Tesla Killer Mercedes Benz EQS Uses Recycled Ocean Plastics For Car Interior

The Mercedes Vision EQS of German car maker Mercedes is pictured at the company’s booth at the Frankfurt motor show IAA 2019, in Frankfurt am Main Germany, on September 10, 2019. Daniel Roland | AFP | Getty Images

It's tempting to say the letter "S" in the new all-electric Mercedes-Benz Vision EQS concept vehicle stands for "sustainable" given this new model's lavish use of sustainable materials.

The roof liner, for example, is made from recycled “ocean waste” plastic and there isn't any leather on this electric vehicle (EV). Something Tesla can take cues from.

Other salutes to sustainability include an absence of chrome. This means the familiar Mercedes-Benz tri-star logo in chrome has been replaced with accent lighting, in this case some 200 pinpoint LEDs, up front. A further 229 individual LEDs form a “lightbelt” at the rear.

Despite all these, "S" still doesn't stand for sustainable. Mercedes doesn't designate its models after a certain feature. "S" stands for the "S-Class," which is the Mercedes designation for its full-sized luxury flagship, top-of-the-line models.

The Mercedes-Benz Vision EQS currently has five other sisters: the EQA, EQB, EQC, EQE and EQV. The EQC is the first production EQ and is due out this year. The EQE, which will enter production in 2022, will be comparable to the current Mercedes-Benz C-Class sedans. EQV is a van.

On the other hand, the EQS is scheduled for production in 2020 and will be the first EQ model based on the dedicated MEA (modular electric architecture) platform.

Vision EQS has a range of some 700 km (435 miles) on its 100 kilowatt-hour battery pack because of its reliance on lightweight materials and an extremely aerodynamic design. The 700 km range, however, is based on the more liberal European WLTP test cycle.

Vision EQS draws power from two motors (one on each axle) that generate a combined 469 horsepower and 560 pound-feet of torque.

Like other EVs, torque on the Vision EQS is available almost immediately. This means the EQS can go from zero to 60 mph in just 4.5 seconds. The top speed of this EV, however, is limited to 124 mph. The EQS' through-the-road all-wheel-drive system can instantly shift power from front to rear.

Mercedes-Benz intends to produce 10 EQ models by 2022. Three of these will carry the Smart brand. A special version of the EQC crossover, called Edition 1886, will be the first to reach U.S. showrooms in 2020 ahead of the Tesla Model Y SUV.