May 10, 2019—Both Volkswagen and Mercedes-Benz began taking orders Thursday for new battery-electric vehicles, reported CNBC.
The first wave of electric vehicles, such as the Nissan Leaf and Ford Focus Electric, could deliver only around 100 miles per charge. Tesla proved an immediate breakout with its Model S sedan yielding more than double that – and its latest version of that sedan is EPA-rated at 370 miles between charges.
The compact Mercedes EQC, essentially an electrified version of its GLC crossover, will get around 270 miles in European trim and even more in the version slated for the U.S. market.
Volkswagen's diesel emissions scandal has already cost it around $30 billion and the automaker has seen a number of executives jailed or indicted, including former CEO Martin Winterkorn. The company's shifting its focus from the "oil-burners" that long dominated its lineup to focus on electrification, according to the report.
