Hordes of young gearheads curious about sustainability and the future of electric vehicles in Bahrain and the region stopped by the Mercedes booth at the Bahrain International Circuit to learn more about the company’s environmentally friendly options.
The booth, being run by Al Haddad Motors, Mercedes’ exclusive dealer in the kingdom, offered visitors an opportunity to explore the Mercedes EQE 53 AMG, EQS 53 AMG and its flagship SL Class sports car.
“This is the year for electric cars, so we brought out the EQE and EQS, but of course, to stay true to the ethos of racing this weekend, we are highlighting the AMG and sportier versions, both in electric and traditional petrol-fuelled cars,” Al Haddad Motors group marketing manager Imran Ali told the GDN during a tour of the booth.
Equipped with the fully variable 4MATIC+ all-wheel drive, AMG Ride Control+ chassis and the optional Dynamic Plus package, the EQE 53 AMG zips from zero to 100kmph in just 3.5 seconds, and has a range of 441 to 502km.
The EQS 53, meanwhile, goes from 0-100kmph in 3.8 seconds, and the sedan has a range of 498 to 570km.
All Mercedes electric vehicles come with a complimentary installation of a charging station at a location agreed upon with the client, and Al Haddad Motors has been busy installing electric chargers across Bahrain.
“At this time, customers are very curious and trying to gather information about electric cars, so we are seeing a lot of range anxiety – where they are worried about how far a fully charged battery would get them,” Mr Ali added.
“I had a bit of that myself when I started driving them, but once you drive an electric Mercedes, it changes everything. Regarding range, I tell customers that I can drive for more than four days on a single charge.”
Al Haddad has so far installed chargers at the Avis car rental agency in Seef and King Hamad American Mission Hospital in A’Ali, as well as the Mercedes service centre in Salmabad and showroom in Tubli.
Mr Ali noted that the company has plans to expand this network and highlighted that although these are Mercedes-branded, they are universally compatible with all electric car models.
At the booth, Mr Ali and the rest of Al Haddad’s team noted a steady flow of interested fans who tested out the cars’ interiors and learned more about their many features.
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