Mercedes-Benz’s year-to-date sales in China are up 28 percent to about 429,000 vehicles, so there is some demand momentum there for potential plug-in vehicle sales. With the C-Class and GLC models in particular gaining in popularity, Mercedes-Benz wants to capitalize further on the Chinese government-funded incentives toward spurring plug-in vehicle adoption as the country tries to address pollution problems in its larger cities. Beijing Benz Automotive Co., Daimler’s joint-venture with China-based Beijing Automotive Group, has been making Mercedes-Benz light-duty vehicles in China since 2005.
Meanwhile, in Germany, Mercedes-Benz is developing a platform called MFA 2 that will be used for the next-generation A-Class subcompact plug-in hybrid. Developed with Renault and designed with increased amounts of aluminum, the MFA 2 platform will offer improved aerodynamics for the plug-in subcompact. That model may debut as soon as mid-2018.
Mercedes-Benz is looking to start selling more than 10 new electric vehicles by 2025. Most recently, the company announced in October that its all-electric EQ SUV will begin sales in 2020. That model is slated to have a 70-kilowatt-hour battery pack that will allow the vehicle to deliver 402 horsepower and have a single-charge range of 311 miles.
Related Video:
