Daimler, the parent company of Mercedes-Benz, is to accelerate the roll-out of new EVs. Models that the car manufacturer had planned for 2024 and 2025 are now being brought forward. This means that the end of the combustion engine at Daimler may soon be in sight.
According to sources from the German Manager Magazine Daimler CEO Ola Källenius would like to announce the new course before the summer holidays. Bringing forward the EVs yet to be introduced would phase out their combustion engine equivalents. Daimler has not yet officially confirmed this, but given the course of the competition, this seems a logical step. Earlier this year, Daimler announced that the group will invest €70 billion until 2025 in “accelerating the transformation towards electrification and digitalization”. However, no firm deadline was set for phasing out the combustion engine.
That seems to be coming anyway, provided the information from the sources is correct. A clearer EV strategy can contribute to the company’s stock market value, among other things. Currently, Mercedes-Benz has five EVs in its range: the EQC, EQS, EQV, EQA and EQB. The EQE and EQE SUV are expected to be added later this year. The EQS will also eventually have an SUV brother. In the field of commercial vehicles, there are the eVito and eSprinter. Smart, which also falls under the care of Daimler, is currently supplying the Fortwo and Forfour EQ and will be launching a new electric SUV at the end of this year.
What Daimler had planned for 2024 and 2025 is currently still looking at coffee grounds. Mercedes-Benz currently releases all its EVs under the EQ label, but it is not inconceivable that the regular models will also switch to an electric powertrain by that time. What exactly is inside Daimler’s crystal ball may soon become clear.