Mercedes-Benz will add electric options in the C-Class and GLC-Class families in 2026, CEO Ola Källenius said last week during an earnings call outlining the company's financial results for the first half of the year. The timing suggests the EVs may arrive as 2027 models in the U.S.
Prototypes for the electric C-Class sedan and electric GLC-Class crossover have previously been spotted and suggest the vehicles will feature different styling, including a more aerodynamic shape, compared to their gas-powered siblings. AMG-tuned versions of the vehicles are also planned.
During the call, Källenius confirmed the vehicles would use the new MB.EA dedicated EV platform, Automotive News (subscription required) reported. He also said their arrival should help boost Mercedes' EV sales, which were down 25% year-on-year, falling from 61,211 units to 45,843.
The MB.EA platform was first announced in 2021. A larger version, dubbed MB.EA Large, was being developed to underpin successors to the EQE and EQS, though work was stopped earlier this year. According to reports from Germany, Mercedes will instead update the EVA2 platform used in the current EQE and EQS for the cars' successors. The EQS successor is reportedly due around 2028 with a more traditional sedan shape instead of the current model's jelly bean design.
2026 Mercedes-Benz GLC-Class EV spy shots - Photo credit: Baldauf
In addition to the MB.EA platform, Mercedes plans the MMA platform for compact EVs and hybrids, the AMG.EA platform for high-performance EVs from AMG, and the Van.EA platform for electric light commercial vehicles. The MMA platform will debut next year in a CLA-Class EV and the AMG.EA platform is also expected to debut next year in a successor to the GT 4-Door Coupe. Prototypes for both models are also out testing.
As recently as 2021 Mercedes had committed to exclusively selling EVs as soon as 2030. However, slower than expected growth in the demand for EVs led to the automaker in February announcing plans to keep gas-powered models on sale well into the next decade. Similarly, Cadillac, which also targeted a fully electric lineup by 2030, said in May that it will likely still be selling gas-powered cars beyond the date.
Porsche also came out last month with comments that it no longer targets EV sales to reach 80% of total sales by 2030. The automaker also confirmed that its top-selling Cayenne will still be available with gas and plug-in hybrid powertrains next decade, despite an electric Cayenne launching in the next year or two.
source: https://www.motorauthority.com/news/1144010_electric-mercedes-benz-c-class-and-glc-class-arrive-in-2026
by Viknesh Vijayenthiran
http://www.boscheuropean.com
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