There will be cleaning in the Mercedes range. In fact, to finance research and development related to the electric car, the manufacturer plans to order its range, thus reducing the number of models from 33 to just 14 in the coming years. Almost all family cars, coupes and convertibles would be scrapped.
A few months ago, Mercedes presented its long-term strategy, in particular for its electric cars, but also for its entire range which, in any case, will gradually switch to all-electric with the exception of a few products.
With this new strategy, Mercedes will aim to be more profitable, more exclusive, but Mercedes didn’t necessarily explain how it was going to do it. Today, everything seems clearer, since the crashed manufacturer will exercise sacred management in its range. Completed the extensive range destined to occupy all corners of the market, in Mercedes, now we will focus on the most profitable products.
A range that will be reduced to a trickle
Like our colleagues from car and driverOf the 33 silhouettes that today make up the range in Europe and the United States, only 14 will remain in the next few years. And who will be the main victims? Coupes, convertibles and station wagons, specifically the models with the lowest sales volume today.
“At the end of the day, we simply don’t need underperforming trucks or coupes to drive volumes up”said a member of the Mercedes-Benz strategy team car and driver. “The most essential elements of sustainable contemporary luxury cars are space and time… This is our number one priority: not another fancy body style, a model that only works in Europe, or one last sword-in-the-water trick in a dying segment. »
Generally speaking, that’s what it looks like in the Mercedes EQ range today. Mercedes only offers sedans, compacts and SUVs, which are usually very high-end for their segment. Coupes, trucks and convertibles have no place. Thus, the models oriented to “pleasure” will gradually disappear, or will be rationalized. For example, the C-Class and E-Class coupes and convertibles will only be a model in a few months with the future Mercedes CLE, but it will not be electric.
Towards increasingly efficient electric models
The breaks should disappear by the end of the decade at Mercedes. Will there still be a 100% electric alternative? Perhaps, especially since not everyone has abandoned this segment, Volvo, for example, intends to launch electric pickup trucks after SUVs and sedans.
The money saved for the development of these less profitable models will be redistributed to research and development of the electrical part. Therefore, Mercedes should give a big push in terms of engineering.
We are already talking large batteries up to 150 kWhfour-digit electric motor powers, in particular for the Mercedes-AMG range that is also electrifying, more than 800 km of autonomy for certain models or even a new 800 volt architecture with a charging capacity of 270 kW.
With the approval of its level 3 autonomous driving in the State of Nevada and California, Mercedes becomes the first manufacturer to be able to use this technology on the roads of the United States. Thus, the German brand…
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