This means that following the purchase and initial new-car configuration, some of the features of the EQS can be adapted according to personal preferences. This also includes enabling the rear axle steering with a ten-degree steering angle. In addition to the conventional purchasing of individual functions, customers can also take out subscriptions. Temporary activations and free trial periods are also planned.”
Edition 1: A special variant for early orderers
Mercedes will also launch the Edition 1 variant of the EQS, an optional upgrade to the vehicle. It won’t be free and will tack on €18,433.10 onto the price, but will add the AMG line, 21-inch wheels, and several interior and exterior cosmetic features.
- Interior
- AMG Line exterior
- Metallic paint obsidian black
- Panoramic sliding sunroof
- 3 cm (21-inch) AMG multi-spoke light-alloy wheels
- “Edition 1” badge in the window triangles in front of the outside mirrors
- Exterior
- Designo nappa leather upholstery in neva grey/reflex blue
- Luxury seats including 4-way lumbar support and contour lighting
- Multicontour seats for driver and front passenger
- Upper instrument panel and beltlines in nappa-look reflex blue
- Trim elements in open-pore ship’s deck walnut wood
- Designer seat belt buckles front and rear
- Floor mats with “Edition 1” lettering and piping in reflex blue
- Door sill panels with illuminated “Edition 1” lettering in white
Credit: Mercedes Benz
Add-Ons
There is no shortage of add-ons for the EQS, and Mercedes details them greatly. From Intelligent Park Pilot, an “autopark-like” feature, to Air Control Plus that utilizes a HEPA air filter for air quality, there are several additional options to make the EQS well-rounded. You will pay extra for these features, though, and they could add up.
Intelligent Park Pilot
For €1,844.50, the EQS can be outfitted with Intelligent Park Pilot, which benefits valet functions and can park automatically without a driver controlling the car.
“Pre-installation for the INTELLIGENT PARK PILOT is part of the Parking Package with remote parking functions (1844.50 euros1). This prepares the EQS for automated valet service (AVP, SAE level 4). Together with the required special equipment and the corresponding Connect service, the vehicle has the onboard technology to park and unpark fully automatically without driver involvement. This is conditional upon car parks being equipped with AVP infrastructure and national legislation allowing such operations. The Connect service has specific features depending on the country.”
Energizing Air Control Plus
For an additional €535.50, Mercedes-Benz will take a “holistic approach” with the EQS to increase the cabin’s air quality.
“Mercedes-Benz takes a holistic approach to air quality in the EQS. The system is based on filtration, sensors, a display concept and air conditioning. The HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) filter has a very high filtration level that enables it to trap particulate matter, micro-particles, pollen and other substances that enter with the outside air. An activated carbon coating reduces sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides as well as odours in the interior. The interior air filter has been granted 2021 “OFI CERT” ZG 250-1 certification from the Austrian Research and Testing Institute (OFI) for viruses and bacteria. Using pre-entry climate control, it is also possible to clean the interior air before getting into the vehicle. The particulate levels outside and inside the vehicle are also displayed in MBUX. They can be viewed in detail in the dedicated Air Quality menu.”.
Driver Assistance Packages
Mercedes is also highlighting its Advanced and Advanced Plus Driver Assistance packages that will increase safety for drivers and passengers. Basic features like Lane Keeping Assist and Blind Spot Assist are included in these packages.
Advanced Package
Tacking on €2,082.50, the Advanced Package adds several interesting features that improve safety and functionality for driving.
“The Advanced Package (2082.50 euros1) includes the Assistance Package with the three driving assistance systems Active Distance Assist DISTRONIC, Active Lane Keeping Assist and Blind Spot Assist. Other components include MBUX Augmented Reality Navigation, illuminated door sill panels with Mercedes-Benz lettering and a stowage compartment under the centre console.”
Advanced Plus Package
An extra €7,021 will add the Advanced Package, plus some other supplemental features.
“The Advanced Plus package (7021 euros1) includes the Driving Assistance package Plus[5], the Parking Package with 360° camera and DIGITAL LIGHT in addition to the Advanced Package. DIGITAL LIGHT has a light module with three extremely powerful LEDs in each headlamp, whose light is refracted and directed by 1.3 million micro-mirrors. The revolutionary headlamp technology can also project guide markings or warning symbols onto the road. Two assistance functions[6] are new: the EQS can indicate the start of a cooperative lane change and warn or give a directional instruction if Lane Keeping Assist or Blind Spot Assist detects a hazard.”
What do you think? Let us know in the comments below, or be sure to email me at joey@teslarati.com or on Twitter @KlenderJoey.
Tesla has expanded its branded ‘For Business’ Supercharger program that it launched last year, as yet another company is using the platform to attract EV owners to its business and utilize a unique advertising opportunity.
Francis Energy of Oklahoma is launching four Superchargers in Norman, where the University of Oklahoma is located. The Superchargers, which are fitted with branding for Francis Energy, will officially open tomorrow.
It will not be the final Supercharger location that Francis Energy plans to open, the company confirmed to EVWire.
Back in early September, Tesla launched the new “Supercharger for Business” program in an effort to give businesses the ability to offer EV charging at custom rates. It would give their businesses visibility and would also cater to employees or customers.
“Purchase and install Superchargers at your business,” Tesla wrote on a page on its website for the new program. “Superchargers are compatible with all electric vehicles, bringing EV drivers to your business by offering convenient, reliable charging.”
The first site opened in Land O’ Lakes, Florida, which is Northeast of Tampa, as a company called Suncoast launched the Superchargers for local EV owners.
Tesla launches its new branded Supercharger for Business with first active station
The program also does a great job at expanding infrastructure for EV owners, which is something that needs to be done to encourage more people to purchase Teslas and other electric cars.
Francis Energy operates at least 14 EV charging locations in Oklahoma, spanning from Durant to Oklahoma City and nearly everywhere in between. Filings from the company, listed by Supercharge.info, show the company’s plans to convert some of them to Tesla Superchargers, potentially utilizing the new Supercharger for Business program to advertise.
Moving forward, more companies will likely utilize Tesla’s Supercharger for Business program as it presents major advantages in a variety of ways, especially with advertising and creating a place for EV drivers to gain range in their cars.
Tesla Cybercab is perhaps the most highly-anticipated project that the company plans to roll out this year, and as it is undergoing its testing phase in pre-production currently, there are some things to work through with it.
Over the weekend, an image of the Cybercab being loaded onto a tow truck started circulating on the internet, and people began to speculate as to what the issue could be.
Hmmmmmm… https://t.co/L5hWcOXQkb pic.twitter.com/OJBDyHNTMj
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) January 11, 2026
The Cybercab can clearly be seen with a Police Officer and perhaps the tow truck driver by its side, being loaded onto, or even potentially unloaded from, the truck.
However, it seems unlikely it was being offloaded, as its operation would get it to this point for testing to begin with.
It appears, at first glance, that it needs assistance getting back to wherever it came from; likely Gigafactory Texas or potentially a Bay Area facility.
The Cybercab was also spotted in Buffalo, New York, last week, potentially undergoing cold-weather testing, but it doesn’t appear that’s where this incident took place.
It is important to remember that the Cybercab is currently undergoing some rigorous testing scenarios, which include range tests and routine public road operation. These things help Tesla assess any potential issue the vehicle could run into after it starts routine production and heads to customers, or for the Robotaxi platform operation.
This is not a one-off issue, either. Tesla had some instances with the Semi where it was seen broken down on the side of a highway three years ago. The all-electric Semi has gone on to be successful in its early pilot program, as companies like Frito-Lay and PepsiCo. have had very positive remarks.
The Cybercab’s future is bright, and it is important to note that no vehicle model has ever gone its full life without a breakdown. It happens, it’s a car.
Nevertheless, it is important to note that there has been no official word on what happened with this particular Cybercab unit, but it is crucial to remember that this is the pre-production testing phase, and these things are more constructive than anything.
Tesla analyst Andrew Percoco of Morgan Stanley teased the company’s dominance in its self-driving initiative, stating that its lead over competitors is “not even close.”
Percoco recently overtook coverage of Tesla stock from Adam Jonas, who had covered the company at Morgan Stanley for years. Percoco is handling Tesla now that Jonas is covering embodied AI stocks and no longer automotive.
His first move after grabbing coverage was to adjust the price target from $410 to $425, as well as the rating from ‘Overweight’ to ‘Equal Weight.’
Percoco’s new note regarding Tesla highlights the company’s extensive lead in self-driving and autonomy projects, something that it has plenty of competition in, but has established its prowess over the past few years.
He writes:
“It’s not even close. Tesla continues to lead in autonomous driving, even as Nvidia rolls out new technology aimed at helping other automakers build driverless systems.”
Percoco’s main point regarding Tesla’s advantage is the company’s ability to collect large amounts of training data through its massive fleet, as millions of cars are driving throughout the world and gathering millions of miles of vehicle behavior on the road.
This is the main point that Percoco makes regarding Tesla’s lead in the entire autonomy sector: data is King, and Tesla has the most of it.
One big story that has hit the news over the past week is that of NVIDIA and its own self-driving suite, called Alpamayo. NVIDIA launched this open-source AI program last week, but it differs from Tesla’s in a significant fashion, especially from a hardware perspective, as it plans to use a combination of LiDAR, Radar, and Vision (Cameras) to operate.
Percoco said that NVIDIA’s announcement does not impact Morgan Stanley’s long-term opinions on Tesla and its strength or prowess in self-driving.
NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang commends Tesla’s Elon Musk for early belief
And, for what it’s worth, NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang even said some remarkable things about Tesla following the launch of Alpamayo:
“I think the Tesla stack is the most advanced autonomous vehicle stack in the world. I’m fairly certain they were already using end-to-end AI. Whether their AI did reasoning or not is somewhat secondary to that first part.”
Percoco reiterated both the $425 price target and the ‘Equal Weight’ rating on Tesla shares.
Tesla expands its branded ‘For Business’ Superchargers
Tesla Cybercab ‘breakdown’ image likely is not what it seems
