Here it is: the future!
The future is electric – that’s what we’re all constantly told by countless media sources and the automotive industry’s marketing machine. Adding to that chorus is the first-ever dealership in the world to only sell Mercedes electric cars. That’s right, the Mercedes-EQ brand has broken away from the mainstream Mercedes lineup, allowing shoppers and owners in Yokohama, Japan to not have to frequent a building where dirty ICE vehicles are sold and serviced.
Check out the aftermath of a Tesla Model S fire here.
This is being trumpeted as a bold move into the future. The dealership has a much different look than a regular Mercedes location. Staff concentrate only on EVs, which supposedly will prevent them from talking shoppers into an ICE model instead. What’s more, the roof is covered in solar panels and there are vehicle chargers.
Since 2019, Mercedes has launched 5 all-electric EQ models in the Japanese market. Many more are in the works, and the company sees Japan as a prime market for its expanding lineup. That’s an odd thing since EVs haven’t been all that popular on the island nation.
The largest domestic automaker, Toyota, has caught plenty of heat for pushing hybrids while slow-walking EV models while critics accuse it of being anti-progress. Apparently, Mercedes believes it can capitalize on that. Unfortunately, Japanese consumers are far more loyal to Japanese brands than imports, so the Germans are likely facing another uphill battle.
Still, a report from Reuters points out 2,357 EVs from foreign brands were sold in Japan during November, setting a new record. Plus, Mercedes was the top foreign brand in the country for 2021. If we see the Mercedes-EQ dealership model spread throughout Japan and elsewhere in the world, we’ll know it’s probably a success. Otherwise, this venture will quietly go away as the company hopes everyone forgets it ever existed.
Source: Reuters
Photos via Mercedes
