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We have known for years that Mercedes-Benz has been investing large sums of time and money in electrifying its line. We didn’t realize how far that plan would go though, but we now know, thanks to a huge announcement made Tuesday by CEO Ola Källenius.
It turns out that Mercedes has big electrical plans, not just for its vehicles but also for its AMG, EQ, G and Maybach sub-brands. The latter is incredibly exciting, because who wouldn’t want to be carried away by supreme luxury and total silence? But more than that, Maybach will double in size. The brand, not cars – I do not believe that vehicles could get a lot bigger.
Mercedes also wants to expand its range G. Källenius stated that the current generation of G-Wagen it’s so popular that Magna-Steyr (the contractor that makes the G) can’t keep up with the demand. Not bad for a six-figure dinosaur of an SUV, but it’s up to our imagination how exactly the G-brand will expand. Will we see more six-wheelers and square 4x4s?
AMG will lean more on its success with Formula 1. We suspect this is a nod to the AMG One hypercar, with its F1-derived hybrid engine and transmission. Given AMG’s reputation for making exceptional but slightly unhinged high-performance cars, this definitely gets us excited about other possibilities.
Finally, the EQ sub-brand, which Mercedes has been using to showcase its all-battery electric models, will also get a boost. The four SUVs that Mercedes announced earlier will play a big part in this, but there’s likely even more in store, possibly in the form of future EV-specific vehicle architectures.
On top of all this, Mercedes wants to re-commit to its legacy as a luxury car company. You plan to do this by overhauling your sales network, brand communications, and product portfolio into something electric, as well as more software-centric (whatever that means) and sustainable.
This all sounds great, but does it leave us with more questions than answers? In the words of the late Hollywood great producer Robert Evans, “You can bet your ass on it.” But that won’t stop us from being excited about what the world’s oldest automaker has in store for us.