Mercedes-Benz EVs delayed

New all-electric versions of the Mercedes-Benz E-Class and S-Class luxury sedans – the EQE and EQS 450+ – have been delayed until next year due to extreme global demand for EVs and the ongoing semi-conductor shortage.

The hotly-anticipated electric land yachts from Mercedes-Benz were originally supposed to arrive in Australia before the end of this year.

But if you’ve had your eye on the Mercedes-Benz EQE sedan or EQS 450+ limousine, you’ll have to pump the regenerative brakes until 2023.

“Supply levels are not where we’d like them to be,” said Mercedes-Benz Australia’s head of media relations, Jerry Stamoulis.

The Mercedes-Benz EQE and EQS 450+ are now scheduled to arrive in Australia in the first half of next year, which could stretch out delivery times even further with the average wait time for a new Mercedes-Benz order taking around eight months.

“There’s certain models that we would prefer to arrive this year that haven’t. So there’s definitely a supply issue and the demand is there, without a doubt,” Stamoulis told carsales.

“Customers are lining up and there’s definitely more EV customers wanting a Mercedes-Benz EV product than there are vehicles available.”

The Mercedes-Benz EQE – along with its GLE-sized SUV sibling – are tipped be among the German brand’s top-selling EVs, but as Stamoulis pointed out, the lack of cars reaching Australia “will most likely be an issue for some time”.

Two versions of the EQE will be launched in Australia in the first half of 2023, with pricing to start from around $180,000 for the Mercedes-Benz EQE 350 and roughly $225,000 for the scorching Mercedes-AMG EQE 53, which we’ve already tested in Europe.

Built at Mercedes’ Bremen factory in Germany, which will soon be a carbon-neutral facility, both EQE models will be jam-packed with advanced technology and safety features, tonnes of luxury (and mass) and an impressive range of 660km (WLTP) for the EQE 350.

A third entry-level Mercedes EQE 300 has been homologated for Australia, but is yet to be officially confirmed for sale here.

The new EQE and EQS models will flesh out Mercedes-Benz’s electric vehicle range, which currently consists of the EQA, EQB and EQC small and medium SUVs.

Deliveries of the heavyweight $328,400 Mercedes-AMG EQS 53 – an AMG S 63 equivalent – have also begun.

The German luxury brand’s top-selling EV is the Mercedes-Benz EQA small SUV. It has a starting price of $78,513 plus on-road costs and has recorded 559 sales this year, which puts it well behind the market-leading Tesla Model 3 and Model Y.

“I’m not going to talk about other brands but GLC and GLA? We know that there’s strong volume in those segments and a lot of those customers are quite progressive and are interested in a Mercedes-Benz electric car,” said Stamoulis.

Mercedes-Benz has pledged to sell only EVs at the exclusion of combustion models by 2030, but the brand’s product global vehicle development boss last month told carsales he would like to see a petrol V8 continue well into next decade.

Stamoulis also suggested the Australian operation wouldn’t instantly kill petrol vehicles by 2030.

“The global plan is 2030 but as for how and when that happens here, that will be dictated by the market,” he said.

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