Mercedes has begun production of the EQC, a pure electric SUV that represents the German automaker’s first native EV (built to be electric, not adapted from a legacy vehicle).

The company has begun taking orders, and deliveries are expected to start next month. Mercedes says the EQC SUV is already sold out for the year.

Mercedes is producing the EQC at its Bremen plant, where the vehicle “can be flexibly integrated into the ongoing series production of vehicles with combustion engine or hybrid drive.”

The EQC has an 80 kWh battery pack and two 2 asynchronous motors with 300 kW (408 hp) of total power and 564 lb-ft of torque. Top speed is 111 mph, and 0-100 km/h acceleration is 4.9 seconds.

The new Benz sports a water-cooled 7.4 kW onboard charger. DC fast charging is a standard feature.

Mercedes previously announced a range of 280 miles, but at that time the company was still using the obsolete NEDC testing standard. Electrek predicts that the real-world range will be around 200 miles.

MSRP in Germany is 71,281.00 euros (including 19% VAT).

“Flexibility and efficiency are decisive pillars of the strategy in our global production network,” said Mercedes Divisional Board Member Markus Schäfer. “Production of the EQC is perfect proof of this. The staff in Bremen have many years of experience in the production of vehicles with a wide range of drive types.”

Sources: Mercedes, Electrek