Everyone and their dog is bracing for the zero-emission future. Mercedes, for example, intends to phase out its combustion-engined vehicles by 2030 where market conditions allow. In preparation for this change, Merc will expand its EV portfolio with a whopping four electric vehicle architectures.
In no particular order, these are the AMG.EA for high-performance applications, the MMA for compact vehicles, VAN.EA for… well… vans, and the MB.EA for medium and large vehicles. The GLC EV and C-Class EV are underpinned by the latter. The carparazzi have recently spied a zero-emission GLC doing its thing in sub-zero weather, a prototype flaunting German plates fore and aft.
BB stands for Böblingen, which neighbors Sindelfingen and Stuttgart. As it happens, Böblingen is where Mercedes-Benz Tech Motion GmbH is based. Mercedes-Benz Factory 56 is located in Sindelfingen, whereas Mercedes-Benz AG is headquartered in… wait for it… Stuttgart.
Camouflaged from head to toe, said prototype further shows makeshift lights. Expected to enter series production in 2025 for the 2026 model year, the GLC EV serves as the more capable successor of the poor-selling EQC. It's believed that next-gen electric vehicles will drop the EQ nomenclature, hence the placeholder nameplate. Thus far, Merc hasn't filed any EV-centric nameplate for the GLC in the US with the Patent and Trademark Office.
Different in many respects from the combustion-engined GLC, which features the MRA 2 platform for combustion-engined and hybrid-assisted applications, the all-electric sibling will be slotted under the EQE SUV in the automaker's lineup. Both the EQE and larger EQS are based on the EVA2 platform, which – curiously enough – doesn't support 800 volts. Come 2025, word has it that Mercedes will upgrade from 400 to 800 volts.
Photo: SH Proshots
The EVA2M is further expected with in-house motors and a two-speed gearbox à la the Audi e-tron GT and Porsche Taycan. First is for acceleration, while second is for improved range and a higher top speed than a direct-drive setup. For the time being, it's not known whether the Mercedes-Benz MB.EA of the GLC EV and C-Class EV will get a two-speed gearbox as well.
On the other hand, we do know for certain that MB.EA production will be handled by the MBUSI assembly plant in Alabama. The German automaker will move EQS SUV production from the Vance-based plant to Germany in order to make room for the GLC EV, which is certain to sell much better than the far more expensive EQS SUV.
The EQC-replacing model should outperform its forerunner in terms of acceleration and range, but alas, Merc hasn't published any estimates whatsoever for the MB.EA platform. Mercedes planned to bring the EQC stateside, but in February 2021, the Stuttgart-based automaker abandoned this plan due to uncompetitive pricing and range.
Codenamed N293 and technically similar to the previous-generation GLC, the EQC was discontinued from a plethora of markets in 2023. Over in China, where it's still available and locally produced, the EQC 350 4MATIC is listed with a driving range of 440 kilometers (273 miles) and a starting price of 491,900 yuan (69,130 dollars).
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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