Mercedes-Benz Announces the End of Combustion Engines
by AutoExpert | 13 July, 2021
The internal combustion engine is on borrowed time, and no one knows when it will finally be phased out. Carmakers local and global are committed to full electrification, and another is about to do so.
According to a high-ranking Mercedes-Benz official, the company plans to phase out combustion engines by the end of the decade. "We're making the leap from EV first to EV only," they explained.
In the medium term, plug-in and hybrid options will grow, but combustion engines, including certain types of diesel, will not be accessible in all markets after 2030.
Mercedes recognizes that PHEV demand will persist in some regions of the world over the next decade, but expect battery electrics and possibly some hydrogen fuel cell cars to make up the vast majority of vehicles. Yes, it's plausible that Mercedes may stop selling combustion engines in the United States in fewer than ten years, but no official statement has been made.
More information will be released later this month at an event hosted by CEO Ola Kallenius. He'll almost certainly reveal plans for additional platforms with their own operating system. The first of these electric vehicles could arrive as early as 2024. This is a significant departure from the German automaker's initial ambitions to introduce battery-powered electric vehicles.
It wasn't long ago that PHEVs and EVs were expected to account for slightly over half of all passenger vehicle sales by 2030. That now appears to be a thing of the past, as electric vehicle sales and popularity are set to skyrocket. The luxury and technology flagship Mercedes EQS is just the beginning. Many of its features will soon be available on lower-cost variants.
It'll be fascinating to see how Mercedes-AMG responds to the news. It will be extremely difficult, if not impossible, for AMG to develop and manufacture combustion engines on its own. On July 22, during Mercedes' strategy day presentation, we should get a better view of the company's short- and long-term objectives.
