Remember when Stuttgart's favorite son announced that it would go fully electric by 2030 in markets where conditions allow? In light of many governments – especially in Europe – reevaluating their planned bans on the sale of new combustion-powered vehicles, Merc decided to back off. The German automaker has also recognized that demand for electric vehicles in 2030 may not be as high as originally anticipated.
Even though internal combustion will remain the bread and butter of Mercedes-Benz AG well into the 2030s, the company will debut a plethora of electric vehicles in the next couple of years. In addition to upgrading the EVA2 platform to EVA2M specification (think 800 volts and all that jazz), the German manufacturer has confirmed three further platforms: MMA for compacts, MB.EA for larger vehicles, AMG.EA for high-performance vehicles, and the VAN.EA for commercial vehicles.
The first MMA-based model has already been previewed in the form of the Concept CLA Class. The MB.EA will underpin the C-Class EV and GLC EV, whereas AMG.EA will be used for the successor of the GT 4-Door Coupe. As for the VAN.EA, it goes without saying that both electric panel vans and camper vans are in the offing.
Andre Smirnov from The Fast Lane has recently spotted two next-gen EVs cold-weather testing in Sweden, those being the CLA EV and GLC EV. He didn't film the CLA EV as much as the larger sport utility vehicle, which is understandable given that Mercedes will assemble this fellow in the US.
Suppliers and sources close to Mercedes-Benz USA revealed that EQS SUV production will be relocated to the Bremen plant in Germany to make room for the GLC EV at the MBUSI plant in Alabama. Considering the abysmally poor sales of the EVA2-based EQS SUV, it's hardly surprising that Merc will focus on the more affordable GLC EV.
Photo: TFLnow on YouTube
Despite being heavily camouflaged, the GLC EV spied by Andre clearly shows four-wheel steering. Test engineers struggle a bit to fit a GLC EV-sized cover in the front trunk, likely indicating limited cargo space for the frunk. The camouflaged prototype further shows pop-out door handles.
Relatively similar in footprint to the combustion-powered GLC, the all-electric sibling will sport a different codename. BMW is doing a similar thing with the X3 and iX3, although the first-gen iX3 sports an X3-derived platform rather than an EV-centric platform. The D-segment electric sport utility vehicle will switch to the heavily anticipated Neue Klasse platform, whereas the X3 will soldier on with CLuster ARchitecture underpinnings.
Unfortunately, prospective customers of the GLC EV will have to wait a bit longer until Mercedes-Benz AG confirms the highlight numbers of the MB.EA platform, including kilowatt hours and range. Even so, it's clear that Mercedes will offer dual- and single-motor setups. One can further imagine at least one high-performance version.
Expected to be far more commercially successful than the EQC, the GLC EV – or whatever will be called – will be presented in 2025. Sources understand that production will kick off in the first quarter of 2026 at the MBUSI plant in Alabama.
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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