50 percent electric cars by 2030; the original plan was a complete switchover.
German carmaker Mercedes-Benz wanted to become fully electric by the end of the decade. The announcement of 2021 was accompanied by the subordinate clause “wherever market conditions permit.” And it is precisely these conditions that are apparently forcing the Stuttgart-based company to reduce its targets significantly. Only 50 percent of total sales are expected to be fully electric, according to a press release on the 2023 annual results. Market conditions and customer wishes will determine the pace of the transformation. If necessary, vehicles with combustion engines will be available until the 2030s. As things stand, this is likely to end in 2035, as the ban on the sale of new cars powered by petrol or diesel will come into force in the European Union. However, the compromise between the EU and the German government, which will allow the creation of a new vehicle category powered only by synthetic fuels by fall 2024, is one of the uncertainties. These would be exempt from the sales ban regulation, and combustion engines would then have a new chance – if enough so-called e-fuels are available by then.
Photo: iStock/ismael juan
