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On April 12, 2023 we hit the road on our first fully-electric cross-country road trip, the Mercedes-EQ Expedition.
During this 30-day journey, 85 MBUSA employees traveled 10,000 miles in 3 MB electric vehicles, the 2023 EQS SUV (580), EQE SUV (350) and the EQS Sedan (580). Vehicles were custom wrapped, displaying the hashtag #MercedesEQExpedition, inviting curious motorists to follow the journey on social media. In total, there were 10 groups who each owned a leg of the road trip, each group with 7-10 colleagues traveling 4 days. Each team was charged with planning their own route, which provided a real-world experience in executing a trip of this magnitude. The trip began at our headquarters in Atlanta ending in Vancouver, Canada on May 14 at the North America Dealer Meeting.
Our MB dealer partners also joined in on the action. The expedition crossed 25 states, with 60 dealerships engaged along the way. This fortified collaboration among MBUSA corporate colleagues and our retail network. Dealer employees were invited to sign the vehicles, signifying their encouragement and excitement to be included in this electric transformation with us.
Quick Stats:
Quick Stats:
0 gallons of gas
3 fully-electric vehicles (2023 EQS SUV (580), EQE SUV (350) and the EQS Sedan (580))
10 groups
25 states
30 days
60 dealer visits
85 MBUSA employees
160 driving hours
10,000 miles
Immeasurable exposure to the EQ brand
Top 10 Takeaways:
Top 10 Takeaways:
A cross-country road trip in an electric vehicleIS possible! The charging infrastructure is currently in place and will continue to expand with our branded high-power charging network coming soon. After comparing numerous charging experiences, we asked ourselves – how will we create the ultimate luxury charging experience for our customers?
Plan ahead. In traditional ICE vehicles, there are multiple gas stations along your route. In today’s infrastructure, you might have to go out of your way to an EV charging station, which requires additional planning. Heads-up, most hotels do not have chargers!
Use the Mercedes me connect app. Our charging ecosystem integrates multiple networks, like ChargePoint, Electrify America and EVgo. One integrated charging network means one payment method.
Don’t panic when Plug & Charge vehicle authentication does not work. Be prepared with an alternate payment method using the RFID Card, Mercedes me connect app or MBUX display. Check out the EV Guide on the Dealer Ordering Guide, which is available to MBUSA employees. You can also reference charging information on MBUSA.com.
Level 3 fast chargers are not always fast. Most Level 3 chargers (aka DC Fast-Chargers) can take you from 20% to 80% in about 30 minutes. Charging speed will reduce if multiple EVs are connected to the same charger or share the same power source. The charging apps will tell you the number of available chargers at the station. When possible, we recommend choosing a station with the fewest number of vehicles to ensure you get the highest possible charging output.
Trust the vehicle’s LIVE navigation on the MBUX display. The built-in navigation shows you all charging stations available, charging speed (Level 1, 2, or 3) and can route you directly to the location. We recommend having a secondary charging location in mind, just in case.
Do not assume the charging location is functional. On a few occasions, we arrived to find chargers down for maintenance, but the app indicated they were available. For extra precaution, you can call the charging station companies to ensure chargers are in service before your arrival.
Range anxiety is real. Just like riding a bike, it takes practice to build confidence. The same is true in the transformation to electric.
Engage with the EV community. We felt as if we joined the ranks of an elite group of EV pioneers. While charging, we took the opportunity to talk to other EV owners and learn about their experience. In response, we shared our expertise and spoke to the unique Mercedes-EQ features. Time will tell - we might have converted EV owners to EQ customers!
We are in this together! Mercedes-Benz USA and dealer employees are one team. This was a true collaborative effort and we united as one front to show Mercedes-Benz is certainly on its way towards becoming the most desired electric luxury brand in North America
"In the head unit when you arrive, it advises you to either scan your car or use your smartphone to begin charging. It doesn't indicate that you have to download an EVgo App or that you need to add another method of payment in order to initiate the charging. So I think more customer information is needed to ensure that customers aren't challenged or left abandoned in their time in need."
- MBUSA Colleague
“We were so excited to have the road trip team visit us here at MB Grapevine. I know they had been on a long journey in the electric vehicles, but it was great to see their attitudes when they arrived here at the dealership. They had big smiles on their faces. At MB Grapevine, our sales consultants and members are thrilled to see all the clients roll in for the new electric vehicles.”
- Dealer Colleague
"We are getting the real experiences. It exceeded my expectations. The time with our dealers. The time in our cars. And the time with our group has been absolutely amazing.”
- MBUSA Colleague
"It was nice to hear what real world experience is, when you are driving these vehicles across the country and how you really can take long distance trips in this vehicles and be able to hit these charging points. The team shared that it was a really integrated process for them to be able to get charged where they needed to be. I think for the new wave of customers buying electric vehicles, we will be able to handle the process easily."
- Dealer Colleague
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