The Mercedes-Benz EQE sedan and SUV look set to wrap up production next year to make way for electric versions of the C-Class and GLC.
Electric Cars
Mercedes-Benz is about to overhaul its electric vehicle strategy and rid its line-up of overlapping models.
That’s according to a report by Autocar in the UK, which says the E-Class and GLE-sized electric EQE sedan and SUV as models which could reach an early end, after being in production for only four years.
The major product shift would see Mercedes-Benz forgo a traditional mid-life refresh for the two models.
Instead, new electric models, the mid-size C-Class EQ and GLC EQ, would fill the gap left by the EQE twins.
The newer electric models will be underpinned by Mercedes-Benz’s upcoming 800-volt MB.EA Medium platform, instead of the EVA underpinnings used beneath the EQE and EQS electric vehicle ranges.
Slow sales of the EQE and EQS also led to Mercedes-Benz cancelling plans for a bigger MB.EA Large platform that was initially set to be the basis for successors to those model lines.
Packaging improvements for the new MB.EA Medium platform mean that, despite a more compact overall size, the new mid-size models should offer similar interior space to the outgoing EQE cars.
With Mercedes-Benz rapidly re-evaluating its electric vehicle plans, a number of models have either been axed or delayed.
Initial plans to update for the EQE, including a switch from a 400V to 800V electrical architecture and improved battery tech, will now be skipped entirely, Autocar reports.
Instead, the larger EQS sedan and SUV will receive the planned updates and see out a full model cycle.
The new C-Class EQ is expected to offer options such as four-wheel steering and air suspension, bringing the available equipment to levels closer to those of the departing EQE.
Similarly, the GLC EQ, an indirect successor to the previous EQC SUV, is expected to offer up to 570 litres of boot space and 128 litres under the bonnet, exceeding the EQE SUV’s 520-litre boot capacity and storage-less front compartment.
The GLC EQ is expected to make its debut at the Munich motor show next month, before going on sale in Europe in 2026.
The C-Class EQ range is likely to follow shortly after, and a larger E-Class EQ range built on the same MB.EA Medium platform as the C-Class EQ, is planned for a 2027 introduction, the UK publication reports.
Mercedes-Benz has not yet officially confirmed the end of EQE production; however, the expected arrival of an electric E-Class provides a strong clue as to the brand’s future direction.
Electric Cars Guide
Kez Casey migrated from behind spare parts counters to writing about cars over ten years ago. Raised by a family of automotive workers, Kez grew up in workshops and panel shops before making the switch to reviews and road tests for The Motor Report, Drive and CarAdvice.
