Mercedes has reportedly cancelled an entire EV platform

Mercedes is putting the kibosh on development of its MB.EA Large electric vehicle platform, having apparently been put off by the EQE and EQS's slower than expected sales. Oh dear.

First reported by Handelsblatt, the move will supposedly save billions in development costs as Mercedes rethinks its future luxury car strategy.

This is a big shift because the MB.EA platform - which was due to be ready for 2028 - was meant to bring several of the technologies previewed on the ultra-long range Vision EQXX to the table. Don't expect 750 miles from a single charge any time soon then.

 

Instead, reports say that Mercedes will perform a Friends-strength pivot and redirect the savings into further development of its EVA2 platform, which is what the EQS and EQE use at the moment.

And with Merc boss Ola Källenius reassuring shareholders that the company will keep building electric and combustion-engined cars for the foreseeable, the cancellation of MB.EA could prolong the existence of stuff like the S-Class until going EV-only becomes more viable.

"Mercedes-Benz will consistently create the preconditions for a CO2-neutral new car fleet by 2039," said the company in a statement. "We anticipate that the global share of electric cars and plug-in hybrids in our new car sales will reach up to 50 per cent in the second half of this decade.

 
"The pace of transformation is determined by market conditions and the needs of our customers. We will build the perfect Mercedes for every customer request. Into the 2030s, we can flexibly offer vehicles with both a fully electric drivetrain or an electrified high-tech combustion engine.

"To achieve this, we made our production flexible in terms of drive systems. For the further development of our product portfolio, we will sustainably leverage efficiencies between new and existing models. All new models from Mercedes-Benz will meet the highest demands of our customers."