- A Mercedes-Benz executive says the AMG GT shouldn’t exist.
- He said it is too late to stop the arrival of EVs.
- The Mercedes board realized that EVs were a disaster.
Automakers are doing everything they can to nudge consumers toward electric vehicles: fast charging, long range, and low prices. In terms of luxury and performance, some companies have even started incorporating simulated gears and sounds to make EVs feel more like gas cars.
Even that has not won everyone’s heart. The issue is so serious that even top Mercedes-Benz executives are furious over the latest AMG GT 4-door and its electric powertrain.
A quote from a Mercedes executive recently published in German manager magazineAs originally reported The Autopian. The executive says this car “shouldn’t even exist,” noting that “it’s too late to stop it.”
Photo by: Mercedes-AMG
Unlike Honda, which abandoned its plans to release three electric vehicles after spending billions of dollars in development costs, Mercedes was too far ahead and had to release its own vehicles. The development of the AMG EV alone has reportedly cost the German automaker more than $1 billion.
This number is much lower than the development cost of the EQS and EQE SUV models, which was reportedly around 5 billion euros (about $5.7 million USD in 2026 dollars). The idea for the original EQS and other EVs was inspired by Mercedes CEO Ola Källenius, who was reportedly chasing Tesla’s rising stock price.
The unnamed Mercedes executive says the automaker’s board knew the EQ models were a disaster after a 90 percent sales decline in 2024, according to the manager’s report. “It was clear then that these cars were the biggest failures in the company’s history,” the executive told the German outlet.
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Source: Mercedes-AMG
Motor1’s Opinion: It looks like Mercedes is finally digging itself out of the hole dug by the EQ-branded vehicles. The electric CLA seems like a good EV at under $50,000 and is coming to the US as the first true luxury van for the VLE market.
