Mercedes is rethinking its electric car strategy amid declining sales. We’ve learned that future models will look more like gas cars by dropping the super-slippery styling of the EQS and co. Another significant change is in the works. The German luxury brand intends to bring ICEs and EVs even closer by dropping the separate “EQ” lineup used today for zero-emission models. The two letters are staying, but they’ll have a less prominent role.
According to a Mercedes spokesperson cited by Automotive News Europe, the three-pointed star “will no longer use ‘EQ’ in model nomenclature for new vehicles.” It means there won’t be any new purely electric models that start with “EQ.” Instead, future vehicles will carry the name of the internal combustion engine versions, plus “EQ Technology” at the end. This strategy is already in place, having been used on the G580 with EQ Technology last year.
Photo by: Mercedes-Benz
The next model in line to get the “EQ Technology” branding will be the new CLA, which will break cover next month. The third generation of the luxury sedan will also be sold as a plug-in hybrid with the “EQ Hybrid Technology” terminology. The versions powered by gas and diesel engines will simply be called “CLA.” Even the cheaper ones will have some form of electrification baked in, considering Mercedes has developed a new mild-hybrid setup.
Mercedes has already teased the EQA and EQB replacements, which will be integrated into the GLA and GLB lineups, respectively. The entry-level offerings will also include a successor to the CLA Shooting Brake, but whether an EV variant is planned is unclear. You’ll notice the adjacent teaser does not include the A-Class and B-Class, but that’s not surprising since the Stuttgart-based automaker has announced its intentions to simplify its compact car portfolio. It could mean the hatchback, sedan, and minivan won’t live to see another generation.
Moving higher in the Mercedes lineup, an electric GLC has been officially confirmed. Given the revised naming strategy, it won’t be called EQC anymore. The old electric crossover was quietly discontinued nearly two years ago. The C-Class and E-Class sedans will also get the fully electric treatment. The company’s spokesperson refused to confirm whether the electric E-Class’ arrival would spell the immediate end for the EQE or if the two would co-exist for a while.
No fewer than 17 EVs and 19 ICEs are coming out by the end of 2027. The “biggest-ever product launch campaign” includes a “Little G” positioned below the Geländewagen off-roader.
Looking further ahead, Mercedes is also planning a purely electric version of the next-generation S-Class, which will likely be released around 2030. In the meantime, the current model will receive a “major upgrade” in 2026.
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Mercedes-Benz
Source:
Automotive News Europe
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