Next batch of Mercedes EQC to arrive in September. But there's competition now
- Mercedes EQC was launched in India late 2020. It now has to compete against Jaguar I-Pace and the upcoming Audi e-tron models.
Mercedes-Benz India had a first-move advantage when it drove in its EQC in the country late 2020. As the first luxury car maker to launch an electric vehicle in the country, Mercedes set the ball rolling in many ways and the EQC - brought in via the CBU route - found many takers and the units available were sold out. The company confirmed recently that the next batch of EQC units are coming in on September. But unlike when the initial launch happened, the EQC now has competition from Jaguar Land Rover's I-Pace and the upcoming Audi e-tron and e-tron Sportback.
The electric space within the passenger vehicle category in the Indian automotive market has seen luxury car makers vying for attention in a still very niche space. EVs like EQC and I-Pace are north of ₹1 crore and it is like the e-tron models from Audi will carry a similar price tag. But if the response towards such vehicles - limited in numbers as they may be - is much to go by, the EV movement is on a firm footing.
Mercedes-Benz India has been aggressive and determined with its thrust on EVs here. "We believe the time is right and Indians both deserve and want electric vehicles," Santosh Iyer, Vice-President for Sales and Marketing at Mercedes-Benz India, had previously told HT Auto.
The EQC launch in India was followed by the India debut of I-Pace earlier this year. The I-Pace has won several global accolades and its entry to the Indian car market also shows the EV prospects that Jaguar Land Rover sees here.
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And next up are the Audi e-tron models that are scheduled for a launch on July 22. Audi India Head Balbir Singh Dhillon had previously said that when it comes to EVs, the more players there are, the better it is for the auto market at large.
With Volvo also confirming plans of rolling out its XC40 Recharge, the EV PV space is, at least for now, being led by luxury car makers even if the target audience remains an exclusive group of car buyers.