- Mercedes confirms its roadmap now includes long-term support for combustion engines.
- Next-gen EVs ride on new platforms with faster charging and improved segment coverage.
Mercedes-Benz may be pouring resources into electric powertrains like every other legacy automaker with a deadline and a vision statement, but that doesn’t mean internal combustion engines are on their way out. In fact, the company now expects its gas-powered models to stick around longer than originally planned, reflecting a more measured approach to the EV transition than earlier timelines suggested.
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EVs and ICEs Will Coexist for the Foreseeable Future
That dual-track strategy is showing up clearly in the brand’s upcoming lineup. The next-generation CLA and the upcoming 2026 GLC will both be offered with either electric or combustion engines, giving buyers more flexibility, especially in markets where EV infrastructure is still catching up. In a recent interview with Auto Motor und Sport, Mercedes-Benz CEO Ola Kallenius referred to this as a “course correction” in the company’s electric roadmap.
Read: Mercedes-AMG Wants You To Forget About The EQC With This New EV
“The electrified high-tech combustion engines will run longer than we originally expected,” Kallenius told the publication. “I believe the most rational approach in the current situation is for an established manufacturer to do both and not neglect one technology.”
Still, More EVs Are Coming
Kallenius did not specify how long the combustion engines will stick around, but it should certainly be into the next decade. In the meantime, the number of EVs from Mercedes will continue to grow.
“The new CLA is the greeting from the kitchen of an entire family,” he told AMS. “Then the core segments will follow with the electric versions of the GLC, C-Class, and E-Class. We still have an incredible amount in the pipeline.”
The new GLC EV will serve as a replacement to the current EQC, which has never taken off quite as the brand would have hoped. This second-gen model will be a rival to BMW’s Neue Klasse iX3. It’ll be underpinned by the new MB.EA architecture, differing from the new CLA that uses the MMA platform. Importantly, MB.EA supports an 800-volt system and should support charging speeds of up to 320 kW.
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Just like Porsche is currently doing with the Macan (albeit only in North America), Mercedes will sell the electric GLC alongside the combustion-powered version. The two won’t share a platform, but they will coexist, giving the brand some breathing room as the world transitions from fuel pumps to plugs.
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