The car manufacturer Mercedes-Benz is closing the chapter on new combustion models with the new E-Class. The sixth generation of the Stuttgart carmaker’s best-selling model series will be launched in Europe in the second half of the year, in the USA at the end of 2023 and in China in 2024, Mercedes-Benz announced at the model launch today.
It will be the last new generation with petrol and diesel engines, technical director Markus Schäfer explained last year. However, these are also electrified as mild hybrids and as externally chargeable plug-in hybrids, said Schäfer. The pure electric car in the second highest of all classes from the premium manufacturer already exists with the EQE.
According to an earlier announcement, Mercedes wants to reduce investments in combustion technology by 80 percent from 2019 to 2026, while 40 billion euros are to flow into electric mobility from 2022 to 2030. By 2030, CEO Ola Källenius only wants to sell e-vehicles if demand allows.
The auto show in Shanghai last week showed how strong the Chinese automakers are when it comes to electric cars, while the leading German manufacturers of combustion engines are lagging behind in this future brand.
