Mercedes-Benz ditches E220d in favour of E350e in Thailand

Sales of the diesel-powered executive saloon cease as the German automaker wants plug-in hybrids to account for 30% of total annual sales.

Mercedes-Benz (Thailand) has launched its fourth plug-in hybrid vehicle: the E350e which follows the C350e, S500e and GLE500e.

Like the C350e, the E350e uses a 2.0-litre petrol-turbo engine in conjunction with an electric motor, whose power from the lithium-ion battery can also be revitalised from the wall socket. The S500e and GLE500e employ a bigger 3.0-litre V6 petrol motor.

Combined outputs in the E350e are rated at 286hp and 550Nm, while the maximum all-electric driving range is claimed at 33km. As the E350e spews out 44g/km of CO2 on the combined cycle, it is eligible for the new 5% excise tax imposed on locally made plug-in hybrids producing no more than 50g/km.

There are three trims for the E350e: Avantgarde 3.49 million baht, Exclusive 3.79 million baht and AMG Dynamic 4.09 million baht.

The similarly priced E220d has been dropped from the Thai E-class model lineup as Mercedes-Benz wants to promote plug-in hybrids in the country.

Mercedes-Benz hopes that plug-in hybrids will account for 30% of total annual sales which is why diesel versions and other pure petrol derivatives aren’t available anymore. The same has happened in the C, S and GLE model ranges.

BMW, meanwhile, is gearing up to launch the 530e in Thailand at the end of this year to rival the E350e. Volvo is also said to be preparing the introduction of the S90 T8.

Unlike Mercedes-Benz, BMW is still selling diesel versions of the X5, 3 and 7-series as it wants to offer Thai customers with two distinct types of propulsion. BMW hopes that plug-in hybrids will account for 15% of annual sales this year.