“Our goal is electric vehicles.”
This statement was emphasized by Matthias Baitel, President of Mercedes-Benz Korea, during the annual press briefing. On the 19th, at the launch event for the 11th generation E-Class held at COEX in Gangnam, Seoul, the company announced its business plans for 2024.
Matthias Baitel spoke about the star of the day, the 11th generation E-Class, along with other upcoming models including the CLE Coupe, CLE Cabriolet, Mercedes-Maybach GLS, revised G-Class models, the Mercedes-Maybach EQS SUV, electric G-Class, and the refreshed EQA and EQB models.
The list of new Mercedes-Benz models scheduled for release this year indicates a heightened focus on electrification compared to internal combustion engine models. The releases of the refreshed ‘EQA’ and ‘EQB’, the first fully electric off-road SUV ‘Electric G-Class’, and the luxury electric SUV ‘Mercedes-Maybach EQS SUV’ further reinforce Matthias’ confidence in achieving electrification sales targets.
With pure electric vehicle models making their way into the market from compact to luxury segments, it is anticipated that Mercedes-Benz’s share of electric vehicle sales will further increase. The company’s carbon neutrality strategy, known as Ambition 2039, is gradually being implemented.
Meanwhile, Mercedes-Benz reported a sale of 76,697 vehicles last year, a slight decrease of 5.3% compared to the previous year’s 80,976. However, electric vehicle sales surged by 83%, recording 9,183 units, making it the second highest in electric vehicle sales among imported car brands, following Tesla’s total of 16,461 units.
Written by Lee Sang-jin daedusj@autodiary.kr