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Mercedes-Benz EQC shows off its cornering prowess in Nurburgring track tests
German automaker Mercedes-Benz seems to be ensuring that its first all-electric vehicle, the EQC, will be an SUV that can deliver some serious performance. The vehicle might have raised some eyebrows immediately following its launch due to questions about its range and efficiency, but if a video of the SUV taking on the Nürburgring Nordschleife is any indication, it appears that Mercedes-Benz’s luxury EV can be a pretty fun car to drive.
A video of the SUV doing continuous testing was captured by YouTube auto enthusiast Automotive Mike. In the clip, the EQC could be seen hugging the track pretty well. The vehicle’s quick acceleration thanks to the instant torque of its two electric motors was quite evident too. For an SUV that’s large and almost bulky compared to competitors like the Jaguar I-PACE and the Tesla Model X, the Mercedes-Benz EQC seems to be surprisingly nimble.
If there was anything that could be noticed from the video of its Nürburgring runs, though, the EQC appears to exhibit a notable amount of body roll, particularly when cornering at high speeds. While this might allude to the EQC having softly-tuned suspension, such a setup nevertheless points to the all-electric SUV offering its passengers a comfortable ride.
Mercedes-Benz unveiled the EQC early in September, with Daimler AG Chief Executive Officer Dieter Zetsche boldly declaring in front of an audience at Stockholm, Sweden, that the EQC symbolizes the company’s commitment to the electrification of the transport industry. The Daimler CEO even noted that there simply is “no alternative to betting on electric cars.”
The Mercedes-Benz EQC looks and feels like a traditional vehicle from the veteran luxury carmaker, being plush with luxurious accents and designed with understated lines and an aggressive stance. The specs of the car are quite decent, with two electric motors that produce 402 hp and 564 lb-ft of torque. Despite its size and bulk, the EQC is capable of accelerating from 0-60 mph in 4.9 seconds and reaching a top speed of 112 mph. The EQC also has a towing capability of 3,968 lbs.
Inasmuch as the performance specs of the vehicle are impressive, though, the EQC’s battery and range were met with some raised eyebrows from the auto community, after initial press materials quoted the vehicle’s range from its 80 kWh battery pack at just ~200 miles. Mercedes-Benz later corrected the information, stating that the EQC actually has a range of 279 miles per charge.
When the vehicle was announced, Mercedes-Benz announced that it is expecting to start the production of the EQC sometime in 2020. In a later report, though, the legacy carmaker stepped back from its estimates, stating that it was adopting a gradual rollout for the vehicle instead. Speaking to Europe Auto News, Mercedes-Benz head of production and supply chain management Markus Schaefer noted that the vehicle’s more deliberate rollout was due to the company’s concerns about the new technologies in the EQC, particularly in its battery.
“We want to be sure we deliver Mercedes quality from day one in all aspects, and we have to watch the warranty side for customers as well. We don’t want customers ending up at the mechanic later. Slowing down the ramp-up is a tool to make sure we do it right, to address all the unknowns that an electric car brings,” he said.
While electric car enthusiasts who wish to acquire the Mercedes-Benz EQC might end up waiting a little longer for the vehicle, Schaefer nonetheless stated that the company is confident it can ramp the production of the all-electric SUV quickly. The veteran carmaker plans to manufacture the EQC at its facilities in Bremen, Germany, and Beijing, China, on the same line as the company’s gas-powered SUVs such as the Mercedes-Benz GLC.
Watch the Mercedes-Benz EQC take on the Nürburgring Nordschleife in the video below.
Tesla Cybercab stands to gain from new rules that the Trump Administration is aiming to enforce on autonomous vehicles. On Thursday, NHTSA, under the Trump Administration’s U.S. Department of Transportation, commenced rulemaking on the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS).
This effort aims to eliminate the mandate for manual brake pedals in vehicles that are designed to be driven exclusively by automated driving systems. This would impact the Tesla Cybercab, which the company has stated would operate without a steering wheel or pedals.
Tesla Cybercab launch is imminent after latest sighting at Giga Texas
The Trump Administration is looking to revise FMVSS No. 135, which requires standard braking systems on light-duty vehicles.
Currently, the regulation requires light-duty cars to use traditional manual braking systems that allow operators to slow the vehicle. With the advent of self-driving in the U.S., these regulations need updating, and these are the changes that could come to FMVSS No. 135:
- Removes requirements for hand- or foot-operated brake controls for vehicles designed never to be operated by a human. Existing rules still apply to AVs that retain manual controls.
- All subject vehicles must still meet the same stopping distance performance criteria via alternative testing procedures.
- While this update ensures AVs can physically stop when commanded, NHTSA is separately developing safety performance requirements for AVs in real-world driving scenarios.
- NHTSA will continue to use its broad defect enforcement authority to investigate unsafe ADS behavior and oversee recalls.
As autonomy becomes a greater part of passenger travel, these types of rule adjustments will be more than reasonable. It will give manufacturers the ability to self-certify their vehicles and avoid any red tape that could ultimately delay the deployment of these vehicles.
Administrators are also incredibly excited about the opportunity to play a role in the advancement of self-driving vehicles.
“We are at the cusp of the greatest technological revolution in vehicle technology since the innovation of the Model T,” NHTSA Administrator Jonathan Morrison said. “If we want America to lead the way, we have to reimagine our regulatory framework. That’s why under Secretary Sean Duffy’s AV Framework, NHTSA is tearing down pointless barriers to innovative designs while strengthening the fundamental safety requirements that matter and holding AV developers accountable for safe performance.”
The Cybercab entered mass production at Gigafactory Texas in April. Tesla ultimately plans to push the vehicle into its Robotaxi fleet, potentially when frameworks like these are established.
Tesla plans to boost production at its Gigafactory Berlin plant in Germany following a sharp rebound in sales and demand in Europe after a softer 2025.
The plans put Tesla in a better position to compete with strengthening companies in Europe and potentially other markets; demand indicators show Tesla is much better off than in 2025.
Last year was a tough year for Tesla in terms of overall demand in Europe. The company produced over 200,000 vehicles at the German plant last year, a soft figure compared to the 375,000 vehicles Tesla lists as its current capacity at the factory.
🚨 Tesla said this morning it will ramp up production at Gigafactory Berlin to a volume of 7,500 vehicles per week.
This is a 20 percent boost in production. Tesla will hire 1,000 new employees to help with the increase.$TSLA pic.twitter.com/kravKfRO5n
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) June 25, 2026
Tesla’s overall European sales dropped significantly last year due to a variety of factors. However, sales are rebounding, and demand is strong once again, and only getting stronger. Tesla is now planning to bump production of Model Y vehicles at Giga Berlin upward by about 20 percent. It will also bring 1,000 new jobs to the plant.
Tesla confirmed the details of its planned production expansion in Germany this morning. It is a strategy to keep up with strengthening demand.
In Q1, Tesla saw a record 61,000 vehicles produced at Giga Berlin. European registrations rebounded sharply, with Model Y seeing 117 percent increases in March 2026 compared to last year. Germany alone saw stark increases, with a quadrupling in registrations to 9,252 units.
This trend continued in other key European markets, including France, Denmark and Sweden. Tesla registrations were up over 46 percent in some of these markets, and Model Y continued its trend as a top BEV in the market.
Demand has been recovering strongly in 2026, giving Tesla a reason to expand production efforts at the factory. These increases signal management’s confidence in sustained or growing European pull for Berlin-built vehicles.
Tesla is being sued by the family of the woman who was killed in a Texas crash involving a Model 3. The driver, who is also being sued, claimed the vehicle was operating on Autopilot mode, but Tesla executives have come out challenging that claim, stating that the driver of the vehicle overrode the system.
The lawsuit was filed by 76-year-old Martha Avila’s daughter and her husband, who allege a “design defect” involving a Tesla and a failure to warn. The suit alleges negligence against Tesla and the driver, Michael Butler.
Butler “stated he was operating with an automated driving assistance system engaged at the time of the crash,” the Harris County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement. He showed no signs of intoxication and was cooperative, the Sheriff’s Office said, according to NBC News.
Just after reports of the crash and numerous headlines that immediately blamed Tesla’s Autopilot suite, both Tesla CEO Elon Musk and Head of AI Ashok Elluswamy challenged that. Musk said the crash made “no sense” given that Tesla Autopilot and Full Self-Driving do not travel at the speeds the door cameras captured the car traveling at, which Tesla says was 73 MPH.
Tesla finally clarifies fatal Texas crash, confirms driver manually overrode acceleration
Elluswamy also revealed that Tesla data showed Butler overrode the system by pressing the accelerator to 100%, and that the pedal was compressed fully even after the car had crashed. Tesla has not released this data to the public, likely because it is communicating with agencies like the NHTSA on an investigation.
The suit uses a Washington Post analysis of government data that “identified at least 17 fatal incidents linked to Tesla Autopilot.”
This is far from the first time an accident has been blamed on Autopilot. A fatal crash in Texas was blamed on Autopilot several years ago, but when Tesla released data to the NTSB, which was investigating the crash, Autopilot was not available where the crash occurred, and Autosteer was never enabled, meaning the car was manually controlled at the time of the accident.
“Application of the accelerator pedal was found to be as high as 98.8 percent,” the NTSB said in their findings. The highest recorded speed in the five seconds leading up to the impact was 67 miles per hour. The area where the crash occurred is residential, and Texas State laws… pic.twitter.com/XGD97NHVZ2
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) March 18, 2026
More information on the accident will be released as Tesla works with agencies to find the cause of the crash. From personal experience, it is hard to imagine Tesla Autopilot or FSD operating in this manner. It drives sometimes too cautiously in residential areas in parking lots, at least in my experience. Speeding happens, but at this rate in this type of area, it is hard to believe.
We look forward to more details being released with time.
Tesla Cybercab stands to gain from new Trump autonomy rules
Tesla plans production boost at Giga Berlin following rebound in Europe
