- Mercedes’ EV gross sales rose in Q1 whilst its general international gross sales fell.
- Europe and the U.S. helped elevate EV outcomes, however China remained a significant drag.
- New EVs just like the CLA and GLC may matter extra for Mercedes than the present EQ lineup did.
Mercedes-Benz will not be off to a superb begin this 12 months, with general international gross sales down 6% within the first quarter, pushed by a 27% drop in China, the place a value warfare with native premium manufacturers continues to be ongoing. Nevertheless, its first-quarter EV gross sales had been up 11%, reaching 50,400 models, of which 44,300 had been passenger automobiles.
That’s because of a 7% enchancment in Europe and a 20% enhance in EV gross sales in america (after a 19% drop in This fall 2025), which helped offset among the China dip. Mercedes describes 2026 as a “transitional 12 months” in China, when it is going to part out outdated fashions and put together their replacements.
This doesn’t apply solely to China, since Mercedes is within the strategy of renewing its lineup world wide. Its first key fashions in a new-generation EV push, the CLA and electrical GLC, have been very properly obtained, and there’s sturdy purchaser curiosity in these fashions. Driving the brand new GLC EV a couple of weeks in the past, it was fairly clear to me that Mercedes isn’t taking any dangers with its EVs, and it simply desires them to really feel like some other mannequin in its lineup. It’s a change for the higher since its present EQ lineup could have been a bit too bizarre for the standard Mercedes purchaser.
The brand new CLA EV was the primary signal that Mercedes was taking its electrical fashions in a extra conservative path. The design of its present EQ fashions, which some liken to jellybeans, was probably one of many massive the explanation why they didn’t promote in addition to the producer anticipated. There have been additionally some calibration issues with early iterations—who may overlook the sketchy brake pedal really feel in early EQS fashions—however they had been improved over time, and even now that they’re significantly better, Mercedes nonetheless has a tough time promoting them.
It’s nonetheless attempting to make these older EQ automobiles extra interesting by way of a mid-lifecycle facelift, which, within the case of the EQS, brings many adjustments and provides optionally available steer-by-wire, but it surely probably wants to start out recent with automobiles which have broader enchantment. The following essential new EV is the electrical C-Class, which shares its underpinnings and design language with the GLC EV and simply appears like a typical Mercedes sedan (with hints of fastback and coupe towards the rear).
Will probably be adopted by an electrical E-Class and S-Class, each constructed on the identical bespoke 800-volt MB.EA structure (not shared with the combustion lineup), and can probably proceed this extra conservative design path.
Mercedes is attempting to interrupt new floor with the VLE, which is an ultra-luxurious folks service that the producer desires you to seek advice from as a “grand limousine.” Having seen the VLE in individual, I might positively say it’s an enormous enchancment in efficiency, luxurious, and options over the V-Class, which is the go-to VIP shuttle in lots of elements of the world as of late.
2026 is essential for Mercedes-Benz EVs as a result of it is going to start rolling out the GLC EV, GLB EV, VLE, and the electrical C-Class. AMG can also be anticipated to unveil the manufacturing model of the GT XX Idea earlier than the tip of the 12 months. The optimistic first quarter for the producer’s electrical fashions could possibly be simply the beginning of an actual turnaround with all these new EVs hitting the market this 12 months.
