Luxury car maker Mercedes-Benz India expanded its Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV) range on Monday with the launch of the locally produced EQS 580 4MATIC.
India is the first country outside the US to start local production of the seven-seater electric SUV. The EQS SUV 580 4MATIC is the second model, following the EQS sedan, to be produced at the company’s Pune manufacturing plant.
"This will be our sixth EV in India and the second car to be locally produced here. We are also proud that India becomes the first market outside the US to locally manufacture the EQS," Mercedes-Benz India Managing Director and CEO Santosh Iyer told PTI. He added that the move underscores the company’s commitment to electrification and expanding its product portfolio.
"The localisation of the EQS SUV highlights our commitment to growing the Indian luxury electric car market and supporting a greener and sustainable future," Iyer said. The initiative also aligns with the government’s Make-in-India vision, he noted.
Local production has allowed the company to offer the EQS SUV 580 4MATIC at a competitive introductory price of Rs 1.41 crore, which Iyer believes will accelerate the transition to electric vehicles (EVs) among customers.
Iyer reported that demand for green vehicles is increasing in India, with high-end EVs also gaining acceptance. "Since the EQS sedan’s introduction 18 months ago, we have sold over 500 units, despite its cost exceeding Rs 1.6 crore. Our total EV penetration is currently 5 per cent and growing," he said.
While acknowledging potential opportunities in the entry-level EV segment, Iyer emphasised that Mercedes-Benz’s focus remains on luxury products with higher driving ranges. "To bring products at lower price points is not our current strategy," he stated. The EQS SUV 580 4MATIC, with an ARAI-certified range of 809 km, is India’s longest-range electric SUV.
Mercedes-Benz India has announced an additional Rs 200 crore investment towards manufacturing operations, new product launches, and digitisation of manufacturing processes, bringing its total investment in India to over Rs 3,000 crore.
In the January-September period this year, Mercedes-Benz India launched three new BEVs: the EQA, EQS SUV 580, and Mercedes-Maybach EQS 680 SUV. With the addition of the EQS SUV 580 4MATIC, the company’s BEV lineup now includes the EQA, EQB, EQE SUV, EQS SUV, EQS sedan, and Maybach EQS 680.
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