Everybody and their canine is bracing for the zero-emission future. Mercedes, for instance, intends to section out its combustion-engined automobiles by 2030 the place market situations enable. In preparation for this alteration, Merc will broaden its EV portfolio with a whopping 4 electrical automobile architectures.
BB stands for Böblingen, which neighbors Sindelfingen and Stuttgart. Because it occurs, Böblingen is the place Mercedes-Benz Tech Movement GmbH relies. Mercedes-Benz Manufacturing unit 56 is positioned in Sindelfingen, whereas Mercedes-Benz AG is headquartered in… look ahead to it… Stuttgart.
Camouflaged from head to toe, stated prototype additional reveals makeshift lights. Anticipated to enter sequence manufacturing in 2025 for the 2026 mannequin 12 months, the GLC EV serves because the extra succesful successor of the poor-selling EQC. It is believed that next-gen electrical automobiles will drop the EQ nomenclature, therefore the placeholder nameplate. To this point, Merc hasn’t filed any EV-centric nameplate for the GLC within the US with the Patent and Trademark Workplace.
Totally different in lots of respects from the combustion-engined GLC, which options the MRA 2 platform for combustion-engined and hybrid-assisted functions, the all-electric sibling will probably be slotted underneath the EQE SUV within the automaker’s lineup. Each the EQE and bigger EQS are primarily based on the EVA2 platform, which – curiously sufficient – does not assist 800 volts. Come 2025, phrase has it that Mercedes will improve from 400 to 800 volts.
Photograph: SH Proshots
The EVA2M is additional anticipated with in-house motors and a two-speed gearbox à la the Audi e-tron GT and Porsche Taycan. First is for acceleration, whereas second is for improved vary and the next high pace than a direct-drive setup. In the meanwhile, it is not identified whether or not the Mercedes-Benz MB.EA of the GLC EV and C-Class EV will get a two-speed gearbox as properly.
Then again, we do know for sure that MB.EA manufacturing will probably be dealt with by the MBUSI meeting plant in Alabama. The German automaker will transfer EQS SUV manufacturing from the Vance-based plant to Germany with the intention to make room for the GLC EV, which is for certain to promote a lot better than the far dearer EQS SUV.
The EQC-replacing mannequin ought to outperform its forerunner by way of acceleration and vary, however alas, Merc hasn’t revealed any estimates in any respect for the MB.EA platform. Mercedes deliberate to convey the EQC stateside, however in February 2021, the Stuttgart-based automaker deserted this plan as a result of uncompetitive pricing and vary.
Codenamed N293 and technically much like the previous-generation GLC, the EQC was discontinued from a plethora of markets in 2023. Over in China, the place it is nonetheless obtainable and domestically produced, the EQC 350 4MATIC is listed with a driving vary of 440 kilometers (273 miles) and a beginning value of 491,900 yuan (69,130 {dollars}).