Mercedes Switches Plans: four Electrical Cars In Next Few Years, Rather Than one By 2018
Mercedes-Benz is now aiming to bring four electrified vehicles to market over just the next few years, rather than simply one, according to latest reports.
The reason for the speeding up of plans is evidently that competitors such as BMW and Audi (not to mention the rising competitor Tesla) have been making strong moves as of late – meaning that Mercedes needs to speed things up on the electrified vehicles front or possibly get left behind.
Note that the company was previously expected to introduce a single fresh battery electrified vehicle in 2018.
Our sister site Gas two provides some more info:
According to CAR, the EVA chassis is not entirely fresh. It adopts elements of the modular rear-drive MRA architecture, such as the electronics platform, the suspension, and the basic bod structure. Mercedes says it will begin with a sedan that fits inbetween the C Class and E Class cars of today. It will be followed closely by a crossover SUV that should fit in inbetween the current GLC and GLE in size. Later, a larger electrified car similar in size to the S Class is planned, as well an SUV that is larger than the current GLS. At one time, Mercedes had planned to build a fresh “green” factory for its electrical cars, but has determined to manufacture all its battery electrical and plug-in hybrid cars at its facility in Bremen in northern Germany.
What will the fresh cars look like? Mercedes chief designer Gordon Wagener, tells Automotive News, “We have a strong strategy, and if you look at last year’s concept cars, they can give you some indication of where we are going. A utter electrified would undoubtedly have an expression of its own. We will keep the grille, albeit I can’t tell you yet in which form.” He says the IAA concept it had on display at the Frankfurt auto showcase offers significant clues. “Our Frankfurt concept was inspired by the airflow and streamlined spirit of the 1930s. We desired to display that an aero car can look beautiful. The aero effect, with the long tail end, brings significant advantages at highway speeds and this is significant in an electrified.”
Reportedly, the company is aiming to sell at least 20,000 units of each model. Pricing will be in the
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