Auf wiedersehen, pet: Mercedes EQE dead from 2026
The all-electric Mercedes EQE saloon and SUV are reportedly being discontinued in 2026, four years after their launch.
While the news has not yet been officially confirmed by Mercedes, it appears the EQE line is set to be discontinued next year, with a confirmed date yet to be announced. The EQE saloon is expected to be replaced indirectly by the electric C-Class EQ saloon and the SUV by the GLC EQ SUV, which are both based on Mercedes’ all-new 800V MB.EA-M platform.
The C-Class EQ will benefit from air-suspension and rear-axle steering, while the GLC offers 570 litres of boot space, a 128-litre frunk, and a 2,500kg towing capacity.
As well as offering more space than the EQE, the GLC will usher in a new design language for Mercedes’ EV range, which will be showcased when it makes its debut at the 2025 Munich motor show.
In 2027, a fully-electric, MB.EA-M platform-based E-class will join the fold. By the end of that same year, Mercedes says it will have 15 new or updated EVs in its line-up as part of the “biggest product launch programme” in its history.
The EQE was introduced for the 2023 model year as an all-electric alternative to the E-Class. The saloon was made at Mercedes’ Bremen plant in Germany, while the SUV was built at the brand’s Tuscaloosa plant in the United States.
Over the course of its life, the EQE has been continually updated. Improvements have included a heat pump to improve efficiency in colder weather, an upgrade extending the energy capacity of the range’s largest 96kWh motor, as well as a performance increase across the line-up.
A disconnect unit for the front-mounted motor on four wheel-drive, 4Matic models to allow rear wheel-drive only in certain driving conditions was also introduced.
The decision to have the EQE discontinued comes despite Mercedes initially saying it will upgrade the car’s EVA platform, which it shares with the EQS – a fully-electric answer to the S-Class.
The changes were expected to be a switch from 400V to 800V architecture, plus the addition of a silicon-carbide inverter, and Mercedes’ latest eATS2 motors, offering better performance and efficiency. It is understood that the updates are still planned for the EQS saloon and SUV.
As early as July this year, rumours surrounding the EQE’s discontinuation began swirling when Mercedes paused US production indefinitely and began offering signficant discounts of up to $4,110 on the sedan and $15,300 on the SUV.
