Mercedes is bringing new electric C-Class to compete with Tesla Model 3

Mercedes-Benz just announced it is about to change its strategy and focus on luxury more than ever before. Smaller segment cars such as the A and B class will have to make room for bigger and more premium vehicles for the brand. But Mercedes is still planning for the all-electric C-Class to take the customers away from the Tesla Model 3 and BMW i4.

It plans to release it in 2024 and it will likely be called the EQC Sedan. Excitingly it's expected to use a lot of tech showcased in the EQXX concept.

The new Entry Luxury segment car (as Mercedes calls it) will be based on a brand new dedicated EV platform. This new Mercedes-Benz Modular Architecture (MMA) is going to be introduced in 2024 and the new EQC Sedan will pioneer it. The new platform, as its name suggests, is modular and can be used across the segments from small to large vehicles. Although it is designed with EVs in mind it will be compatible with ICE cars as well - it’s a reverse of the current situation with many EVs cars using modified ICE platforms.

The smallest all-electric Mercedes sedan at the moment is the EQE and customers wanting a smaller electric 4 door Mercedes only had the C-Class C300e plug-in hybrid. MB knows very well it needs a real EV to compete with a fast growing field of competitors such as the Tesla Model 3 or BMW i4.

The Mercedes EQXX was never intended for production but it is fully road legal and Mercedes confirmed a lot of its technology is heading straight for the production line. Is the EQXX the next C-Class? Not exactly but the size is about right, the EQC Sedan will need more headroom and knowing Mercedes, the design will be slightly watered down so as not to upset the more conservative customers. MB has already shown the shape of the EQC and it does look like a slightly taller EQXX.

The issue all automakers have with smaller cars is finding room for batteries, which may be one of reasons why Mercedes decided to stop making small cars. EQC Sedan will compensate for the smaller battery size with better efficiency and will hopefully offer high power density, likely leveraging the silicon anode technology from the EQG. Aerodynamics will be very important and weight saving will be taken to extreme to ensure the new EQC can impress with its range. Afterall the EQXX wasn’t just a design exercise - it was more of a proving ground to verify that this new approach works.

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