Mercedes-Benz continues to lead premium EV market

Mercedes-Benz EQS / Courtesy of Mercedes-Benz Korea

By Kim Hyun-bin

Mercedes-Benz Group AG initiated its transition from an "Electric first" strategy to an "Electric only" strategy in July 2021, emphasizing its commitment to continue leading in electric mobility and vehicle software while carrying on the founder's legacy.

Mercedes-Benz's electrification is based on its "Ambition 2039" vision, which outlines a concrete and clear path for achieving sustainable mobility across the automotive industry.

During an ESG conference in March, in which the company pledged an 80 percent reduction of carbon emissions from production processes by 2030, it reiterated its vision by stating, "There is no luxury without sustainability." The company also announced an investment of 1.3 billion euros ($1.4 billion) for electric and digital education for employees in Germany by 2030.

Mercedes-Benz plans to develop EV platforms, establish next-generation batteries and new charging infrastructure and expand its EV production network. Particularly, Mercedes-Benz's EV lineup has already made significant advancements.

As a result, Mercedes-Benz achieved a total global EV sales last year of over 117,800 vehicles, a 124 percent increase compared to the previous year. Sales in the first quarter of this year have already surpassed 50,000 vehicles, indicating an even more promising sales performance for EVs in 2023.

Mercedes-Benz aims to achieve a maximum market share of 50 percent for electrically driven vehicles (xEV), such as plug-in hybrids or pure electric vehicles, by 2025. By 2030, the company plans to be ready to transition its entire lineup to battery EVs (BEVs). Furthermore, it plans to achieve carbon neutrality in the entire value chain related to new vehicles by 2039.

To accomplish this, all new vehicles will starting in 2025 be developed using the new EV-exclusive architecture: MB.EA (Mercedes-Benz Electric Architecture), AMG.EA (AMG Electric Architecture) and VAN.EA (Van Electric Architecture). MB.EA is a scalable modular system that encompasses medium-sized to large passenger cars and serves as the foundation for Mercedes-Benz's future EV portfolio. AMG.EA is a high-performance EV, and VAN.EA is a platform for electric vans, expected to contribute to emission-free transportation and eco-friendly urban implementation.