Mercedes-Benz's message for Tesla: 'We want to be most desirable electric vehicle luxury brand'
Mercedes is transitioning to an all-electric fleet by 2030. German automaker Mercedes-Benz has seen its share of the U.S. luxury market slip as customers traded in their V8 sedans and sport utility vehicles for Teslas. Now, the company is following in Tesla's footsteps by building out its own charging network, accelerating its electrified fleet and adding Level 3 autonomous driving technology to its vehicles. Mercedes' goal is simple: Become the "most desirable electric vehicle luxury brand," according to Dimitris Psillakis, president and CEO of Mercedes-Benz North America. Psillakis is helping oversee the company's aggressive push toward EVs. The first Mercedes EV, the futuristic EQS sedan, debuted in October of 2021. Four more models, including three electric SUVs, promptly followed. The EQS SUV and EQE SUV are built at the company's Tuscaloosa, Alabama, plant. Mercedes' brand-new factory in Bibb County supplies the lithium-ion batteries. Mercedes ai...