Drivers around the world will need more information and education on electric cars if automakers are to realize zero-emissions goals. Mercedes-Benz has taken a creative step to show drivers that they may be ideal candidates for a switch to the electric lifestyle.
The German luxury brand is testing the waters with its "EQ Ready" smartphone app in Australia and New Zealand, which is designed to analyze driving habits and show users how an electric car could benefit them. A user simply activates the app while driving and ends the session when he or she reaches the destination. The app takes speed, acceleration, braking, ambient temperature, and more into account to help calculate results. After multiple data logs, the app will tell a user if an electric car may suit them and it will then direct he or she to a specific Mercedes-Benz car, including hybrids.
"The general conclusion is that electric cars and hybrids in e-mode are much more suitable for everyday use than most people believe," Wilko Stark, Head of Daimler & Mercedes-Benz Cars Strategy and Head of CASE, said in a statement.
The app works with any car and uses vehicle-specific data such as energy consumption, range, cd value, weight, and rolling friction coefficient to further calculate how electrification benefits a driver's personal habits.
Teaser for Mercedes-Benz EQC electric SUV debuting on September 4, 2018
It's unclear when Mercedes-Benz will launch the app for other markets, but its arrival in Australia and New Zealand foreshadows the second EQ-branded vehicle from the company: the EQC electric SUV. The luxury brand will unveil the EQC on September 4 in Stockholm, Sweden. Following the electric SUV, Mercedes-Benz is thought to be preparing an EQA electric hatchback, and an EQS luxury sedan along the likes of the traditional S-Class.