Due in 2023, the new-generation Mercedes-Benz E-Class will be the last model to be based on a platform built for traditional engines only – and not electric power – according to a German report.
The 2023 Mercedes E-Class will reportedly be the final vehicle from the German luxury car giant based on a platform solely designed to accommodate petrol and diesel engines – and not offer the option of electric power.
In an interview with industry publication Automobilwoche, Mercedes-Benz development chief Markus Schäfer said the forthcoming E-Class is the last model developed purely for internal-combustion (petrol and diesel) engines – and not electric power.
“As things stand today, the E-Class and its derivatives will be the last Mercedes-Benz model to be created on a pure internal combustion engine platform,” Mr Schäfer said in the translated interview.
It’s therefore suggested all future models after the new E-Class will sit on platforms designed for electric and petrol, diesel or hybrid propulsion – before Mercedes-Benz discontinues petrol and diesel engines in certain countries from 2030.
While Mercedes-Benz has not announced a date to stop offering petrol and diesel models entirely, as a general rule, passenger vehicle platforms from the company typically work on a life cycle of approximately seven or eight years, taking the new E-Class to the end of the decade.
The current C-Class and S-Class are based on the same underpinnings as the next-generation E-Class, but are expected to be replaced with new models before 2030.
MORE: 2023 Mercedes-Benz E-Class first spy photos
Mercedes-Benz detailed its transition to an all-electric future in July 2021, “where market conditions allow”.
It’s thought the caveat was added to allow sales of petrol and diesel models to continue in regions where emissions regulations lag – such as Australia.
Mr Schäfer said the introduction of stricter ‘Euro 7’ emissions laws in Europe will also see Mercedes-Benz significantly reduce the number of engines on offer across its line-up this decade.
“It will be followed by a global engine that we will develop 100 percent ourselves and industrialise together with Geely,” he said.
“In order to play at the absolute top in future topics such as infotainment, in autonomous driving, in artificial intelligence or in the topic of chips, we have to concentrate. The future certainly doesn’t lie in ten different powertrains.”
Mr Schäfer also dismissed the possibility of the company’s passenger vehicle division adopting hydrogen fuel-cell technology as an alternative to battery-electric propulsion – something its competitor BMW is pursuing – but conceded hydrogen power makes sense for trucks.
“We see considerable disadvantages in terms of unit costs, energy efficiency and the space required for the tanks.”
The 2023 Mercedes-Benz E-Class is expected to be unveiled next year, with a choice of petrol and diesel engines with mild-hybrid assistance.
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