Mercedes sells a record number of EVs, but China drags sales lower
Mercedes-Benz sold 6 percent fewer vehicles in the third quarter. Electric car sales hit a record, led by the electric GLC, while sales in China slumped 31 percent.
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The Mercedes-Benz Group sold 491,700 cars and vans in the third quarter, down 6 percent from a year earlier, the company said in Stuttgart on Oct. 7. Car sales fell 8 percent to 407,200. Sales of battery-electric cars, however, rose 61 percent to 68,400 – the highest quarterly total in the company's history. EVs made up 16.8 percent of sales, or 25 percent including plug-in hybrids.
"Mercedes-Benz Cars achieved the highest quarterly BEV sales in the company's history, led by the electric GLC," sales board member Mathias Geisen said. The new electric GLC, CLA, GLB and GLA are sold out in Europe for the rest of the year, he said. Car sales rose 5 percent to 168,700 in Europe, 13 percent to 58,300 in Germany and 6 percent to 75,300 in the U.S.
In China, by contrast, Mercedes sold just 86,800 cars, down 31 percent. The brand's most expensive models, grouped as "Top-End," fell 21 percent to 53,900 units. The vans division grew 1 percent to 84,400 vehicles. After nine months, the group stands at 1,503,200 vehicles sold, also down 6 percent.