Mercedes-Benz bosses have approved a €10 billion (£9bn) programme to launch more than 130 electrified variants within the next seven years, spearheaded by the upcoming EQ S luxury saloon.
The plan – which involves an extended range of mild hybrids, plug-in hybrids, battery EVs and hydrogen- fuelled models – was tabled at a recent board meeting of Mercedes’ parent company Daimler and received the backing of chairman Dieter Zetsche.
The goal of the massive project is to give Mercedes an unparalleled range of premium electrified models, which will help to significantly reduce the company’s average fleet emissions ahead of a series of increasingly strict EU CO2 emission regulations starting from 2021.
The model assault will be split across the firm’s three electrified brands: the pure-electric EQ range, mild-hybrid EQ Boost, and EQ Power plug-in hybrids.
New Mercedes-Benz EQ C: all-electric SUV revealed
Mercedes has already confirmed the first three models in the full-electric EQ range. It will begin with the recently unveiled EQ C SUV. This will be followed by a production version of the EQ A hatchback concept seen at last year’s Frankfurt motor show.
Those two models will then be joined in 2020 by the upmarket EQ S, which was spotted testing in early prototype guise at Mercedes’ engineering HQ in Stuttgart, Germany, recently. As its name suggests, the Tesla Model S and Porsche Taycan rival will offer a similar level of luxury, comfort and features to the traditional Mercedes-Benz S-Class saloon.
Whereas the EQ C and EQ A are based on modified Mercedes-Benz GLC and Mercedes-Benz A-Class platforms – known internally as MEA1 and MEA1.5 – respectively, the EQ S will use a dedicated EV platform.
Named MEA2, the new platform makes heavy use of aluminium and is designed with a fully flat floor, as is common with many EV-only designs. This has allowed Mercedes to give the EQ S different proportions from the Mercedes-Benz E-Class and S-Class, between which it will sit in size.
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Borrowed designer
EQ S ... finally a really decent if not too original design. Maybe they borrowed from KIA a top designer? Point is, this will finally attract buyers from its looks rather than its emblem/ Still think the overhang (safety regs??) is OTT and should be at least 3 inches shorter at the front
Mercedes £9 Billion
Mercedes £9 Billion investment does show the UK government spending £106 million of our money on EV tech to be pretty irrelavent, being just over 1% of one German companies investment into EVs for the next few years
Lemmings
I suspect I'm going to keeping my 3ltr diesel E longer than I'd anticipated, with nothing in the upstream pipeline to replace it. The lemmings are rushing to the electric cliff.
Lemmings or 'by popular demand'?
MOT was changed this year so as to be tighter on diesel emissions so good luck keeping that running economically.
Besides that it'll be a very long time or 'if ever' we have a 100% BEV situation
Diesel:-RIP (Rattle In Peace)
James Dene wrote:
probably not much longer if Mercedes reliability is anything to do with it. My father in laws engine gave up ghost after 27k and year and half of running. Ironically that was a 2016 E350 CDI so good luck. Luckily he was covered under warranty so was repaired and now he exchanged for a Lexus.
Mind you I had to pay 3 grand for a new gearbox on 335d that was just out of warranty and had done 18k so it definately a german thing.