Latest news with #EQS
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Smartphone Growth Will Return in 2027 After Tariffs Cause a Decline in 2025-2026
BELMONT, Mass., June 3, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Daniel Research Group, a market research firm specializing in forecasting technology markets announces the free availability of its updated U.S. Personal Devices 2024-2029 Forecast Report, as well as an updated US Total Available Market 2024-2029 Forecast. Most credible recognized economists are of the opinion that the Trump administration's stated economic and domestic policies will lead to inflation, significant unemployment, and a recession. The unknown is the degree to which Trump will actually attempt to execute his plans, and the degree to which the legislature, the courts, and other economic actors can mitigate or block those plans. If Trump's final across the board tariffs average 15% above the current level, then employment growth will slow significantly and the number of businesses will decrease. Our forecasts assume that the final Trump Tariffs applied to Personal Computing and Communications Devices will raise prices by approximately 10% in 2025 and 15% in 2026. This will lengthen replacement rates, reducing demand starting in Q3 2025 and all of 2026. However, demand delayed in 2025 and 2026 will return starting in 2027. Market Overview United States Total Personal Device Unit Shipments (M) 2024 2025 AGR 2029 CAGR '24-'29 Desktop PCs Desktop PCs 13.4 12.0 -10.6 % 12.6 -1.1 % Mobile PCs Traditional 45.4 39.3 -13.5 % 49.6 1.8 %Convertible 7.4 6.3 -14.4 % 8.0 1.7 % Total Mobile PCs52.7 45.6 -13.6 % 57.6 1.8 %Total PCs66.1 57.5 -13.0 % 70.2 1.2 % Tablets Detachable 20.7 23.1 11.7 % 28.9 6.9 %Slate 19.2 14.0 -26.8 % 11.1 -10.3 % Total Tablets39.9 37.2 -6.8 % 40.0 0.1 %Total PCs and Tablets 106.0 94.7 -10.7 % 110.3Mobile Phones Standard Phones 4.6 3.7 -18.6 % 3.8 -3.8 %Smartphones 128.1 115.2 -10.0 % 127.6 -0.1 % Total Mobile Phones 132.6 118.9 -10.3 % 131.3 -0.2 % TotalTotal Personal Devices 238.6 213.6 -10.5 % 241.6 0.2 % ∞∫∆ Daniel Research Group © (2025) Our two most current forecast reports are freely available from our web site. DRG's United States PC, Tablet and Mobile Phone Market Size and Forecast to 2029. The models utilize DRG's EquilibriumSolver (EQS), a forecasting methodology and application that utilizes a combination of long-term market trends, current unit shipments and revenue data, as well as analyst assessments of influencing economic, demographic, and market factors. In addition to Unit Shipments, the model forecasts, Prices, Revenues, Installed Bases, Replacement Rates, and Market Penetration and Densities, by product, form factor and segment. DRG's United States Business Demographic Total Available Market Forecast to 2029 DRG's BEDD is a Total Available Market (TAM) database. It counts and forecasts employees, businesses, establishments, and payroll by Sector (Private and Public), Sub-Sector, Industry, and business size by employment. BEDD was designed to help clients size and forecast the total available market for their products and services. It provides the answer to three fundamental planning questions. How big is the market for your product or service? How fast or slow is it growing? How is it segmented by Sector, Sub-Sector, Industry and Business Size? For more information about our forecasts, methodology, or custom engagement, please call or email DRG. About Daniel Research GroupDRG is a market research and consulting firm servicing technology clients. Its primary focus is developing custom market models and forecasts utilizing proprietary methodologies and algorithms developed over more than 35 years, as well as traditional market research methodologies. ContactSteve Daniel, PresidentDaniel Research Group(617) 484 – 6225395899@ View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Daniel Research Group Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Mercedes-Benz EQS
The limousine class has long been something of a technological vanguard for the automotive industry, and in one respect in particular – when it comes to the provision of outright electric range in EVs - it's preserving that status. Some of the competitors of the updated Mercedes-Benz EQS – the subject of this road test – really are pushing the envelope when it comes to squeezing mileage into a big four-door saloon. The UK market may still be waiting for right-hand-drive versions of them, but for the past two years the Lucid Air has been offering North American buyers a range in excess of 500 miles, while China's Nio ET7, with its 150kWh semi-solid-state battery, has become the first electric production car to be certified for more than 1000km (621 miles) of range on a single charge. So there's pressure on the likes of the EQS to keep up. Introduced in 2021, this was Stuttgart's memorable bid to respond to the Tesla Model S and successfully electrify much of its S-Class customer base. It has thus far failed to do that, consistently being outsold by its more traditional sibling, with global demand for both cars slackening far enough for their shared production line at Sindelfingen to dial down output from two shifts a day to only one. Stand by to find out just how Mercedes has sought to boost this electric saloon's fortunes by bolstering its power reserves. The main development to the EQS for the 2025 model year concerns battery capacity. Where previously there was only one, there are now two nickel-manganese-cobalt packs offered: the larger one extending to 118kWh of usable capacity, and the smaller one offering 96kWh and being fitted exclusively to the entry-level 350 model. For the bigger battery, that's a hike of a little under 10% compared with what the car was launched with and raises its WLTP combined range to as high as 481 miles, depending on the model and optional equipment. Estimated by the North American EPA test cycle to be worth only 390 miles, however, that won't be enough to worry the likes of Lucid too much, but it's progress all the same – and about as much as any EV maker is likely to achieve at a mid-life facelift. We opted to test an upper-trim Business Class version of the EQS 450+, which is a single-motor EV driven by a 356bhp, permanent magnet synchronous motor mounted adjacent to the rear axle. It's slightly more powerful than the equivalent launch model but still less potent than key competitors even in single-motor form. The Business Class trim adds 22in alloy wheels to the car, whose rolling resistance knocks the claimed range down a little, to 446 miles. Like Mercedes' other bigger EVs, the EQS sits on the firm's EVA platform, and gets adaptive air suspension underneath front double-wishbone and rear multi-link axles. Four-wheel steering features as standard on all EQS derivatives, but on our test car its rear-wheel manipulation is up to 10deg – two or three times what similar systems from other manufacturers offer. Our test car weighed 2608kg on the proving ground scales: slightly under Mercedes' official claim for it, but still likely to have at least as significant an impact on its true range and efficiency as the EQS's much-touted 0.20 drag coefficient. There was plenty about the design of the EQS that, when the car first came along in 2021, made it seem like a tellingly direct riposte to the Tesla Model S – an EV that had been eating into S-Class sales in the US for several years. But nothing did more so than Mercedes' Hyperscreen infotainment system, which made it look as if the car's entire fascia had been replaced by one gigantic touchscreen. Four years ago, of course, this was an optional feature, whereas now every EQS gets this system as standard. And, while you can decrease the brightness of the three display screens of which it is comprised, or turn at least two of them off entirely, its glare is certainly considerable when all are lit – and then exacerbated by that of the cabin's ambient light features, which can pulse and glow in different colours when the right setting is selected. It's more than enough to mark this car out, for better or worse and in fully unapologetic terms, as a limousine for the digital age: a jilted lover's letter, clearly, to all those Mercedes S-Class exiles running a Model S. The rest of the EQS's cabin layout is more traditional, however, with a default four-seater passenger configuration and a big armrest console between the rear passengers that houses a removable tablet-style touchscreen remote for the car's main multimedia system and can be folded away to create an additional third back seat. In the front, the driving position offers plenty of leg and elbow room, though it's tighter around your head, especially when getting in. The front seat and primary control layout are both very good, however; the former having abundant adjustment potential and all the expected heating and massage options. In the back, Mercedes' optional Rear Seat Comfort Plus package matches the comfort level of the front seats. The reclining rear seat on the passenger side, which has a seat cushion that extends by 50mm and a floor-mounted footrest, isn't quite a 'sleeping seat' but would seem to offer at least some use for long-distance lounging. Unfortunately, Mercedes didn't fit that option to our test car, whose back seats were certainly spacious, luxurious and comfortable but didn't match the BMW i7 we tested in 2023 for first-class transatlantic passenger comfort (Mercedes does offer something comparable on its Maybach S-Class and GLS, and on the Maybach EQS SUV, it claims). Boot space, however, is surprisingly good – with a liftback-style hatchback rear end granting very easy access to a particularly long loading volume in excess of 600 litres. If you were to undertake a long touring trip with plenty of luggage, the EQS would certainly be well prepared in that respect. As imposing as it is, the EQS's Hyperscreen multimedia system isn't difficult to get on with. You can use the 'D-pad' controller on the left-hand spoke of the steering wheel as a cursor controller to navigate it if you prefer that to direct touchscreen input; there are physical menu shortcuts close to your left hand, to jump between important menu screens (ADAS, charging, parking cameras etc); and Mercedes provides an excellent top-level 'zero layer' navigation that's only ever one touch away. That the car's ventilation controls are screen-based is a little irksome, but they are permanently displayed, accessible and not fiddly. There's also a permanent toggle button to turn off the speed alarm. The navigation system is easy to program, via your voice or fingertip input, and also easy to follow, with good support to find charging stations. In the back row, meanwhile, our test car came with the MBUX rear-seat entertainment system, which grafts on a pair of 11.6in displays to the front seatbacks, as well as wireless headphones. Between these and the removable tablet remote, you can assume command of the car's main multimedia system from the back row, or select and stream your own entertainment online, with options for HDMI input from external devices as well. As the middle-rung version of three EQS derivatives, with a dual-motor Mercedes-AMG EQS 53 version above it, the EQS 450+ has a well-judged performance level. It's not quite quick enough to feel like it's interested in playing to a sporting crowd, but it nonetheless meets a limousine's typical dynamic brief with a bit in hand. And its drivability is not only good but has improved over the past four years. Our test car had chilly but dry test conditions. It addresses the road in a controlled, comfortable way even under full power, building up to full torque at least a little gradually from rest, and not even flirting with wheelspin. You can see that in our performance numbers, with 0-60mph taking about a second longer than 30-70mph or 50-80mph (modern EVs often show remarkable direct proportionality in these performance numbers). Out on the road, however, the car motivates its mass very assuredly, and has the power in reserve you would expect of an expensive luxury option, whether for overtaking, climbing or just hurrying along when called to. Mercedes provides paddle-shift control of regenerative braking, and this isn't linked to the selected drive mode, so the setting is always how you like it and as you left it. It works nicely both as an extra route towards driver involvement and to reassure you that you're driving as efficiently as possible, rather than wasting energy in unnecessary regen and acceleration, when range may be limited. We were also impressed with the car's battery management – particularly that it showed little performance deterioration at low charge and didn't wilt in intensive running – and with its brake pedal feel, which gave a clear, tactile impression of the handover between regenerative and friction braking. All EQS models get Mercedes' Driving Assistance Package Plus as standard, which gives them the full suite of active lane keeping, steering assistance and speed monitoring systems. As part of a feature new for the European market, it can now also use its various forwards- and rearwards-facing cameras to automatically overtake slower-moving vehicles on multi-lane highways, assuming it's safe to do so, although this isn't yet enabled for UK cars for legal reasons. The assistance systems are simple to enable and disable via an easily accessed shortcut menu. The AEB system is well tuned and unintrusive around town, although it can be over-sensitive when manoeuvring. It intervened unnecessarily on two occasions when reversing, slamming on the brakes rather unpleasantly. The EQS is certainly a big saloon car and yet, much of the time, at low speeds especially, it really doesn't handle like one. That's how the impact of its unusually bold four-wheel steering system is felt, which in an objective sense certainly makes for remarkably wieldy manoeuvrability for such a big car and short work indeed of getting in and out of parking spaces and executing three-point turns. The system's subjective appeal is a little more complex. There is certainly some artificiality in the way the chassis' responsiveness picks up at very low speeds. When you pull out of a junction on full lock, or sweep into a driveway, the way the rear axle can suddenly seem to pivot around behind you can put you in mind of shopping trolley handling a little too clearly. But it's a short-lived phenomenon, because at greater speed there's certainly no undermining this car's handling security or high-speed stability. It continues to steer through a light, filtered steering rack, which has just enough heft to suit its pacy directness off-centre. The car is fairly softly sprung, as you would expect of a limousine, and while it maintains good lateral body control when cornering, it can begin to run short of control of pitch and heave near the national speed limit on country roads. Here, Sport mode better supports the car's considerable bulk than Comfort, and makes it more composed and steady, and though it means sacrificing a little ride isolation, better vertical body control can also make for better overall ride comfort here. Our EQS 450+ test car had really impressive ride isolation on better surfaces. In this respect, the car feels like it has been refined and improved quite a lot since its introduction four years ago. Even on 22in wheels, it kept a commendably quiet cabin (58dBA at a 50mph cruise, compared with 60dBA for the BMW i7 xDrive60 M Sport and 61dBA for the Porsche Panamera 4 E-Hybrid). That hushed sense of distance from the road surface underneath you isn't quite ever-present, however. While they're less commonly occurring than in those early cars we drove several years ago, occasional thumps and jitters from the axles do still suggest the secondary ride isn't as perfectly controlled and resolved as it might be, and the quicker you go, the more common these incidences get. Smaller wheels might help mitigate the phenomenon and soften the ride, as unlikely as modern Mercedes buyers may be to opt for them. But while Sport mode does evidently ramp up damping rates and better controls wheel movements, neither it nor Comfort can quite deliver the world-class out-of-town ride you would hope for here. The EQS range now opens with an entry price just under £100,000, and extends to the far side of £200k for a range-topping Maybach 680 model. And that's broadly in line with what BMW charges for an i7. With the addition of the 350 entry-level model and the improvement in standard equipment across the range, moreover, Mercedes can justifiably say it has made the car better value than it was originally – making it less prone to being undercut by emerging electric car brands and without, quite clearly, taking an axe to prices anywhere. Having a 400V electrical architecture, the EQS also remains a little vulnerable to attack from those brands on rapid-charging speed. It hit a weighted average charging speed of 135kW, which puts it only just inside the top 15 results we have recorded since 2022. It's not an awful outcome: but a sub-£50,000 Hyundai Ioniq 5 charges quicker, which could be a problem for Mercedes. A fairly creditable UK motorway touring efficiency of 2.6mpkWh (this is a big car, remember) makes for just over 300 miles of long-distance range – better than our BMW i7 xDrive 60 M Sport test car managed in 2023, though not by a huge margin. Perhaps not the sort of range that's likely to give Mercedes too many bragging rights, either. Mercedes' efforts to accelerate the EQS towards greater commercial success in later life have certainly had a positive effect on the car. There are now moments of real accomplishment about its refinement and manoeuvrability, and the authoritative performance and excellent drivability you would expect of a luxury car. It is also now capable of more than 300 motorway miles on a charge, even in wintry conditions. However, still higher levels of comfort, and much bigger strides in terms of efficiency and real-world range, are needed to conjure the aura of effortless superiority you would associate with 'an electric S-Class'. The technological razzmatazz of a 21st-century luxury icon certainly isn't in short supply. But the matching gravitas, substance and true sophistication remain slightly elusive. ]]>
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Mercedes-Benz announces new car coming to Alabama plant
VANCE, Ala. (WIAT) — Mercedes Benz will make a new car at its plant in Tuscaloosa County, although what this new 'core segment' vehicle will be or what it looks like is anyone's guess. In a statement released Thursday, the car manufacturer announced it would build a new car at its Mercedes-Benz U.S. International plant outside Tuscaloosa. Currently, the plant puts out the GLE and GLS; the EQE and EQS SUVs and the Mercedes-Maybach line of EQS and GLE vehicles. 'Tuscaloosa has been a key hub for Mercedes-Benz vehicles for almost 30 years,' said Ola Källenius, chairman of the board of management of Mercedes-Benz Group AG. 'It's a natural step to bring a further model to Alabama as part of a strategy to deepen our commitment to the United States, a market, which has been our home for more than a century.' Since opening in 1997, over 4.5 million cars have rolled off the line at MBUSI. Last year, the plant put out nearly 260,000 vehicles. 'We are getting even closer to the U.S. customer by localizing a core segment model in Tuscaloosa, strengthening our ties to the North American market where a range of Mercedes-Benz vehicles including the GLE and GLS models have their roots,' MBUSI CEO Jason Hoff said. The announcement comes in the wake of the Trump administration's proposed 25% tariffs on imported cars, as well as a 25% tariff on auto parts that is set to go into effect this weekend. According to a report by CNBC, an estimated 60% of the vehicles produced at Mercedes-Benz's Tuscaloosa County plant are exported. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
USA Today
02-05-2025
- Automotive
- USA Today
Mercedes-Benz Drive Pilot 95: The fastest certified Level 3 self-driving system
Mercedes-Benz Drive Pilot 95: The fastest certified Level 3 self-driving system Show Caption Hide Caption Self-driving taxis coming to Atlanta Lyft is partnering with May Mobility to bring a fleet of self-driving Toyota minivans to Atlanta starting this summer, according to Lyft. Fox - 5 Atlanta Mercedes-Benz chairman Ola Källenius settles back in the driver's seat of the Mercedes-Benz EQS sedan and reaches into the center console. 'Popcorn?' he asks, as the opening credits of the original Ghostbusters movie play out in the center of high-definition Hyperscreen that stretches across the dash. There's a crisp rat-a-tat-tat from the snare drum, then the bass kicks in as Ray Parker Jr rasps: If there's something strange... In your neighborhood... Who ya gonna call… As PR stunts go, it's a bit… ahem… corny. But what's not corny is that fact that the Mercedes-Benz boss and I are going through the motions of watching a movie while the EQS drives itself along the autobahn for miles at a time at a smooth and steady 59 mph, demonstrating a key performance attribute of Mercedes-Benz's upgraded Level 3 autonomous driving system, Drive Pilot 95, weeks before the official media drives. Drive Pilot, the world's first legally approved Level 3 autonomous driving system, made its debut in 2022. Its operating parameters were tightly controlled, limited to traffic traveling at no more than 40 mph on German autobahns. Drive Pilot 95 will, under certain conditions, allow Mercedes-Benz S-Class and EQS models equipped with the $6,600 option to self-drive for an indefinite period in the right lane of autobahns at speeds of up to 95 km/h (59 mph). Owners of cars equipped with the original Drive Pilot system will be able to upgrade to Drive Pilot 95 free of charge. Mercedes-Benz plans to introduce Drive Pilot into the U.S., which it sees as a big market for autonomous driving technologies and is currently working on changing the system's operating parameters to suit U.S. road and traffic conditions. While first movers and fast movers like Tesla and Chinese automakers have been grabbing the headlines in terms of autonomous driving (though Tesla's much hyped Full Self-Driving option is not a certified Level 3 autonomous drive system) Mercedes-Benz has been quietly working at the frontiers of the technology. The slow pace is deliberate, insists Källenius. 'Mercedes-Benz's philosophy is you deploy a little bit less than what the technology can do, but you continue to develop the technology,' he says. Engineers confirm that in addition to working on a U.S.-optimized version of Drive Pilot that will allow faster operating speeds than Drive Pilot 95, it plans to have the system able to offer full Level 3 autonomous driving capability at speeds up to 80 mph in strict Germany by the end of the decade. Luxury concepts: The 2025 Mercedes-AMG SL 63 Manufaktur Golden Coast is a limited-edition masterpiece Ola Källenius is heading the company that invented the automobile through one of the most challenging and transformative eras of the automotive age. Born in Västervik, Sweden, in 1969, he did two years compulsory military service before gaining a degree in finance and accounting at the Stockholm School of Economics before studying management at the University of St Gallen in Switzerland and joining Daimler-Benz in 1993 as a management trainee. He's no dry, colorless beancounter, though. During his career, Källenius worked with Ron Dennis at McLaren's futuristic headquarters in England, overseeing production of the Mercedes SLR McLaren hypercar, has run the company's F1 powertrain business, Mercedes AMG High Performance Powertrains, and headed AMG from 2010 to 2013. He speaks passionately and knowledgeably about F1 — he's excited about the prodigiously talented 18-year-old Italian, Kimi Antonelli, stepping into Lewis Hamilton's seat at the Mercedes F1 team when the seven-time world champion goes to Ferrari next year — and has just spent his own money on a Mercedes-AMG SL 63. 'It's a fabulous car. I wanted one I could keep for my son to drive one day.' Ola Källenius well understands developing cars that can drive themselves is just one thing that's challenging the best and brightest engineering brains at Mercedes-Benz. They're also trying to pivot the three-pointed star away from the internal combustion engine that has powered its products for more than a century, and towards EVs; trying to figure out how make vehicles that use fewer resources and dump less carbon into the atmosphere through their entire life cycles. And most importantly, they're trying to figure out how to do all that while staving off the threat from China's more nimble and lower cost automakers. In case you missed it: Mercedes-Benz opens sales for more ultra-luxurious residences in Miami 'The automotive industry is going through a profound change,' agrees Källenius, who says that change is being driven by a systemic shift towards decarbonization and CO₂ neutrality, where the electricity for EVs will come from non-fossil sources. 'We can debate how long it will take,' he says, 'but the destination is zero emissions. That is an enormous industrial and infrastructure undertaking, but I don't think too many people are debating the destination.' If you doubt that statement, follow the money, insists Källenius. He says that in a disruptive business environment new venture capital is usually deployed to unseat the incumbents, and it's clear where that money is not going in the auto industry. 'Of the many billions in venture capital out there, none is going into replicate the [internal combustion engine] business model that exists now,' he says bluntly. And that's why, despite worrying signs that consumer demand has slowed, Mercedes-Benz remains committed to EVs. 'It's better to play offense than defense,' Källenius says. Sitting back and waiting and watching would conserve capital, he admits, implicitly acknowledging the vast sums Mercedes-Benz is spending on the development of EVs that, so far, aren't selling in large numbers and generating large profits. But that strategy, he says would put the company in danger of missing the tipping point when electricity does become the mainstream automotive powertrain. Källenius agrees the journey to that tipping point is taking longer than everyone expected but points out that it took a while before the iPhone took off and crushed the BlackBerry. 'Now, I'm acutely aware the car and the industrial footprint of the auto industry is not the same as that of the mobile phone industry,' he says. 'But if and when the tipping point happens and you're not there, that could be [an existential threat] for a company.' As mainstream automakers began to embrace the technology, Mercedes-Benz bullishly announced the company would be building mainly EVs by 2030. Ola Källenius tapped the brakes on that statement in an interview earlier this year, saying it meant the company would not be investing in new internal combustion engine-based vehicle architectures beyond 2025. 'We have not announced the date when the last internal combustion engine Mercedes-Benz will go away,' he said, 'but we have put our capital allocation and engineering resource into preparing the company for a full EV lineup.' In July, however, Källenius announced Mercedes-Benz planned to spend about $15 billion on research and development to ensure its internal combustion engines would meet ever tightening emissions regulations well into the 2030s. 'An overhaul of the combustion portfolio was always part of the plan,' he insists. 'On the vehicle side, there's a benefit to be an incumbent. The whole infrastructure is there, so we're able to create flexibility in our product offering well into the 2030s, because we don't know when the tipping point [to EVs] will come.' Källenius admits that building internal combustion engine vehicles alongside EVs well into the 2030s means Mercedes-Benz will be a much more complex business than the switch to pure EVs production promised. But he says sticking with internal combustion engines will also generate a contribution margin on a fundamentally sound combustion business also for longer, and that will ultimately help Mercedes-Benz profitably make the transition to EVs. 'We think that we can manage through this incredibly intense technological and product development cycle,' Källenius says. 'Our balance sheet shows we have the liquidity and the firepower to do this. We know what the destination is. The destination is a zero emission, intelligent digital vehicle. But if the tail of the internal combustion engine vehicle is longer [than we expected], then we will take advantage of that.' While this transition is underway, does Mercedes-Benz, along with other western automakers, need protection from the growing wave of low-cost Chinese EVs entering their markets? An unabashed free trader, Källenius pushes back hard on the idea that heavy tariffs on Chinese imports will give western automakers breathing space to get their businesses into shape to compete. 'I the understand political reasons, and I think we should do whatever we can within WTO rules to create level playing fields in the main economic regions, but an escalating tariff based potential trade war is the wrong direction,' he says. 'But even if it could protect some players in the short term, that is dangerous in the long term. The heat of competition has always been the best way to create innovation.' What about problems with the Chinese market itself, where fierce competition between dozens of domestic automakers combined with slowing demand as the economy there has cooled has impacted both sales and profitability? Källenius likens the current situation in China to that in the U.S. and Europe, where hundreds of automakers existed at the beginning of the 20th century, but very few survived to see the 21st. 'I believe there will be some kind of consolidation in China,' he says. 'How long that will take is difficult to say, but that will keep an enormous competitive pressure and intensity in that biggest car market in the world for the foreseeable future.' Photos by MotorTrend
Zawya
29-04-2025
- Automotive
- Zawya
Saudi: Mercedes-Benz and Juffali Automotive Company partner with EVIQ
Saudi Arabia - Mercedes-Benz Cars Middle East, in collaboration with Juffali Automotive Company (JACO), its official general distributor in Saudi Arabia, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with EVIQ, Saudi Arabia's leading EV infrastructure provider. This strategic partnership reinforces Mercedes-Benz's commitment to supporting Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 by contributing to the development of a sustainable and advanced mobility ecosystem. Together with EVIQ's infrastructure expertise and JACO's long-standing presence in the Kingdom, the initiative will focus on developing a network of high-power EV charging stations, enabling Mercedes-Benz customers to travel more freely and confidently across Saudi Arabia. Beyond infrastructure, the collaboration also emphasizes customer education and awareness, aiming to promote the benefits of electric mobility and inspire broader adoption. It also opens opportunities for innovation, knowledge exchange, and local talent development as part of the Kingdom's broader diversification goals. By combining global expertise with local insight, Mercedes-Benz is taking a meaningful step toward shaping the future of electric mobility in Saudi Arabia — one that prioritizes convenience, performance, and sustainability. 'At Mercedes-Benz, we are committed to pioneering sustainable luxury mobility. This collaboration with EVIQ is more than just infrastructure — it's about supporting the Kingdom's transformation into a global innovation leader. Together, we're driving progress that complements Vision 2030's economic diversification goals and a greener future,' commented Michael Stroband, CEO of Mercedes-Benz Cars Middle East. Juffali Automotive Company, a cornerstone of Mercedes-Benz's presence in the Kingdom since the 1950s, will play a vital role in bringing this vision to life. Chenghez Khan, CEO of Juffali Automotive Company, added: 'We are proud to take this important step in partnering with EVIQ. This collaboration represents a powerful synergy between innovation, and sustainability. By enabling a robust EV infrastructure, we're not only supporting the shift to electric mobility — we're actively shaping the future of transportation in Saudi Arabia. This initiative is in alignment with the goals of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Vision 2030, contributing to a more sustainable, connected, and diversified economy.' EVIQ, a joint venture between Saudi Electricity Company and the Public Investment Fund, is tasked with designing, installing, and operating high-speed charging stations. This rollout aligns seamlessly with Mercedes-Benz's global 'Ambition 2039' strategy, which aims to achieve a net carbon-neutral fleet across its entire lifecycle by the decade's end. By integrating EVIQ's high-speed charging expertise with Mercedes-Benz's innovative electric models — like the EQS, EQE, and G580 with EQ Technology — the partnership promises to deliver an unmatched EV ecosystem tailored to the Saudi market. Underscoring the partnership, Mohammed Gazzaz, CEO of EVIQ, stated: 'EVIQ remains at the forefront of developing Saudi Arabia's EV ecosystem. This strategic partnership with Mercedes-Benz, a world renowned leader in innovative mobility and Juffali Automotive Company (JACO), its official general distributor in Saudi Arabia, further solidifies our commitment to fostering strong collaborations to further enhance the EV infrastructure across the Kingdom, accelerating the transition to a sustainable transportation future.' © Copyright 2022 The Saudi Gazette. All Rights Reserved. Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (
