Mercedes-Benz plans to block production of the EQS SUV in the U. S. and move production to Germany.
The sumptuous battery-electric SUV is being produced lately at the brand’s facility in Vance, Alabama. It accounts for about 7% of the plant’s annual capacity of 305,000 vehicles. Between January and September, Mercedes-Benz sold 7,086 EQS SUVs in the United States. In the second part of the decade, production will move to Bremen, Germany. To fill the void left by the EQS SUV in Alabama, there will be an electric edition of the GLC.
Described as a “cash cow” through an anonymous corporate source, this new style is expected to start production in the first quarter of 2026. In an interview with Auto News, AutoForecast Solutions Vice President Sam Fiorani warned that up to 50,000 GLC electric cars may be newly built. Manufactured in the first year.
This move will help optimize the capacity of the Alabama plant and, more importantly, generate sales figures higher than those of the EQS SUV. Additionally, local production in the US will make it eligible for tax credits under the Inflation Reduction Act.
AutoForecast Solutions also notes that the GLC EV will contribute to profitability through greater economies of scale. It will update the EQC crossover whose range was deemed too limited to be sold in the United States.
Read: Mercedes EQ Performance subscriptions start at $60 per month for 60 HP
Mercedes gave U. S. dealers a first look at the GLC EV last year. It is expected to have a diversity of around three hundred miles (482 km) and will have a more rounded design than the internal combustion model. the company’s best-selling electric vehicle in the United States.
The automaker’s plant in Bremen, Germany, is currently building the C-Class, E-Class, GLC and EQE, and moving production of the EQS SUV to the lineup will add around 20,000 vehicles each year to the lineup.