Mercedes-Benz Malaysia on track for more EV models, further infrastructure support incoming
Sanjay · Jun 8, 2023 05:10 PM
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With the launch of the Mercedes-AMG EQE 53 4Matic+ and the Mercedes-AMG EQS 53 4Matic+ earlier this morning, Mercedes-Benz Malaysia (MBM) lays claim to the honour as the brand with the most electric vehicle (EV) offerings in the country.
Now with a portfolio of 7 models, MBM is bullish about heightened EV growth in the future, equating to a larger number of models to anticipate.
The AMG EQS and AMG EQE
"On how our electric vehicle sales are progressing, I can certainly say that we are pretty much on track. We expect at least a double-digit growth in terms of our portfolio related to EVs this year," said Sagree Sardien, President & CEO of MBM.
"Of course, EVs are quite in their infancy in the industry. Right now our focus is on bringing in a more extensive product portofolio, which will also not stop here today; will certainly continue through the remainder of the year, and with that we believe that this will contribute to sales volumes," she explained.
Today's introduction of the two sedans marks the first of the AMG-EQ models here. On a broader scale, MBM's EV offering is pretty complete, encompassing both SUVs and sedans – though the EQE SUV hasn't made its way here yet, though registration of interest is now open.
More should be done to grow EV industry
Naturally with the growth of EV sales, there needs to be a tandem increase in support for such cars post-launch. In this respect, Sardien says that while there's some work to do, the improvements shown are still commendable.
"What we really have to assess as an industry is after launching a car, how do electric vehicles fare in the market. There I think all parties have a lot of work to do to get EV adoption to the level that is required, but I think it's pretty good where we stand now, including all the commitment from all OEMs including ourselves to foster this electric effort," explained Sardien.
The EV charging hub, built in collaboration between Petronas and Mercedes-Benz at the Petronas Station Bandar Baru Ayer Hitam along the North-South Expressway (NSE)
To that end, MBM has got on board with extending the number of EV chargers in the country. Most notable are the 12 DC chargers the companies have across their retail network, and their partnership with Petronas to make charging hubs along a few expressways, to name a few.
"This is not the end of our journey when it comes to charging infrastructure," maintains the CEO. "We have just equipped our own facilities with DC and AC chargers to fast track this, and we certainly are of the opinion that it is a joint venture between public and private sector to facilitate the increase of charging infrastructure," said Sardien.
With humble beginnings collecting diecast models and spending hours virtually tuning dream cars on the computer, his love of cars has delightfully transformed into a career. Sanjay enjoys how the same passion for cars transcends boundaries and brings people together.
