Mercedes-Benz passenger car deliveries reached 517,800 units
This marks the automaker's strongest sales quarter so far in 2022, despite production and sales continuing to be impacted by semiconductor bottlenecks and constrained supply chains, Mercedes-Benz said in a recent statement.
Meanwhile, the manufacturer continues its transformation to electric mobility, with sales of battery electric vehicles (BEVs) rising to 30,000 units between July and September - up 28 per cent in Q2 and up 115 per cent in the same period last year - as it moves towards an all-electric future. In the first nine months of the year, sales of fully electric vehicles doubled to 75,400 units (+126 per cent). Deliveries of 13,100 pure e-cars in September represent a new monthly sales record.
The EQB with 3,400 units and the recently launched EQE in China with more than 2,000 units worldwide contributed significantly. In addition, EQS sales are steadily increasing and achieved the strongest sales quarter to date with more than 5400 units. The EQS SUV had its product launch in the US, where the first vehicles were also handed over to customers. Deliveries of xEV models (plug-in hybrids and BEVs including the subsidiary brand Smart) reached 75,900 units (+23 percent) in the third quarter, corresponding to an xEV share of 15 percent. As a result, 215,400 xEV units (+17 per cent) were delivered to customers in the first nine months of the year.
"Behind us is our strongest sales quarter so far this year. In a challenging business environment, characterised by ongoing semiconductor bottlenecks, we continue to see robust demand for our products," says Britta Seeger, Member of the Board of Management of Mercedes-Benz Group AG, responsible for Mercedes-Benz Cars Sales. "With the EQS SUV and the EQE SUV, which will make its debut in Paris on 16 October, our customers will be able to choose an all-electric vehicle in every segment served by Mercedes-Benz. In total, we offer our customers a choice of eight all-electric Mercedes-Benz models - more than any of our competitors."
In addition to accelerating the transformation of its vehicle portfolio towards an all-electric future, Mercedes-Benz is continuously working to improve the charging network for its customers. Since last year, Mercedes-Benz has increased the available charging points within its Mercedes me Charge service to more than 850,000 (+70 per cent) worldwide. This significantly increases planning reliability for long-distance trips.
Sales in the Top-End Luxury category reached 77,500 units (-1 per cent) in the third quarter, up 8 per cent on Q2 sales. The segment was driven by strong Mercedes-Maybach sales with 5200 units (+3 per cent) in Q3 and 15,500 units delivered (+43 per cent) year-to-date. S-Class deliveries increased in all regions in the third quarter except the USA, where temporary certification delays impacted sales. Worldwide, 21,400 units (-18 percent) of the S-Class were handed over to customers. The EQS achieved its best quarterly sales to date with 5400 units. The new SL has already been delivered to more than 1800 customers in Europe and the USA in the 3rd quarter.
Sales in the Core Luxury category increased to 277,000 units (+36 percent) in Q3. The strong sales figures of the C-Class (+55 percent) and the E-Class (+25 percent) stand out. In addition, despite the start of production of the new generation in Bremen and Sindelfingen, the GLC was able to defend its title as the best-selling Mercedes-Benz model with 88,700 units (+49 percent). In addition, the new all-electric EQE was launched in China, achieving 3500 units worldwide in the 3rd quarter.
Sales in the Entry Luxury category also increased, to 148,400 units (+6 percent). The BEV share doubled to 10 percent compared to the previous year. The EQB shone with more than 3400 units in September, resulting in its best monthly and quarterly results. Sales of the A-Class (-3 per cent) and B-Class (-8 per cent), whose updated models were recently launched, were constrained by parts availability and logistics. The GLB posted its best-ever third-quarter sales of 36,900 units (+11 per cent), driven primarily by strong sales in China of 17,000 units (+33 per cent).