The electric equivalent of the Mercedes GLC will replace from 2026 the Mercedes EQC, which went out of production last year.
The EQC was not the first electric model from Mercedes because there was the Mercedes B-Class Electric Drive, also known as the Mercedes B 250e, in 2015, which competed at that time with the BMW i3.
Launched in the fall of 2019, the Mercedes EQC was the first Mercedes electric model with the particle EQ in its name. However, the name was a bit confusing because the Mercedes EQC didn’t stand for the electric version of the C-Class limousine but the GLC SUV.
Mercedes rushed to launch an electric SUV before BMW, which introduced the iX3 at the end of 2020, but the Mercedes EQC was a model with many compromises. It was based on the GLC’s platform from which it took over the front and rear axles and interior but could not be configured with air suspension because there was not enough room due to the large 80 kWh battery. The soft suspension offered a lot of comfort but in corners, it had significant roll due to the large 2.5-ton weight. In contrast, the 80 kWh battery gave it a decent real range of around 335 km. But the 76,000 euros price tag was pretty steep even for a premium SUV.
At the end of summer 2023, the Mercedes EQC was taken out of production due to poor sales and since then several rumors have emerged about its successor. There was a rumor that its successor might use the MMA multi-drive platform intended for the future compact range (the first model will be the CLA in 2025) or that it might take over the EVAII platform from the EQE/EQS.
MB.EA platform as a a base for the Mercedes GLC EV
In the end, Mercedes chose another solution. The MMA platform developed as “Electric First”, but also supporting conventional engines, will be kept exclusively for the future compact range (CLA, CLA Shooting Brake, GLA/EQA, GLB/EQB), while the EVAII platform will be upgraded, and will continue to be used only in the EQE/EQS luxury models.
The successor to the EQC, which will probably be called the Mercedes GLC EV or GLC Electric as Mercedes will drop the EQ particle from the names of its electric models, will use the future MB.EA architecture is intended for future electric models in the mid-range class and above. We learned that the next generation EQE/EQS will also use the MB.EA platform after the end of the life cycle of the current generation.
Unlike the GLC, the Mercedes GLC EV will be a little smaller, will be less tall, and have a wider rear pillar and an SUV-coupe silhouette. The mirrors are door-mounted, and the exterior door handles will be hidden in the bodywork for aerodynamic reasons. From the first photos circulating on the internet, the headlights will not have the new CLA Concept light signature that Mercedes wants to use on the upcoming AMG GT 4-door electric coupe but will be classic. We believe that a final decision has not been made yet as Mercedes has announced that it will use the new light signature reproducing the Mercedes logo from the CLA Concept on other models in the future.
The wheel arch guards and sills accentuate the SUV look, while the chrome radiator grille will be closed and incorporate the Mercedes logo.
There’s no word yet on the MB.EA platform’s engines or batteries, but we do know that the MB.EA platform is based on 800V technology, and Mercedes will use EQXX’s new eATS 2.0 powertrain, silicon carbide inverter, and two-speed gearbox. The Mercedes GLC EV will come in versions with one rear axle motor or two motors, and there will also be AMG versions that will benefit from Yasa axial-flow motors.
We can estimate that the top version of the Mercedes GLC EV will have a battery similar to the future facelifted EQE, which will grow to around 96 kWh), while the base battery will have around 80 kWh, and the WLTP range will be between 500 and 600 km. The power spectrum will range from around 250 PS for the single-engine, to 400 PS for the two motors versions, with AMG versions expected to have between 500 and over 600 PS (AMG GLC 63 EV).
Built in Bremen, Beinijng and may be Tuscaloosa
It will be built at the Bremen plant where the GLC with conventional engines is also built on the MRA II platform, and at the plant in Beijing, China. The GLC EV may also be produced at the plant in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, in the US.
The Mercedes GLC EV will compete with the recently launched Audi Q6 e-tron and the upcoming BMW iX3 built on the new dedicated electric platform, foreshadowed by the Vision Neue Klasse X concept unveiled a few days ago.
