Mercedes Benz plans to launch 10 electric vehicles (EV) across segments by 2022 globally even as it awaits clarity on government policy on green cars in India.
The share of EVs in the German car maker’s global sales should touch 20-25 per cent by 2025, Michael Jopp, vice-president, sales and marketing, of Mercedes Benz India Ltd, told The Telegraph.
The company recently unveiled in Sweden its first all-electric car, the Mercedes Benz EQC 400, an all-wheel drive electric SUV with a range of 200 miles.
On its India strategy, Jopp said: “We need technologies and services which make it possible to operate EVs and a dense infrastructure of charging stations. In order to bring customers to the decision to feel comfortable to buy an EV, the infrastructure needs to be ready as well.”
Mercedes, along with other manufacturers such as Toyota, have been calling for lower duties on alternative technologies such as hybrids to pave the way for electrification in India. The government so far has not brought down the 43 per cent GST on hybrid cars.
Mercedes continues to be on top of the premium heap with sales of 8,061 units in the first half of 2018. BMW has sold 5,171 units and Audi 3,300 units in the same period, according to industry estimates.
The company is on a strong growth track of 12.4 per cent with 39 per cent market share in the premium segment.
With the launch of the refurbished 2018 C-Class in September and the upcoming E-Class All-Terrain, it is expected to surpass its own sales of 15,330 last year to touch the 16,000-mark in 2018. Mercedes will also launch a luxury performance SUV, the new AMG G63, on October 5.
The C-Class is the second best-seller in the Merc stable after the E-Class.
“With more than 30,500 units of the C-Class on Indian roads, it remains Mercedes-Benz’s mainstay volume driver and a key member of our product offensive since its inception. In the last three years, the C-Class has contributed more than 18 per cent of the volumes in the Indian market,” said Jopp.
BS-VI compliance
The new C-Class has a BS-VI-compliant diesel engine. It has already launched the S 350d in February this year, the diesel S-Class variant, which was the first BS-VI compliant diesel engine in the country.
“We have fulfilled our commitment to the customers by launching the first BS-VI vehicle for the Indian market, made in India, way ahead of the set deadline, by launching the S 350d in February. Our strategy was to offer a BS-VI in all incoming diesel mills and we continued this with the first BS-VI diesel in the C-Class range with the C300d and the C 220d. We now will extend the BS-VI diesel in the E-Class All-Terrain which we will launch very shortly. We want to complete our BS-VI diesel portfolio way ahead of the set deadline,” said Jopp.
