Mercedes-Benz has taken the wraps off the second model from its EQ electric sub-brand called the EQA hatchback concept. Unveiled at the Frankfurt motor show, the EQA will be the entry-level electric model and will sit below the production version of the EQC concept when it goes on sale in 2020.

The EQA concept hatch has a claimed range of 400km and will take the BMW i3 head-on.

“Our electric initiative is gathering pace: by 2022, Mercedes will have launched more than 10 all-electric vehicles. The EQA proves that we are serious about introducing electric mobility throughout the portfolio,” said Mercedes chairman Dieter Zetsche.

The new electric vehicle platform that has been used on the EQA will also be used in all the upcoming EQ models. The platform, codenamed EVA (electric vehicle architecture), has been made to allow the new model to be built alongside the carmaker’s conventional compact car models in the same manufacturing facility that produces the existing A-class, B-class, CLA, CLA Shooting Brake and GLA.

The modular platform will be able to support front-wheel, rear-wheel and all-wheel drive. It will also be able to accommodate up to two electric motors and a scalable battery mounted low down within its flat-floor structure, operating on an 800V electrical system that can provide rapid charging.

Stylistically, the EQA gets similar design cues to the EQC concept, including the smooth surfacing that Mercedes describes as electric aesthetic. A long wheelbase helps give the new concept short overhangs, while a combination of wide tracks and 20-inch wheels provide a suitable sporting stance.