Mercedes is gearing up for an exciting trip to the 2021 IAA Mobility conference in Munich.
Set to take place between September 7-12, the event will feature new products and services from all corners of the mobility world. The German automaker says it will drop a total of eight new vehicles across its brands at the show – including an all-electric E-Class (the EQE sedan) and its first-ever AMG EV.
Mercedes-Benz, Mercedes-EQ, Mercedes-AMG, Mercedes-Maybach and smart will all show off new metal, including five all-electric models and a performance hybrid. To build excitement for the event, the company released a pair of teaser images for its upcoming EQE electric sedan – and it looks every bit as futuristic as its larger sibling, the EQS.
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The images are surprisingly detailed for a tease. The exterior shot shows us a car with meaty fenders and a sweeping, coupe-like roofline. Most prominent in the photo is the EQE’s rear end, which is dominated by a side-to-side LED light strip.
The car’s muscular appearance aligns with the automaker’s affirmation that the vehicle will feature dynamic performance. According to the company, the EQE will “showcase how sporty and comfortable an electric business sedan can be.”
The car’s cabin is dominated by a massive center screen and digital driver display, of the sort we’ve already seen in the EQS sedan, which boasts a ‘hyperscreen’ spanning almost the entire dash. The EQS carries a third screen to the right of the center infotainment display, too, which also appears to be in place in the EQE, though it’s one area of the shot that lacks detail.
Four other electric vehicles will join the EQE in Munich. Mercedes mentions the EQB in its announcement, which is a seven-seat SUV, while a Mercedes-AMG EQS – that’s the brand’s performance line – and a Mercedes-Maybach SUV concept will count among the other models set to debut.
Analysis: An all-electric future for Mercedes?
Mercedes is moving quickly in its shift to an all-electric future.
The automaker’s roadmap includes plans to launch three new electric-only vehicle architectures by 2025, alongside a commitment to launching electric architectures exclusively from that point forward.
By the end of the decade, then, Mercedes expects to go all-electric where market conditions allow, and notes that it has plans to build eight Gigafactories to support its battery needs.
That commitment would align with other automakers making similar promises surrounding all-electric futures. Volkswagen has already said it now expects 70% of its sales in Europe to be all-electric vehicles by 2030, while Swedish manufacturer Volvo intends to see EVs account for 50% of its global sales by 2025, with the rest coming from hybrid models.
In a decade's time, then, there's a possibility that EVs could outnumber traditional combustion-engine vehicles – on European roads, at least.
