This Is When The Electric Mercedes C-Class Will Arrive

Over the next few years, Mercedes will expand its electric EQ family beyond the EQC SUV with the EQA crossover and EQB small SUV. These will also be joined by the EQS and EQE serving as electric equivalents of the S-Class and E-Class respectively. Previewed by the stunning Vision EQS shown in 2019, the production EQS is expected to arrive in the first half of this year, followed by the smaller EQE.

But what about the Mercedes C-Class? The all-new combustion-powered C-Class debuted last month with an electrified four-cylinder engine, but Mercedes hasn’t announced plans to launch an electric equivalent slotting below the EQE.

Speaking with Autocar, Mercedes-Benz chief operating officer Markus Schafer hinted an electric equivalent of the C-Class is unlikely to arrive until at least 2024. Unlike the C-Class and S-Class, which are underpinned by the MRA platform, the electric C-Class is more likely to use the company’s new Mercedes-Benz Modular Architecture (MMA) platform designed for smaller electric cars.

“This vehicle addresses the current demand we believe is high around the globe from a loyal customer base,” said Schafer when asked about the possibility of expanding the EQ range with an electric C-Class equivalent. “At the same time we’re offering a number of electric vehicles with EQA, EQB and EQB and, in the next couple of months, the EQS and the EQE, so there’s a wide range of vehicles.”

“Do we expand? Yes, we will. We gave a glimpse of our future MMA architecture, which we consider electric-first. The next platform is for compact and mixed-size vehicles from 2024, and this MMA platform is an electric-first architecture. It will be used for compact cars and it has the potential to reach into the mid-size segment as well. We are in the midst of this work and this could be a potential offer for more pure EV vehicles, including this class.”

Before Mercedes’ Tesla Model 3 rival arrives, the combustion-powered C-Class will be offered with a 2.0-liter inline-four turbo engine paired with an electric motor producing up to 255 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque. Pricing details haven’t been announced yet, but the new C-Class is expected to arrive in US dealers early next year.