Mercedes-Benz has revealed a timeline for the debut of its upcoming six new EQ models. The carmaker had previously confirmed details of its expanded EQ all-electric range which includes the EQA, EQB and the EQE and EQS sedans and SUVs, though it had not shared launch timelines for all the models.
- EQS to be first of the new expanded EQ range to arrive in 2021
- Carmaker eyes range of eight all-electric EQ models by the end of2022
- Expands plug-in-hybrid range to 25 models by 2025
Time line for international debut
The S-Class-sized EQS will be the first of the new-generation EQ models to debut, in the first half of 2021, with production then starting at the firm’s Sindelfingen plant in Germany.
Following the EQS will be the EQA, a GLA-based small SUV set to be produced at Mercedes’ Rastatt plant in Germany and in Beijing, China. The larger EQB will also be launched in 2021, with production centred in Hungary and Beijing.
The final model to go into production before the end of 2021 will be the EQE, an E-Class-sized electric “business sedan”. European cars will be built at the firm’s plant in Bremen, Germany, with production also starting in Beijing.
In 2022, Mercedes will introduce two SUVs to sit above the existing EQC model. The EQE and EQS SUVs will serve as the high-riding equivalents to the saloons of the same name. Production of those models will be centred in Tuscaloosa, US.
Mercedes EV offensive: Eight EVs by 2022; 25 PHEVs by 2025
Mercedes will offer a total of eight fully electric models (not including Smarts) by 2022, including an all-electric EQV electric minibus. Many of these models will be produced on the same line as the standard combustion-engined cars. The EQS, for example, shares a fully flexible line with the S-Class, while the US-built EQE and EQS SUVs will share their line with the GLE and GLS.
The EV offensive will be complemented by an increase in plug-in hybrid models on offer. More than 20 different PHEV variants are already on sale, but that will rise to 25 by 2025.
A global battery production network is in place, with plants on three continents in countries such as Germany, Poland, the US, China and Thailand. The brand predicts plug-in hybrids and full EVs to account for more than half of its sales by 2030. A further ambition is to ensure all car and van plants are CO2 neutral from “as early as 2022”.
Board member for production and supply chain Jörg Burzer described the model offensive as “a real Mercedes-EQ fireworks display”.
Burzer said, “Six electric product launches by 2022 underscore the strength and competence of our Mercedes-Benz production sites worldwide. The production network will have a total of six Mercedes-EQ car locations. Local production of highly efficient battery systems plays a centre role in the Mercedes-Benz strategy - coupled with a comprehensive sustainability concept that spans the entire life cycle of the battery all the way to recycling.”
Mercedes’s plans for India
Coming to India Mercedes is set to bring in a slew of new models in the coming months including the second-gen GLA, the new A-class limousine, the all-new S-class luxury limousine and the E-class facelift. Moving to the carmaker’s all-electric EQ range, Mercedes launched its EQC all-electric SUV in India earlier this year. While there is still time till the debut of the rest of the EQ range in international markets, the carmaker could consider introducing some of the models from its range in India at a later stage.
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