Mercedes is developing a new platform for its entry level EVs but the same architecture will also be used for petrol and diesel cars.
View PhotosMercedes is in the process of electrifying its portfolio
Most EV-only manufacturers have shown a decisive edge over EVs from traditional automotive giants. The reason has been that an EV that is born out of an architecture that was devised for an internal combustion car causes many inefficiencies which impact performance and range. Mercedes has also experienced this with its first set of EVs like the EQC and the EQS which neither are as efficient or performance-oriented when compared to vehicles by Tesla or Lucid Motors.
Mercedes had also announced that it was adapting its entry-level models the A-Class and the B-Class to electric powertrains but conceded that the cars will be offered with petrol and diesel engines as well. The fear was that these would be EV adaptations. But now Mercedes has revealed that it is designing an EV-first platform called the MMA which will be used for EVs and internal combustion engine variants of the vehicles will also use the same architecture.
The EQC was the first Mercedes EV
“The platform will be EV-first but not EV-exclusive, and the compromise will rest on the ICE side, not the EV side,” said Christoph Starzynski, the Mercedes Benz VP for development for electric drive.
“We will not achieve cost parity in the near future,” said Mercedes-Benz Chief Technology Officer Markus Schafer in an interview with Motor1.com.
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“We have to face higher costs on an EV drivetrain for the next few years, and we have to look for compensation in the vehicle. Of course, we try to be as close as possible with compact cars, to reduce the cost to compensate for the higher cost within [the EV technology],” he added.
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