Mercedes, full steam ahead with ICE technology | FormulaPassion

Trust in combustion engines. Mercedes-Benz looks to the future aware of the fact that it will take longer than expected to have only 100% electric vehicles in circulation: for this reason the Star car manufacturer has not only toned down its expectations on the demand for electric vehicles, but has also stated that it will update the its range of internal combustion engines until the next decade.

Slow electric

The balance is therefore changing: Mercedes-Benz now predicts that the sales of electrified vehiclesnot only pure electric vehicles but also hybrids, will represent up to 50% of the total registrations by 2030, thus achieving an important step backwards compared to the previous ambition of preparing for all-electric sales by the end of the decade. The market conditions that were the basis of these forecasts were certainly more favourable, for this reason the Star brand decided to scale back its objectives.

Downward prospects

But it is certainly not a bolt from the blue: CEO Ola Kaellenius had already warned towards the end of last year that even Europe would almost certainly not be ready to welcome a fully electric offer by the end of the decade, given the numerous studies that they showed how customers were holding themselves back a number of reasons, including the lack of adequate charging infrastructure and attractive EV models. Translated: Mercedes-Benz will continue to invest in ICE technology, so much so that it is expected to introduce one on the market in 2027 updated range of models with combustion engine that it is able to survive until about the middle of the next decade.

Clash between EU and China

Meanwhile, the German giant has decided to revise its prospects for 2024 downwards, due to several factors: Slowing economic growth, supply chain bottlenecks, and trade tensions between China, the United States, and the European Union are just a few of them. Speaking of China, Kallenius himself admitted that, according to his idea, any strategy put in place by the EU to increase protectionism against the Asian country it could represent a destructive move for an economic region of its caliber.