The rumors are confirmed: the Mercedes EQE and EQE SUV will have no successor and will go out of production in 2026, earlier than initially planned.
As we wrote back in the spring of 2024, the Mercedes EQE will not have a direct successor. This rumor is now confirmed. The Mercedes EQE and EQE SUV will only be available to order until 2026, after which production will stop without the two models receiving a direct replacement.
Very weak sales have forced Mercedes to drastically shorten the production cycle of the EQE and EQE SUV. The Mercedes EQE sedan was unveiled in the fall of 2021 at the Munich Motor Show. Thus, when it ends its career in 2026, the Mercedes EQE will have had a very short life cycle of just 5 years, compared to 8–9 years for the Mercedes E-Class.
The negative sales trend was expected since the Mercedes EQE/EQE SUV are built on the EVAII platform with only 400V technology and just average charging power, while prices remain steep. The launch of the new Mercedes CLA EV built on the multi-propulsion MB.EA platform, along with the Mercedes GLC EV built on the dedicated MB.EA electric platform, will further erode EQE and EQE SUV sales.
In addition, the aerodynamic shape, which complicates access to the rear seats, and the expressionless front grille have further alienated Mercedes’ traditional clientele from the EQE and EQE SUV models.
The shortening of the EQE’s life cycle is also due to a shift in Mercedes’ model strategy. As previously reported, Mercedes will launch 15 new electric models by 2027, including the new all-electric E-Class. Although it was initially planned for 2028, the new Mercedes E-Class EV will be unveiled in 2026 and go on sale in 2027. It will feature a body similar to the combustion model, offering the same comfort and generous interior space, but will be built on a dedicated electric platform.
Mercedes developed the MB-EA platform in two versions, M and L, but dropped the Large version for the successor to the EQS/EQS SUV. The MB-EA-M platform will debut in September 2025 when Mercedes will introduce the new Mercedes GLC EV at the Munich Motor Show. The same platform will also underpin the future Mercedes E-Class EV.
Furthermore, the future Mercedes E-Class EV will adopt the new grille recently previewed at the launch of the Mercedes GLC EV. The new grille marks the beginning of a fresh Mercedes design language, called Sensual Purity. This new design philosophy will also appear on other future Mercedes models, both combustion and electric.
