Merc had the necessary financial resources to become a force to be reckoned with in the premium and luxury EV segments, but alas, the Stuttgart-based automaker was caught unprepared by the rising demand for electric vehicles. Be that as it may, the German automaker has learned from its mistake.
Come 2025, three dedicated EV platforms will be launched for passenger vehicles. The following year, the VAN.EA will usher in zero-emission cargo and camper vans. Regarding the aforementioned platforms for passenger vehicles, the list comprises the MMA (Mercedes Modular Architecture) for compacts, MB.EA for medium and larger vehicles, and the self-explanatory AMG.EA architecture.
The MB.EA will underpin an EQC-sized crossover that's alternatively dubbed GLC EV by peeps in the know. The carparazzi have recently spied four-door sedan the size of the C-Class, which should slot between the MMA-based CLA EV and the EVA2-based EQE. Obviously enough, the somewhat disappointing EVA2 will be superseded by the MB.EA in 2025.
Physically larger and stylistically different from the Concept CLA Class that previews the CLA EV, the camouflaged prototype borrows a few design cues from the second-generation EQC/GLC EV. For starters, the lights, side mirrors, and B pillars.
The high-mount third brake light also needs to be mentioned, whereas the crossover features pop-out door handles as opposed to traditional handles for the sedan. Even the footprint and overhangs are similar, and the same can be said about the tire supplier. Look even closer, and you'll further notice another similarity in the form of brake caliper placement.
Photo: Baldauf
Not much is known about the MB.EA platform, though. An educated guess would be rear-wheel drive as standard and all-wheel drive for those who put performance above driving range. This hypothesis is all the more plausible due to the EVA2 of the EQE and EQS sedans and sport utility vehicles, which are rear-wheel drive by default. Coincidentally, the rear-wheel drive EQE 350+ and EQS 450+ offer the most driving range in their respective model lineups.
Over in the United States, the EQE 350+ offers an EPA-estimated range of 305 miles (491 kilometers) for the four-door sedan and 279 miles (449 kilometers) for the SUV. As for the EQS 450+, make that 350 miles (563 kilometers) and 305 miles (491 kilometers), respectively, for the 2023 models.
At press time, the EQE 350+ sedan carries a starting price of $74,900 in the United States of America. It's anyone's guess how much the CLA EV will be, but it's pretty clear that the C-Class EV will slot between it and the roomier EQE in terms of MSRP. The same can be said about the second-gen EQC/GLC EV in relation to the next-gen EQA/EQB and EQE SUV.
Not expected to launch before mid-2025, the C-Class EV – or whatever it will be called – is believed to arrive in dealer showrooms as a 2026 model. Although we do know that the second-generation EQC/GLC EV will be produced in Alabama, there's no concrete information available on the production plant tasked with assembling the C-Class EV.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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