Mercedes-Benz Working on its Own EV Sub-Brand

Mercedes-Benz Urban eTruck concept (Credit: Mercedes-Benz)

With dieselgate making it harder for manufacturers to get approval for and sell diesel models around the world (thanks, VW), automakers are shifting to alternative ways of increasing efficiency and reducing pollution. Mercedes, who has a long history with thrifty diesels, is also looking in a new direction as report indicate it is working hard on a fully electric sub-brand.

This report comes from a conversation that Bloomberg had with two insiders who asked to remain unnamed. These two informers told the publication that Mercedes already has plans to release a pair of SUVs and two sedans to fill out this new sub-brand. Oddly, the automaker has yet to choose a name for this upcoming brand.

As for timing, the insiders said that the sub-brand will start rolling out by the end of this decade. This timing is a little odd as fuel prices continue to fall, Tesla is starting to show serious financial struggles, and BMW plans to let the i sub-brand to simmer on the back burner for the next five years.

While Mercedes wouldn’t respond directly to these reports, we do know that the automaker is working on an electric delivery truck and has its parent company, Daimler, has promised all-electric version of every Smart vehicle.

For now, this is all just hearsay, but we should start learning more in the near future—possibly as early as this September’s Paris Auto Show. Stay tuned for updates.