- Mercedes’ EV sales rose in Q1 even as its overall global sales fell.
- Europe and the U.S. helped lift EV results, but China remained a major drag.
- New EVs like the CLA and GLC could matter more for Mercedes than the current EQ lineup did.
Mercedes-Benz is not off to a good start this year, with overall global sales down 6% in the first quarter, driven by a 27% drop in China, where a price war with local premium brands is still ongoing. However, its first-quarter EV sales were up 11%, reaching 50,400 units, of which 44,300 were passenger cars.
That’s thanks to a 7% improvement in Europe and a 20% increase in EV sales in the United States (after a 19% drop in Q4 2025), which helped offset some of the China dip. Mercedes describes 2026 as a “transitional year” in China, when it will phase out old models and prepare their replacements.
This doesn’t apply only to China, since Mercedes is in the process of renewing its lineup around the world. Its first key models in a new-generation EV push, the CLA and electric GLC, have been very well received, and there’s strong buyer interest in these models. Driving the new GLC EV a few weeks ago, it was pretty clear to me that Mercedes isn’t taking any risks with its EVs, and it just wants them to feel like any other model in its lineup. It’s a change for the better since its current EQ lineup may have been a bit too weird for the typical Mercedes buyer.
The new CLA EV was the first sign that Mercedes was taking its electric models in a more conservative direction. The design of its current EQ models, which some liken to jellybeans, was likely one of the big reasons why they didn’t sell as well as the manufacturer expected. There were also some calibration problems with early iterations—who could forget the sketchy brake pedal feel in early EQS models—but they were improved over time, and even now that they’re much better, Mercedes still has a hard time selling them.
It’s still trying to make these older EQ cars more appealing through a mid-lifecycle facelift, which, in the case of the EQS, brings many changes and adds optional steer-by-wire, but it likely needs to start fresh with cars that have broader appeal. The next important new EV is the electric C-Class, which shares its underpinnings and design language with the GLC EV and just looks like a typical Mercedes sedan (with hints of fastback and coupe toward the rear).
It will be followed by an electric E-Class and S-Class, both built on the same bespoke 800-volt MB.EA architecture (not shared with the combustion lineup), and will likely continue this more conservative design direction.
Mercedes is trying to break new ground with the VLE, which is an ultra-luxurious people carrier that the manufacturer wants you to refer to as a “grand limousine.” Having seen the VLE in person, I’d definitely say it’s a big improvement in performance, luxury, and features over the V-Class, which is the go-to VIP shuttle in many parts of the world these days.
2026 is important for Mercedes-Benz EVs because it will begin rolling out the GLC EV, GLB EV, VLE, and the electric C-Class. AMG is also expected to unveil the production version of the GT XX Concept before the end of the year. The positive first quarter for the manufacturer’s electric models could be just the start of a real turnaround with all these new EVs hitting the market this year.
