In an effort to improve the so-far disappointing sales of its EQ range of electric cars in China, Mercedes has announced price cuts for the EQE and EQS models.
The Mercedes-Benz EQE now costs 478,000 yuan (67,432 euros) after a discount of 50,000 yuan (7,054 euros) has been given.
The Mercedes-Benz EQS received an even bigger discount, now priced at 956,000 yuan (134,864 euros), which is 234,000 yuan (33,011 euros) less than before.
On the other hand, prices for the rest of the EQ line (EQA, EQB and EQC) remain unchanged.
The price cuts followed a period of weak sales. For EQS specifically, the numbers in China are surprisingly low, going down to 100 shipments per month in some cases.
Part of the problem is related to the limited headroom for rear passengers due to the sloping roofline. This is an important factor for Chinese buyers in the premium segment who prefer to sit in the back.
A Mercedes representative said that the company “constantly observes and analyzes dynamic market trends, including the current positioning of other manufacturers in the luxury segment. Based on this, Mercedes-Benz is repositioning some EQ models in China”.
Mercedes sold around 8,800 electric cars in China between January and July this year. In addition to Mercedes, Tesla also recently announced price cuts in China to boost sales and become more competitive against a growing number of domestic rivals.
Figures suggest this is becoming increasingly difficult, with 80 percent of China’s new electric vehicle sales through the first seven months of 2022 going to domestic automakers.