Mercedes-Benz is Going for an Electric Crossover
Giancarlo Perlas September 18, 2015
Prof. Thomas Weber, Member of the Board of Management of Daimler AG Group Research and Mercedes-Benz Cars Development, hinted that their company is planning to make a fully-electric crossover SUV.
In his interview with Car and Driver, he revealed that they are they are en route to making a fully electric car with range along the 250 and 300-mile mark. The details he disclosed were limited, but he dropped a clue about an electric crossover when he told the source that what they were recently working on something that is not a competitor of their existing lineup of electric vehicles.
Weber went on to say that it will not be a Smart, B-Class Electric Drive, and the SLS Electric Drive. He pointed out the latest battery pack they are developing are large, so it won’t be particularly suited for sedans. Lastly, he mentioned that the project will be “cool and emotional.”
Based on the interview of Weber, he is definitely pointing to something more than a sedan. It is very likely he is referring to a crossover.
It should be noted that Mercedes already unveiled the GLE 500e Plug-In Hybrid at the 2015 Shanghai Motor Show. Therefore, going for a fully electric crossover SUV would be a reasonable move to take in order to follow up with the warm public reception of the hybrid SUV.
Furthermore, it is surprising that Mercedes is now going down this path because in October of 2014, Dr. Dieter Zetsche just said in one of his speeches that no one will make money on electric cars yet. What could be the reason for the sudden change of heart?
