Mercedes-Benz to update combustion engine car line-up amid EV demand slowdown

Mercedes-Benz on Thursday toned down expectations on EV demand and said it will update its combustion engine line-up well into next decade, becoming the latest carmaker to flag a slower than expected appetite for electric cars.

The company, which has been preparing for all-electric sales by 2030, said it now expects electrified sales — including hybrids — to account for up to 50% of the total by that date.

CEO Ola Kaellenius cautioned towards the end of last year that even Europe would likely not be ready by 2030 for an all-electric line-up, with multiple studies showing customers were holding back for a range of reasons including a lack of charging infrastructure and appealing electric models.

Kaellenius said Mercedes-Benz wanted customers and investors to know it was well-positioned to carry on producing combustion engine cars and was ready to update the technology well into next decade.

Its plans for updates mean “it is almost like we will have a new line-up in 2027 that will take us well into the 2030s,” Kaellenius said.