One of the most popular car brands in the world has announced that it will be ending production of two of its flagship electric vehicle models.
Mercedes-Benz said it would be ending production of the EQE Saloon and EQE SUV next year as the German carmaker plans a “realignment” for its range of EVs.
Reports from Autocar suggest the EQE saloon and EQE SUV will be indirectly replaced by the electric models, including the C-Class EQ and GLC EQ.
The EQE is described as the “new business avant-garde” with a staggering electric battery range of 410 miles.
Do you have a story you’d like to share? Get in touch by emailing [email protected]
The models are set to be replaced with the GLC EQ, which is set to be unveiled next week at IAA 2025
|
MERCEDES-BENZ
It was first debuted in 2022, with production taking place at the brand’s Bremen plant in Germany, as well as in Beijing for its Chinese market offering.
The EQE SUV, which is built in Mercedes’ first plant outside of Germany, in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, has a range of around 300 miles and benefits from batteries made at the nearby Bibb County base.
A spokesperson for the manufacturer told Autocar that it does not typically comment on “speculation surrounding its current and future models”.
Despite this, it confirmed that the electric E-Class EQ saloon is planned to be introduced in 2027 and is already under development.
Production of the Mercedes-Benz EQE saloon is set to end
|
MERCEDES-BENZ
The new model will make its debut at the International Motor Show in Munich later this month, with Mercedes promising a “GLC with EQ technology”.
Mercedes is keeping tight-lipped about the rollout of the new electric car, but has released a teaser image, showing an illuminated chrome grill.
Gorden Wagener, Chief Design Officer at Mercedes-Benz Group AG, said: “Our new iconic grille is not just a new front for the GLC, it redefines the face of our brand.
“It is the perfect fusion of lasting design codes reinterpreted for the future, making our cars instantly recognisable.”
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:
Mercedes also noted that the all-new GLC with EQ technology was inspired by a rich heritage and designed for the future.
Alongside the teaser image, Mercedes said it was “elevating the design language of Sensual Purity”, which aims to future-proof its models.
Fresh data from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) shows that Mercedes-Benz has sold 54,416 new vehicles in the UK so far this year.
This equates to an impressive 4.6 per cent of the market share and places Mercedes in the 10 best-selling manufacturers in the UK.
The chrome grill from the upcoming Mercedes-Benz GLC EQ
|
MERCEDES-BENZ
However, this is an 8.3 per cent decrease compared to the same time last year, when the German carmaker sold almost 60,000 vehicles, with a market share of 5.14 per cent.
In 2024, Mercedes sold almost 103,000 new cars, marking the brand’s best full-year performance in the UK since 2020, although there are concerns this could drop by the end of the 2025 financial year.
Demand for electric and plug-in hybrid models was “especially strong”, with UK managing director Olivier Reppert praising network partners.
Results showed that registrations of electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid models in the private retail channel jumped by 26 and 29 per cent respectively.