Electric vehicles are the next frontier for western automakers in China and Mercedes-Benz’s parent company Daimler wants a piece of the pie with their new Denza EV.
The single-model (for now) brand is a joint venture between Daimler and Chinese partner BYD. Their first EV just started rolling off production line at the Shenzhen BYD Daimler New Technology Co., Ltd. (BDNT) plant in Shenzhen, China, following a world premiere at the Beijing Auto Show in April.
“DENZA is the first car that Daimler has engineered from the bottom up outside of Germany, and it clearly lives up to its promise to be the safest, most reliable and convenient electric vehicle from and for China,” said Hubertus Troska, member of the Board of Management of Daimler AG responsible for China.
The puffy Denza EV will hit the market at the end of September, but it doesn’t come cheap with a starting price of RMB 369,000 (about €45,700 or $58,900), even though it’s eligible for government subsidies totaling RMB 120,000 (*about €14,900 or US$19,200), which drop the price to RMB 249,000 (€30,800 or $39,700).
To sweeten up the deal, the Denza is also entitled to free license plates in cities like Shanghai and Shenzhen, as well as a 10% purchase tax exemption.
Daimler says the tall hatchback-like EV combines a zero-emissions driving range of up to 300km (~187 miles) with a wheel-base matching the Mercedes E-Class’ and a trunk volume of 460 liters.
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