Mercedes-Benz has decided that an electric car and a gasoline car no longer have to look like distant relatives. The company is deliberately pulling its electric models closer to combustion-engine cars — in both design and price. Klaus Rehkugler, Mercedes-Benz’s head of product management and global training, explained why: customers are tired of the split. They want one face for a model, no matter what’s under the hood.
And it goes further than that. The company plans to sharply increase the share of shared components between versions. Down the line, electric and combustion models will be able to share identical body panels, interior structure, even seats. Mercedes-Benz’s official 2026–2027 strategy takes it a step further still: one unified brand design across every BEV and ICE model, no exceptions.
As an example, Rehkugler pointed to the GLC 250 electric: priced at roughly €60,000, right in line with a comparable ICE-powered GLC. The gap that used to scare buyers off is closing before our eyes. According to Rehkugler, the closer starting prices get, the faster used-car values will follow suit.
There are early signs the bet is paying off: according to the company’s own figures, residual values of used Mercedes EVs have stabilized over the past three to six months. One caveat — that’s the automaker’s own assessment, not an independent used-car market study, so take it with a grain of salt.
