In less than five years, the automotive landscape here in the Philippines has quickly evolved, the term electrification was not commonly spoken or heard, but these days we hear the acronyms like HEV, BEV and PHEV often. Carbon neutrality is just about every car company’s goal.

As of late, Chinese brands have been front and center, showcasing their different earth-friendly products. We might have not noticed that long established brands are still very much in the game and also have their line up of earth-friendly products which are also very competitive in their class.

Mercedes-Benz is one such brand and they recently invited us to experience their full electric EQ models on a quick drive out of town. Examples on hand were the EQA 250 SUV and the EQE 350+ sedan.

Before we set off, we had a quick dive into Mercedes-Benz’s own road map into the next decade. Their goal by 2030 is to have a line up that consists of 50% EV and Plug-In-Hybrid and by 2039 to be carbon neutral for their whole lineup. On top of that, they intend to recycle more used materials into new vehicle components, hence this activity was dubbed “Sustainable luxury in motion.”

The model we drove to Forresta Café in Dasmariñas Cavite was the Mercedes-Benz EQE 350+, a sedan that looks more like a coupé with its elegant lines and sleek roofline that flows into the rear. A trademark of EVs of this marque is the fully closed front end instead of a traditional grille. The rear is all rounded except for the spoiler that emanates from the edge of the trunk lid. It has a noticeably distinct LED pattern for its tail lights and the only hint at this variant being the AMG Line on the exterior is that it’s indicated on the spokes of it’s large aerodynamic alloy rims.

Stepping inside, it’s everything you expect from this brand, luxury and technology, the whole nine yards. Its all digital, starting off with the large color LCD instrument panel and the even larger 12.8-inch vertically oriented OLED infotainment screen. Haptic feedback allows for intuitive input while driving. The flat-bottomed steering wheel has controls for infotainment, cruise control and other important functions, and its wrapped in soft nappa leather. Ambient lighting allows you to personalize the look of the cabin and tailor it to your mood with 64 colors. A premium audio system by Burmester gives you 3D Surround sound and the quiet EV interior makes for a great soundstage for your favorite songs on the road.

The MBUX multimedia system responds to your voice commands with a simple ”Hey Mercedes!” and on top of that MBUX integrates augmented reality with your navigation, giving you a more accurate graphical representation of your route and destination.

The EQE 350+ is equipped with Active Parking Assist and the 360-degree camera system make maneuvering, entering, parking and exiting parking spaces easier and safer. It also has Mercedes-Benz’ adaptive cruise control called Active Distance Assist Distronic. It has quad zone air conditioning to make sure all occupants are comfortable n their corners. And to make sure you, the driver, is the most comfortable and alert on long drives, it’s got the Energizing Package which has different modes which uses intelligence to combine different aspects of interior features like climate control, music, ambient lighting, seat heating and others to create a personalized experience to perk you up.

The EQE 350+ is powered by an electric motor that puts out 292-Ps with 565-Nm of torque that drives the rear wheels. It’s powered by a 90.5-kWh battery with a maximum AC charging capacity of 22-kW with a DC fast charge capacity of 170-kW via a Type2/CCS charger. This has a WLTP range of 644 – 682 kilometers.

The EQE 350+ combines both worlds of luxury and performance, in a package that handles like a small sports car with big car luxury, with a driving range that can take you all the way to Baguio on full charge. You’ll probably need to only charge it once a week if you use it as a daily driver to work and once more if you plan to take it out of town. It’s equipped with paddle shifters that adjust the regenerative braking strength making it easy to adjust on the fly. Drive modes via Dynamic Select allows you to choose between Comfort, Sport, Eco and Individual, I used it on Eco most of the drive to and from Cavite and it still gave me a sporty driving experience. Priced at P6,290,000 and that's pretty much where you expect cars of this class to be. Overall, you have a luxurious EV earth friendly package that can easily get past ICE contemporaries on the road.