German luxury passenger carmaker Mercedes-Benz says sales of its battery electric vehicles more than doubled in the second quarter, increasing 123% with 56,300 units sold.
The big increase was driven by demand for the EQA (up 73%) and EQB (up 83%), as well as the EQE Sedan (up 157%).
Over the first six months of 2023, Mercedes-Benz sold 102,600 BEVs around the globe, up 121% over the same period a year earlier. Fully electric vehicles now account for 11% of overall sales. The sharp growth in EVs contrasts to the relatively small growth of 6 per cent in overall sales.
“With our focus on sustainable growth we posted higher sales across all main regions and segments – especially for our electric and top-end vehicles,” said Britta Seeger, member of the board of management of Mercedes-Benz Group AG, responsible for Mercedes-Benz Cars marketing and sales.
Mercedes-Benz Vans also announced its own figures, but electric sales were much less impressive. A total of 5,100 electric vans were sold during the second quarter, increasing by 18%.
This puts the share of electric vans in the group’s overall sales at around 4.25%.
Joshua S. Hill is a Melbourne-based journalist who has been writing about climate change, clean technology, and electric vehicles for over 15 years. He has been reporting on electric vehicles and clean technologies for Renew Economy and The Driven since 2012. His preferred mode of transport is his feet.