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The Mercedes-Benz EQS has a Power Nap mode (seriously)

Mercedes' new flagship EV is perfect for napping in and it'll even wake you back up.

2022 Mercedes-Benz EQS Edition One

If you're going to sleep in the car, why not make it this one?

Mercedes-Benz

Driving or riding in the new Mercedes-Benz EQS should be an extremely serene experience. As editor-in-chief Tim Stevens found out during his first drive, the electric sedan is even quieter than an S-Class with a luxurious interior and a super-smooth ride. Mercedes looked beyond just the ideal driver and passenger experiences when designing the EQS, though, going so far as to perfect how good of a car it is to fall asleep in. Really. The result is a new Power Nap mode and it sounds absolutely incredible.

The Power Nap function -- it really is called that, by the way -- is part of Mercedes' Energizing Comfort suite of programs, which have been further improved for the EQS. These different programs are designed to suit your mood, adjusting things like the climate control system, ambient lighting, piped-in fragrance and audio system. Mercedes even developed a new fragrance specific for the EQS called No. 6 Mood Linen, which smells like a fig tree surrounded by fresh air.

2022 Mercedes-Benz EQS Edition One
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2022 Mercedes-Benz EQS Edition One

These seats were made for napping, and that's just what they'll do.

Mercedes-Benz

Power Nap is designed to be used during breaks on a long highway trip, like when you're at a rest stop or EV charging station. It moves the driver's seat (and the passenger seat, if you so choose) into a rest position by reclining the seat back and adjusting the seat base. The car also automatically closes the shades for the sunroof, the side windows and the rear window.

To further help you fall asleep, an animation of a starry sky appears on the central display, as well as the passenger display if you've got the Hyperscreen, plus the screens on the rear seatbacks if that option box was ticked, too. The car also plays soothing noises, sets the climate control to recirculate fresh air and changes up the ambient lighting to a darker, more subtle scheme.

When it's time to wake up, the EQS starts playing "pleasantly activating" sounds and begins pumping fragrance back into the interior. It also activates the seat's massage and ventilation functions, raises the seats back to their regular positions, lights the interior back up and opens the sunshades. As a nap enthusiast -- and someone who regularly stops to stretch and re-energize myself on long drives -- I cannot wait to try this out.

2022 Mercedes-Benz EQS Edition One
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2022 Mercedes-Benz EQS Edition One

The EQS' Hyperscreen can display different nature animations.

Mercedes-Benz

The Power Nap mode isn't the only new feature added to the Energizing Comfort menus. There are three Energizing Nature programs -- Forest Glade, Sounds of the Sea and Summer Rain -- that were created in collaboration with Gordon Hempton, an "acoustic ecologist." Each one helps with relaxation and concentration and are playable while driving; the system is similar to the soundscapes offered in , and products.

Forest Glade plays the sounds of birds and rustling leaves, blows gentle air and a bit of fragrance through the vents and displays an animated forest on the screens. Sounds of the Sea displays ocean waves, with blasts of cool air synchronizing with the waves and the sounds of the water and seagulls in the background. Summer Rain shows rain falling on leaves and plays the sounds of distant thunder. All three programs are augmented with unique musical compositions based on Hempton's work that were developed by Mercedes' sound departments.

2022 Mercedes-Benz EQS Edition One is a flashy, techy electric flagship

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Daniel Golson Former social media editor

Article updated on April 15, 2021 at 9:00 AM PDT

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Daniel Golson Former social media editor
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