Mercedes begins series production of the Electric GLB
This announcement did not come from the company itself but from Hungary’s Foreign Minister, Péter Szijjártó. According to his statements, the minister attended the ceremony marking the start of production. In a report by the portal Hungary Today, Szijjártó emphasised that ‘this step represents another important cornerstone in the German company’s development strategy and serves as a solid foundation for its future product portfolio.’
Following the CLA and its Shooting Brake derivative, the Stuttgart-based manufacturer introduced the GLB with EQ technology in December as the third model in its new entry-level class for the Mercedes range. Like the two CLA derivatives, the GLB is based on the Mercedes Modular Architecture (MMA), which is designed for 800-volt battery-electric vehicles—though 48-volt hybrids with petrol engines are also possible.
In terms of powertrains, the GLB EQ matches what the CLA built in Rastatt initially offered: the SUV is available in two variants, the GLB 250+ with a 200 kW rear-wheel drive (featuring a two-speed transmission) and the GLB 350 4MATIC with a 260 kW all-wheel drive. Both versions feature an 85 kWh battery with NMC cells integrated into the underbody, enabling a range of up to 631 kilometres (WLTP) and a peak charging power of 320 kW, allowing the battery to be charged from 10 to 80 percent in 22 minutes. A more affordable base version with a 58 kWh battery using LFP cells may follow later.
Mercedes has priced the two variants with the larger battery at €59,048 and €62,178, respectively. In the case of the CLA, the LFP battery is around €6,000 cheaper. For further details about the vehicle and the design influences across the models, you can read our article on the GLB’s world premiere.
Mercedes has already produced the first generation of the GLB and its electric version, the EQB, in Hungary. With the second generation featuring significantly more advanced technology, not only the carmaker but also Hungary’s Foreign Minister anticipates rising sales figures and major successes. “We are proud that, thanks to the investments made here, they will soon be able to produce up to 350,000 cars per year, bringing us closer to our strategic goal of elevating Hungary into the elite league, where we can produce one million cars annually,” Szijjártó stated. “Today, we can say without exaggeration that Hungary has developed into a global leader in the new era of the electric vehicle industry. Hungary has become one of Europe’s strongholds for electric vehicle production.”
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