Sunday, January 18, 2026

How Does the New Mercedes EQS EV Drive? Just Ask Ludacris.

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The new Mercedes-Benz EQS EV is coming soon and the suspense has fans of the German automotive brand waiting in eager anticipation for the release of the highly-rated luxury car.

“First fully-electric Mercedes Benz, and who gets to test drive it first? It is I who gets to test it out first. It is I,” rapper Ludacris said in an Instagram post to his 13 million fans.

He’s driving the highly-anticipated Mercedes-Benz EQS, which is expected to hit the market later this year.

“I feel like I’m about to play a video game. But it’s not a video game, it’s real life. And that I love,” the rapper said.

Ludacris took his fans on a tour of the new EV, showing off the car’s impressive dashboard. “Now this is a hyper screen,” he says.

He’s particularly impressed with the individual viewing and listening options for the driver and passenger, calling it “the dopest part.”

The American-Gabonese rapper, who was born Christopher Brian Bridges, is a Mercedes driver. Last year he took to Instagram to showcase his Mercedes-Maybach GLS 600. It has a blue and silver exterior with a sparkling white interior.

Electric Mercedes

Mercedes began touting its shift to electric earlier this year. The brand says all of its cars will be fully electric by 2030.

“The EV shift is picking up speed – especially in the luxury segment, where Mercedes-Benz belongs. The tipping point is getting closer and we will be ready as markets switch to electric-only by the end of this decade,” Mercedes-Benz CEO Ola Källenius said in a statement earlier this year. “This step marks a profound reallocation of capital. By managing this faster transformation while safeguarding our profitability targets, we will ensure the enduring success of Mercedes-Benz. Thanks to our highly qualified and motivated workforce, I am convinced that we will be successful in this exciting new era.”

Image courtesy Mercedes-Benz

The luxury auto market has been moving toward EVs, with Bentley announcing its first fully electric car coming in 2025, Aston Martin, and Rolls-Royce all moving toward discontinuing combustion engines.

While the EQS is rolling out, the EQC was supposed to be the brand’s first major EV effort in North America. Mercedes-Benz canceled those plans earlier this year though, due to “market developments.” Now, the brand says the EQC will arrive in 2025. It’ll be more modestly priced than the S-Class, which starts at more than $100,000.

But for those with a budget, the EQS appears worth the spend. There’s Ludacris’s endorsement, and CNET shared similar enthusiasm,

“The EQS showcases a level of luxury and technology that, despite the numbers or specs, puts it in a class above. And for now, that really can’t be matched by any of its competitors.”

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