Mercedes-Benz is set to dramatically reduce its investment in electric vehicle platform development, with a decision not to push ahead with plans for its new MB.EA Large architecture, according to reports in Germany.

The new platform, planned to be launched in 2028, was earmarked to underpin successors to the existing EQE and EQS saloons and SUVs.

As first reported by Handelsblatt, development of the MB.EA Large platform has been cancelled. The German financial publication says the decision has been made due to poor sales of the existing EQE and EQS models, citing information provided by four separate insiders. Autocar has approached Mercedes for comment. 

The investment savings brought by halting the development and infrastructure changes at its production sites to accommodate the new platform are estimated to be between €4 billion and €6 billion (roughly £3.44bn and £5.16bn). 

Mercedes-Benz originally planned to develop two versions of MB.EA – the MB.EA Medium for the upcoming EQC saloon and SUV, and the MB.EA Large for the larger, more luxury-focused cars.

With the latter structure now cancelled, Mercedes-Benz intends to further develop the EVA2 platform, which forms the basis for the existing EQE and EQS models, with an 800V charging architecture set to replace the 400V system used today.

Other changes planned for the EVA2 platform include new battery cell technology and more efficient electric motors for increased range. 

Together with the MB.EA Medium, Mercedes-Benz is said to have firm plans to develop the MMA (for compact EVs), MB.AMG (sports cars) and MB.VAN (commercial vehicle) platforms.

The MMA platform, conceived to support both electric and combustion drivetrains, will underpin the third-generation CLA, CLA Shooting Brake, third-generation GLA and second-generation GLB. The new structure is planned to share its electric drivetrain architecture with MB.EA Medium.

The MB.AMG platform, due out in 2025 as a pure-electric architecture, is earmarked to underpin a successor to the AMG GT 4-Door Coupé, as well as a new closely related AMG SUV model.

The MB.VAN platform, set to be launched in 2026, will initially form the basis of a successor to today’s Mercedes EQV before being used for other commercial vehicles.

According to Handelsblatt, the decision to cancel plans for the MB.EA Large platform forms part of a broader realignment of Mercedes-Benz future development activities. 

The car maker recently postponed its target of achieving a 50% EV (plug-in hybrid and electric vehicle) share of sales in 2025 to 2030. It also rolled back on plans to sell electric cars only by 2030 “in markets where the conditions allow”.

The halt in the development of MB.EA Large is expected to see Mercedes-Benz develop successors to today’s seventh-generation S-Class, fourth-generation GLE SUV, third-generation GLE Coupé and third-generation GLS as combustion models with plug-in hybrid capability, based on an updated version of today's MRA platform.

They are set to be sold alongside their electric equivalents based on the upgraded EVA2 platform.