The market for electric cars is not growing as fast as Mercedes had thought. That is why the car brand is now lobbing about electric cars from the ceiling.
Mercedes will only build electric cars in 2030.
Or rather: Mercedes would only build electric cars after 2030. The brand is once again lowering expectations for the electric car.
Mercedes CEO Ola Källenius said this already in February. At the same time, the boss acknowledged that the internal combustion engine will live on for a while yet. And that it is difficult to put an end date on the technology.
In an interview with the Swedish media Dagens Industri, the director sheds some light on why Mercedes is now turning around.
Was worth more than Volkswagen – now the car brand is threatened with bankruptcy
– Many of those who we call "early adopters", i.e. early users, have already bought their electric car.
– Now is the time to reach the masses. Every customer asks themselves: What is best for me, dare I take the plunge and can I give up?
– I don't think anyone can say with certainty when the internal combustion engine will disappear and we will become 100 percent electric, says Ola Källenius.
However, the 54-year-old Swede, who has had the ultimate responsibility for Mercedes since 2019, does not say more than can actually be read in the car brand's annual report.
The report, which was published back in March, states that Mercedes is 'positioning itself to be able to offer products to different customer groups, both fully electric powertrains and internal combustion engines, well into the 2030s'.
However, Mercedes still believes that the electric cars will at some point push out the diesel and petrol cars completely. Last year, the German brand also managed to sell 73 percent more electric cars than in 2022.
However, it is a tough battle for the retailers. In an interview with Automotive News, an anonymous Mercedes dealer puts into words how customers are moving away from the brand's electric cars. Read more about it here .
