Mercedes Hurt By Poor performance In China, Although Sales Of EVs Increased Significantly

Mercedes-Benz said today that it saw a decline in global vehicle sales in the second quarter of this year, with a weak result in China again weighing on the business, while sales of electric cars rose strongly.

From April to June, the company sold 511,900 passenger and light commercial vehicles worldwide, which is six percent less than in the same period last year, Wirtschafts Woche reports.

If we exclude from these statistics the troubled market in China, Mercedes’ sales increased by three percent year-on-year. Global passenger car sales fell eight percent to 417,800 vehicles, primarily due to a 30 percent drop in the Chinese market.

Mercedes says that the result was influenced by fierce competition, weak consumer sentiment, and the gradual introduction of new models, while the challenges were especially intensified in the segment of vehicles with internal combustion engines.

The biggest positive shift was recorded in the segment of electric vehicles. Mercedes sold 52,900 fully electric cars (BEVs) in the second quarter of 2026, which is 51 percent more than a year earlier. In Europe, sales of electric models increased by as much as 87 percent, so approximately every eighth Mercedes car sold was fully electric.

Mercedes-Benz sold just over 1.8 million cars last year, and the mid-term goal remains a return to around two million vehicles sold per year, although management says that goal will not be achieved before 2028.

The company’s financial results for the second quarter of 2026 will be announced at the end of July.

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