Mercedes-Benz has confirmed the end of the current EQB crossover.The EQB’s replacement will be based on a newer 800-volt platform.The EQB is expected to be replaced by an electric GLB.
“The EQB has reached the end of its planned lifecycle and therefore will not be offered in the U.S. or Canada after model year 2025.” That’s the official word given to InsideEVs by a Mercedes spokesperson after the EQB was removed from the German online configurator, as first reported by Jesmb.de. The EQB was Mercedes-Benz’s only electric seven-seat crossover and one of two three-rows (the other being the EQS SUV). However, the concept of the vehicle is not dead – only the nameplate.
Two News SUVs On Advanced Architecture Coming
Mercedes-Benz
As confirmed at the 2023 edition of the IAA Mobility show, the automaker plans to introduce two new SUVs on the Mercedes-Benz Modular Architecture platform, a framework that supports both hybrid combustion and 800-volt EV systems. This is part of a massive onslaught of 18 new models that will be introduced by 2027, the first of which was the new CLA. One of those new SUVs will be the replacement for the combustion-powered GLB, which is expected to gain a “with EQ Technology” variant to effectively replace the EQB. Thus, both electric and combustion versions of new Mercs will have very similar styling and technology.
Related: Mercedes Ready To Make The V8 G-Class Family Bigger Than Ever
The EQS, EQE, and other electric Mercedes products were intentionally designed to look alien from the rest of the traditionally powered lineup because studies showed that the earliest EV adopters wanted their cars to stand out, but early adopters have not sustained EV sales, and Mercedes now intends to style all its cars similarly, with the only differences being under the skin. This is a strategy adopted by compatriot rival BMW from the very beginning (see 5 Series and i5, 7 Series and i7, et cetera), and it’s proven to be successful for the Bavarians.
Vastly Improved Performance Is Coming
Mercedes-Benz
Thanks to the aforementioned MMA platform, a new GLB EV is likely to offer in the region of 400 miles of range, along with much faster charging – though that’s not much of an ask given that today’s EQB (first introduced in 2021) was built on the Modular Front-Drive Architecture first seen way back in 2011. For the record, that MFA platform gave the EQB 205-251 miles from a 70.5-kilowatt-hour battery, a battery that accepted only as much as 100 kW from a DC fast charger and took roughly 35 minutes to get from 10-80% in ideal conditions. With the new platform, 85 kWh of usable energy will be available. In the CLA, 320 kW charging and 22 minutes to get from 10-80% are touted, and these improvements, along with styling not dissimilar from the all-new GLC, should help sway more buyers.
