Mercedes-Benz's flagship electric crossover will give way to the more affordable new generation GLC EV on the assembly line at the Tuscaloosa plant (USA, Alabama) , which should become a “cash cow” for the German company.
The world premiere of the Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV crossover, built on the modular EVA platform, took place in April 2022; in August of the same year, its production began at the American Mercedes-Benz plant in Alabama; the luxury car that debuted this year is also assembled here -version of Mercedes-Maybach EQS SUV. The EQS SUV is not assembled at other sites; the Tuscaloosa plant was chosen for this crossover with the expectation that Americans will become its main consumers, but the commercial success of the flagship Mercedes-Benz electric crossover is still quite modest.
Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV 1/3 
Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV 3/3
Mercedes-Benz does not disclose global sales statistics by model, and according to Automotive News, demand for the EQS SUV is unlikely to exceed 20,000 units. in year. In the US, automakers are required to disclose sales data: the Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV sold 7,086 units here in the first three quarters of this year. For comparison, let's say that the electric BMW iX is much more successful: its sales in the United States during the same period amounted to 12,027 units. Sales of other electric Mercedes-Benz models in the USA are even more modest, and the German press (for example, auto motor und sport) is already trumpeting with might and main the failure of Mercedes-Benz's electric vehicle strategy due to the unsuccessful fish-shaped design of the new products, which is completely atypical in the historical context of the brand, and too high prices.
Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV production at the Tuscaloosa plant 1/3 
Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV production at the Tuscaloosa plant 2/3 
Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV production at the Tuscaloosa plant 3/3
This spring, the career of the mid-size electric crossover Mercedes-Benz EQC ended ingloriously — it was discontinued. The Mercedes-Benz EQC debuted in 2018 and became the first-born of the “green” EQ line, but, unfortunately, it failed in the market due to an unsuccessful design and modest technical characteristics. The outgoing EQC, as we reported in September, will be replaced in 2026 by the electric Mercedes-Benz GLC EV (the German press calls it GLC Elektro, the official name has not yet been revealed). Let us recall that, according to insiders, Mercedes-Benz management decided to abandon the EQ-labeling of electric models after 2024, since they no longer see any point in it, because by 2030 all Mercedes-Benz models will become electric in most markets, so it is easier to use familiar, classic markings.
The Mercedes-Benz GLC EV will be based on the new MB.EA platform with an 800-volt electrical architecture, that is, it will not be a relative of the current “hydrocarbon” Mercedes-Benz GLC of the second generation (X 254), which is built on the MRA platform. The main assembly site for the GLC EV will be the Tuscaloosa plant, and according to Automotive News, Mercedes-Benz is counting on high demand: in the first year of sales, the GLC EV should produce at least 50,000 units.
The total capacity of the plant in Tuscaloosa is 305,000 cars per year; in addition to the EQS SUV, the electric crossover EQE SUV, which is one step lower in the hierarchy, as well as the “hydrocarbon” crossovers GLE and GLS are produced here. Before the launch of the GLC EV, production of the EQS SUV will be moved from Tuscaloosa to Bremen, Germany, where it will live out its life, unless, of course, Mercedes-Benz management decides to discontinue it altogether by 2026 due to modest sales. It is hardly advisable to carry out a large-scale restyling with such a body; the design of this model will no longer be “normal”.