Electric model sales at Mercedes-Benz plummet in the third quarter

Mercedes-Benz has seen a drastic drop in sales of its electric cars during the third quarter of this year, with just 42,500 units delivered and a 31 percent fall compared with the same period last year. These results are also worse than those recorded in the previous quarter, when the German manufacturer managed to put 45,800 electric vehicles on the market.

Across the Mercedes-Benz Group, which includes both the car division and the van division, sales reached 46,900 units, which is also 31 percent lower than the previous year and 8 percent below the second quarter of 2024. These figures contrast with those of BMW, its most direct competitor, which increased deliveries of the brand’s electric vehicles by 10.1 percent, reaching 103,440 units and marking the second consecutive quarter with electric vehicle sales in six figures.

Another figure worth considering is that, so far this year, BMW has already sold 294,054 electric vehicles, while Mercedes-Benz has sold 148,500 units over the same period, 22 percent fewer. Even including plug-in hybrids, the Stuttgart firm does not reach the purely electric sales figure of BMW, which stands at 267,400 units in total.

It’s not all bad news

On the positive side for Mercedes-Benz, sales of its plug-in hybrid models have grown, with an increase of 21.4 percent, reaching 44,700 units. That is, more than half of its electrified vehicle sales with an integrated charging connector.

Overall, the situation at Mercedes-Benz is somewhat more favorable when all powertrain types are considered, with a 3 percent annual drop in total sales, which is attributed to the current economic situation, particularly in China, where spending on luxury goods has fallen considerably. The company has managed to keep sales stable in Europe and has achieved 29 percent growth in the United States, mainly thanks to the combustion-engine GLC and the new AMG models.

It therefore seems that the leap to fully electric mobility continues to be a struggle for Mercedes-Benz, with a market share of this type of vehicle relative to total sales of just 7.9 percent. These results make it difficult for the company to meet the CO2 emissions targets it had previously set for 2025.