Mercedes-Benz EQE 500

The EQE 500 bridges the gap between the long-range 350+ and performance-focused AMG 53 On sale Now Price from £82,605

- OLIVER YOUNG

FASTEST OR FARTHEST? With electric cars, you can have the quickest acceleration or the longest range, but never both at once. It's all about picking the compromise that works best for you, and this explains the existence of the new Mercedes-Benz EQE 500 saloon.

With a hearty 402bhp on tap, it's comfortably quicker than the cheaper EQE 350+, at the cost of official range dipping from that car's 429 miles to a less remarkable 386 miles - partly because the 500 has a smaller battery: 90.5kWh (usable) versus 96kWh. That range will still suffice for many, though, and it beats the 306-mile promise of the even faster AMG EQE 53, which has the same battery.

The EQE 500's range also beats that of the rival BMW i5 eDrive40 M Sport, which officially manages 354 miles on a full charge. It's 1.3sec quicker than the i5 from 0-62mph, too, but the Mercedes trails the BMW when it comes to ride comfort and driver appeal.