Mercedes bets big on hybrids amid electric push
Mercedes is investing more money in internal combustion engines and plug-in hybrids. These are expected to be the driving force during the complicated period of electric vehicle popularization.
The company plans to spend up to 20 billion CAD more on combustion technology development than initially planned. This involves investments in factories and technological advancements. All of this is to ensure that hybrid drive systems can hold up even into the next decade. If such decisions were not made, Mercedes' combustion engine business would have problems within three years.
The current Class A, B, and CLA generations will remain on the market longer. Official information has yet to be announced, but plug-in versions will likely receive cells with a capacity of 13 kWh. This is supposed to allow a catalogue range of about 90 kilometres. In reality, it might be more like 70 kilometres, but it is sufficient for city driving.
The electric EQA and EQB are also awaiting changes, specifically the installation of larger cells with a capacity of 70.5 kWh.
Interestingly, while the top Mercedes C-Class (AMG C63) uses a four-cylinder, 2-litre internal combustion engine, the coupe version, named CLE, is expected to return to a V8 engine. As you can see, Mercedes is trying to play on all fronts.
