Mercedes quietly discontinues the EQB and removes it from configurator

When it comes to sales figures, Mercedes’ electric cars to date have largely fallen short of expectations. In particular, the upmarket EQ models EQE and EQS, as well as their SUV offshoots, are overshadowed by their combustion engine counterparts and their competitors from BMW.Only in Mercedes’ entry-level segment have customers been keen to buy electric cars bearing the star logo. The two technically closely related electric SUVs, the EQA and EQB, topped the internal electric sales charts, even though they are both based on the MFA2 platform and are therefore essentially converted combustion engines. This does not seem to have bothered customers.Officially positioned in the compact class, but measuring 4.68 metres in length, the EQB electric SUV was particularly popular with families thanks to its spacious interior and optional third row of seats. From its market launch in 2021 to the end of 2024, the Stuttgart-based company sold over 21,000 units in Germany alone. This was despite the fact that the modified GLB base caused some weaknesses in categories relevant to electric cars. For example, the maximum charging power was initially only 100 kW, while the Hyundai Ioniq 5, for example, offers more than double that. Even the model update in the summer of 2024 did nothing to change this.The EQ-GLB gets the technology familiar from the CLAMercedes is also switching to 800-volt architectures in the compact segment, as the new CLA was just the vanguard. At the beginning of 2026, the EQB successor is to be presented on the same ‘MMA’ platform, which will also double the voltage and bear the unwieldy name ‘Mercedes GLB with EQ technology’. The market launch is scheduled to take place a few months after the premiere.Mercedes has now removed the current edition of the EQB from its configurator. The Hungarian plant in Kecskemét is currently only processing orders that have already been received before the production lines are converted to manufacture the successor model. The combustion engine version of the GLB will continue to roll off the production line for a few more months, as it comes from a Mexican factory. The Mercedes EQA will also continue to be produced for the time being, as its successor will not be available for a few more months.As part of the model change, the range of the optional seven-seater family SUV is expected to increase significantly to over 600 kilometres. The GLB with EQ technology will be available as both a rear-wheel drive and an all-wheel drive model. The power range is expected to be between 172 and 265 kW.However, the most significant advances are expected in terms of charging capacity. The new CLA’s battery can be charged at a maximum rate of 325 kW. In this respect, the electric GLB is likely to be on a par with its smaller coupé sibling. The combustion engine and hybrid versions of the second GLB will follow later.jesmb.de (in German)This article was first published byElias Holdenriedfor electrive’s German edition