Posted on 02/23/2024 7:25:53 AM PST by Red Badger
The company initially planned to be all-EV by 2030, but it said today that EVs will make up 50% of its sales by the end of the decade.
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There’s no longer an expiry date on Mercedes-Benz combustion engines. Due to the recent trends of slower-than-expected demand for EVs, the German automaker is recalibrating its EV transition pace, cutting down the number of electric models it expects to sell by 2030 in half, the brand announced today in an investor statement.
Earlier, Mercedes-Benz had pledged to go fully electric by 2030, and permanently consign its combustion engines to the history books by then. But it now plans to continue selling ICE cars well into the next decade. It has halved its EV goals, and pure electric models and hybrids will account for up to 50% of its sales by 2030.
“Unexpected developments may arise in particular from geopolitical events and trade policy,” Mercedes-Benz said in the statement. “Further supply chain disruptions and in particular, availability bottlenecks for critical components, remain a significant risk factor,” it added.
However, the brand would remain “strategically focused” and “tactically flexible,” as it awaits for demand to catch up, charging infrastructure to mature, and the supply chain to streamline. Following the latest development, the carmaker's stock price went up 5.9% and was also supported by a $3.3 billion share buyback program late on Wednesday.
Over the past couple of years, we’ve seen an EV on-slaught from the German automaker in Europe. Even in the U.S., Mercedes-Benz now offers six pure electric models, including the EQB SUV, EQE and EQS sedans and SUVs, and the opulent EQS SUV Maybach. It also sold a record number of EVs in 2023.
Even though Mercedes-Benz CEO Ola Källenius has pledged for his company to go fully electric, he has also stated that the internal combustion engine would die a natural death and that Mercedes-Benz wouldn’t transition “artificially.” In a nutshell, Mercedes-Benz ICE cars would continue to exist as long as customers want them.
How the carmaker plans to continue developing its electrified powertrains would be worth keeping an eye on. Reports emerged in August 2023 of Mercedes-Benz developing its M252 engine to function as a range-extender—a set-up where the engine works as a generator to charge the EV’s battery and functions independently from the electric motors that actually drive the wheels.
The Ramcharger, some Geely models in China like the Galaxy L7 SUV, as well as the BMW i3 and Chevy Volt are range extenders. The technology improves the EV’s overall driving range by reducing reliance on the battery alone, providing increased flexibility, and eliminating range anxiety for drivers. But the caveat is it still needs fossil fuels for power, which is quite contradictory to what the EV and climate movement is all about.
Next-generation Mercedes EVs are expected to ride on the Modular Mercedes Architecture (MMA), which would be designed for EVs and ICE cars as well. The production version of the new CLA, whatever it will be called in its final form, will be the first model to ride on the MMA followed by the next GLA and GLB models.
Did you see the part where that model was under recall? For battery issues no less! Unfreakin’ believable.
That thing shouldn’t even have been on the road......talk about negligence......sheesh SMH
I spoke to one of the owners of the company in California.
They are making these in China.
He stated that when he gets a container of them in(130) they sell out within 2-3 weeks.
I asked if he had any dealers in New England. His answer was NO. The closest dealer is in NYS.
That I could become a dealer by committing to 6-12 bikes.
There is currently a grey area on whether they are “road legal”. It depends on the state. Whether that state requires blinkers or not on a moped. Even though it is not a moped.
Most likely you will have to eventually register these to ride them on the roads. However, they are intended to be an off road vehicle.
easy northern climate where it snows why would you ever buy an EV.
To show you ‘care’..........................
“slower-than-expected demand for EVs”
Retards still have to get their talking points in.
LOL I was once investigated for firing an employee (black female). They found I did nothing wrong, except the investigator ( a black male)said i didn’t care enough. I stand by that and am proud of it. I told my boss I don’t care because she didn’t care.
Interesting, thanks. Seems like they should be classified as another electric motorcycle. We’ve had electric pedicabs here for about 3 years to haul tourists around, they are licensed but I don’t know how they are classified. The pedicabs peeps made a mistake and stored 5 of them together in a garage. Had battery fire, lost all 5 and the garage. Insurance covered some but not all of the loss.
A dealership could be big bucks.
“I predict maybe 5%-10% will be EVs.....industry wide.”
Once Boomers and near-Boomers are gone, EVs will take over. Younger people will lay down for anything considered “the new cool thing” especially if Boomers don’t like them. We were the same when we were young, we thought old folks were out of it.
“Janis Joplin is relieved.”
Good one! Here’s my related #48:
“I predict maybe 5%-10% will be EVs.....industry wide.”
Once Boomers and near-Boomers are gone, EVs will take over. Younger people will lay down for anything considered “the new cool thing” especially if Boomers don’t like them. We were the same when we were young, we thought old folks were out of it.
“We were the same when we were young, we thought old folks were out of it”
You missed a very important difference......we had the blessing of growing up before the digital age......at least I did.
That dynamic obviously changed the world and the kids growing up in it......and a lot of that influence has damaged the last two generations on many levels.
Nowadays kids are committing suicide because of the influence of the internet, cyber bullying etc.
I went to a very large high school for 6 years (7-12) in the 70s and I don’t recall any kids dying for any reason....much less suicide.
Yes, I saw the part about having no “Battery Malfunction” warning.
I can agree. But the technology will have improved a great deal by then.
It reminds me of US Army Air Corps pilots during WW II. They didn’t have much trouble finding enough fighter pilots because 19-24 year olds were used to their hot rod cars and liked speed. A 20 year old in a P-51 Mustang was hot $hit. Lol
I believe Polestar is Volvo's EV division. I have no idea how their sales are doing.
I agree and your addition/amendment/focus is a very good one.
My contemporaries generally agree we grew up in a golden age.
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