- Mercedes-Benz USA has reported their second quarter results and sales were down by 12%.
- The EQS and EQS SUV were the big losers as sales dropped 57% to 2,556 units.
- Despite lackluster EV sales, plug-in hybrids jumped 524%.
Mercedes has walked back their electric vehicle ambitions and decided to invest more into internal combustion engines. Their reasoning is becoming crystal clear as EV sales have tanked.
Mercedes-Benz USA released their second quarter results today and they paint a grim picture for electric vehicle adoption. EQE and EQE SUV sales fell 47% compared to the second quarter of 2023. That’s a huge drop, but year-to-date sales are only off by 4%. However, the EQE SUV didn’t go on sale until the spring of 2023, so it’s clear that sales have slowed more than the year-to-date figures suggest.
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Things get even worse when you look at the EQS and EQS SUV as second quarter sales fell 57% to 2,556 units. Year-to-date sales were down 52%, although the facelifted sedan could give the lineup a boost when it arrives in America late this year.
The only real EV bright spot was the EQB, which saw sales jump 88% in the second quarter. That being said, year-to-date sales are only up 4% to 3,844 units after an extremely slow first quarter.
Last but not least, eSprinter sales are off to a disappointing start as the company has only sold 642 vans through the first six months of the year. To put that number into perspective, Ford sold 3,410 E-Transits in the second quarter and has year-to-date sales of 6,301 units.
While EVs are struggling, plug-in hybrid sales skyrocketed 524% in the second quarter. Mercedes-Benz USA CEO Dimitris Psillakis expects this “momentum will continue to build as we expand our plug-in hybrid portfolio with the highly anticipated U.S. launch of the GLC 350e and the stunning AMG SL 63e S in Q3.”
As for what’s hot and what’s not, the CLE is off to a strong start as consumers snapped up 3,424 units during the second quarter. GLS sales climbed 28%, while the GT was up 35% to 1,046 units.
On the flip side, consumers turned their back on the S-Class as second quarter sales dropped 42% and are down 33% for the year. The G, GLA, and GLB were also down slightly, while SL sales dropped 49% and are down 60% for the year.