Apr 12, 2023
Stuttgart (Germany)
EV ramp-up continues: Battery electric vehicle (BEV) sales almost doubled to 51,600 units (+89%); electric vehicles reach 10% of overall sales in Q1
Strong Top-End segment: Strongest ever Q1 for Mercedes-AMG, G-Class and Mercedes-Maybach; Top-End vehicle sales rise by 18% to 91,800 units
Solid sales performance: Mercedes-Benz Cars sales reached 503,500 units (+3%), boosted by European markets, mainly Germany (+21%), Italy (+22%) and Spain (+28%)
Mercedes-Benz Cars sales reached 503,500 units (+3%) in the first quarter with Top-End and battery electric vehicle (BEV) sales up 18% and 89% respectively. Despite ongoing supply-chain disruptions, economic headwinds and geopolitical uncertainty, G-Class, Mercedes-AMG, Mercedes-Maybach and Entry segment* electric vehicles posted strong sales figures.
Battery electric vehicle sales rose to 51,600 units (+89%) in the first quarter, reaching 10% of overall sales, up from 6% in the year-earlier period. Mercedes-Benz Passenger Cars (excl. smart) BEV sales more than doubled in the first three months (+119%). Entry segment electric vehicles proved popular with EQB sales up 189% and EQA sales rising by 64%, while EQS SUV sales reached 5,500 units. Battery electric vehicle sales surged by 327% in the United States and 41% in Europe. The EQE SUV was launched in the U.S. market ahead of the model’s launch in Europe and China in the second quarter. Including hybrids, almost every fifth vehicle sold in the first quarter was electric.
”Our customers' desire for our Top-End products and battery electric vehicles is the driving force behind our sales result in the first quarter. Beyond this, we successfully introduced our direct sales model in the UK, while Germany and two more markets will follow in 2023. Looking forward, I am already excited about the upcoming world premiere of the first all-electric Mercedes-Maybach EQS SUV [1] next week.”
Britta Seeger, Member of the Board of Management of Mercedes-Benz Group AG, responsible for Mercedes-Benz Cars Marketing and Sales
Top-End segment
Sales in the Top-End segment rose to 91,800 units (+18%). Mercedes-AMG sales increased by 44% to 40,300 units, based on new vehicle launches and a strong performance in the SUV segment. Demand for the G-Class remains consistently high with sales up 23% to 10,200 units in the first quarter. Mercedes-Maybach saw 6,700 units sold (+8%) driven mainly by Mercedes-Maybach GLS (+46%). With the introduction of the Mercedes‑Maybach S 580 e[2], the Mercedes-Maybach brand is moving toward higher levels of electrification. The Mercedes-Maybach EQS SUV will be the first fully electric model of the brand and will celebrate its world premiere next week at Auto Shanghai. Overall GLS sales rose by 11% to 15,900 units and the all-electric EQS SUV had a promising market launch with 5,500 units sold. The Top-End segment will remain fresh throughout 2023 and beyond. An upgraded GLS family with a fully electrified engine portfolio will hit dealerships in the second half of the year.
Core segment
Sales in the Core segment reached 248,400 units (-11%) impacted by model changeovers for the top-selling GLC and E-Class. The new GLC SUV launched in Europe and will be gradually introduced in other regions in the upcoming months alongside the new GLC Coupé. The new E-Class will be unveiled at the digital world premiere in two weeks and will be introduced in the second half of the year. Sales of the C-Class rose by one third to 80,800 units (+34%), while the E-Class reached 73,300 units (-6%). The fully electric EQE Sedan attracted 9,400 new customers in Q1. Sales of the GLE amounted to 48,800 units (-5%). The refreshed GLE SUV and Coupé are now available to order.
Entry segment
Sales in the Entry segment grew by 27% to 163,300 units in the first quarter. This development was driven by the GLB, which saw sales reach 37,500 (+52%), the GLA with 34,500 units (+25%) and 11,200 units of the all-electric versions EQB (+189%) as well as the EQA, which sold 10,800 units (+64%). The GLA, GLB and CLA recently underwent model updates and will be available for sale in the second quarter.
Sales by regions and markets
In Europe, sales of Mercedes-Benz Cars increased significantly in Q1 to 163,900 units (+8%) thanks to strong demand for Top-End vehicles (+46%). Battery electric vehicles rose by 41% and accounted for 17% of total Mercedes-Benz Cars sales in Europe in the first three months. Overall sales in Germany were up 21% with strong results in all segments, especially Top-End (+55%). BEV sales in Germany grew 29% supported by EQA (+104%) and EQB (+99%). In Belgium, sales increased 17%, lifted by strong demand for battery electric vehicles (+186%). And sales in Italy (+22%) and Spain (+28%) also saw strong growth, particularly in the Top-End segment.
In Asia, sales reached 247,700 units (+3%) with China slightly above prior-year level (+3%). Top-End sales in China stayed high, reaching a new record with 20,500 units (+1%) sold in the first quarter. This result was boosted by robust demand for the GLS, which saw sales increase 17% to 4,500 units, as well as the G-Class with sales up by 71% to 1,600 units. The E-Class was the top-selling vehicle in China in the first quarter with 48,700 units sold (+11%), followed by the C-Class (+37%). BEV sales in China rose by 109% driven by EQA, EQB and EQE. The new EQS SUV and the locally produced EQE SUV will launch in China in the second quarter. In Korea and Japan, sales of battery electric vehicles grew by 288% and 379% following further market launches. Furthermore, in India, one of the fastest growing markets for Mercedes-Benz, sales increased by 17% in the first three months, while sales in Malaysia were up by 53%.
Sales in North America stayed at the prior-year level (+1%). In the U.S. market BEV sales (+327%) more than quadrupled in the first three months. Battery electric vehicles now account for 14% of Mercedes-Benz Cars sales following the market introduction of the EQB, EQE, EQE SUV and EQS SUV. Moreover, sales in the Top-End segment rose significantly to 27,900 units (+29%), representing a share of 43% of Mercedes-Benz Cars unit sales in the U.S. market. The strong performance was driven by AMG sales (+69%) and the G-Class (+46%). Additionally, sales of Mercedes-Maybach tripled in Q1 (+232%). Overall sales in the U.S. remained at the level of Q1 2022 mainly due to the model change of the GLC. Its successor will be introduced to the U.S. market in the second quarter.
Sales in the rest of world were influenced by Mercedes-Benz's decision to stop its business activities in Russia from March 2022 onwards.
