Mercedes-Benz EQS Will Soon Be Replaced By S-Class EV

SAUDI ARABIA : Mercedes’ S-Class range of electric vehicles is all set to soon replace the brand’s EQS sedan lineup. This will essentially bring the brand’s petrol and electric offerings a bit closer and remove any confusion that prospective customers have. 

• The upcoming S-Class will have petrol and electric powertrains 
• While they will both have the same designs, they might be based on different platforms 
• This is essentially being done to tackle the drop in sales that the brand faced in the recent past 

When Will the New Generation Arrive?

Currently in the development phase, a successor to the current S-Class will be launched in 2030 and will be both electric and ICE vehicles with no separate EQS labeling. The electric and ICE models of the new S-Class will look alike, but they will have fundamentally different underlying platforms.

The all-electric variant will be informative in terms of the new technology that will underpin the future MB. EA Large EV platform is the ICE version instead of the new scalable arch flux platform while there will be just an update of the current MRA platform.

The idea of integrating EQS and S-Class into a single model is mostly due to the reduction in sales. Specifically, the sales of the S-Class car in the first quarter of 2024 reduced by 37 percent, and therefore, Mercedes-Benz has reduced production at its Factory 56 in Sindelfingen, Germany. 

This plant that is currently assembling EQS and S-Class will also experience some changes in the manufacturing portfolio as the company readjusts the position of the models.

Mercedes' Electrification Plans

Mercedes-Benz has brought down its electrification plan which the German auto major had earlier planned to achieve 50 percent electric vehicle sales by 2025 now set to 2030. The automaker has also put on hold its plan to shift to a sole lineup by 2030. This strategic shift enables Mercedes to keep investing in the key ICE versions and make them conform to strict emissions standards up to the end part of the decade. 

Thus, Mercedes-Benz seeks to strike a bow between electrification and combustion engines due to the lifespan extension of the latter which addresses the practical nature of the current automobile industry.

Launch & Availability

The next-generation S-Class, including its all-electric variant, is set to be unveiled in 2030. In the meantime, Mercedes-Benz has planned a series of updates to its existing lineup. The EQS, currently the brand's flagship electric sedan, is scheduled for a refresh in 2025. Additionally, the W223 S-Class, the current generation of the ICE-powered model, will undergo a mid-cycle facelift by 2026. These updates are part of Mercedes' broader strategy to maintain competitiveness and customer interest as it transitions towards a more electrified future.