<p>Mercedes-Benz has just entered a new phase in their India operations with the launch of the EQC electric vehicle. This is the company’s first EV. </p>.<p>The launch of the EQC EV is significant as it is in the luxury segment and other players like Audi and Jaguar are expected to launch EVs too. </p>.<p>“We are really excited to be the first luxury brand to launch an electric car in India. We also feel it is our responsibility to get new technologies and advancements to the market as soon as possible,” Santosh Iyer, Vice President, Sales and Marketing, Mercedes-Benz India, told <span class="italic">DH</span>. </p>.<p>“We have also come up with India-specific customisation. Most importantly, the wall charging station will come with the car. Then, the battery is one topic that people have anxiety about but there will be an eight-year battery cover,” he added. </p>.<p>The EQC was also launched at the TVS Sundaram Motors showroom in Bengaluru. Apart from Bengaluru, the new vehicle will Initially be available at showrooms in Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, Hyderabad and Chennai.</p>.<p>Asked if the company had any targets in mind, Iyer said: “It was important to introduce electric mobility to our customers. Our primary target will be to upgrade our current customers to electric cars and give them a feel of a new technology." </p>.<p>“This car has a major role to play in our portfolio and worldwide, we are committed to 10 new electric cars by 2022. There will be a range of cars coming and we will then see which is suitable for India and bring them here.” he stated.</p>.<p>Bengaluru-based Mercedes-Benz Research and Development India has played a role in the development of the EQC, thus giving the City boasting rights. “A lot of telematics in the EQC have been developed by colleagues in India. For example, the EQC has all the charging stations, public charging stations available in the head unit. I can just say ‘Hey Mercedes, drive me to the nearest charging point’. This car will show the navigation to the nearest public charging facility and also our facility. This entire thing was done by MBRDI,” he explained. </p>.<p>Though the initial focus is in the big-city showrooms, there is buzz in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities as well. “There's a lot of expectation and excitement in Tier 2 and 3 markets. We have our technical team trained in all cities and we would like to open things up gradually based on supply and demand,” Iyer said. </p>.<p>The government is keen on pushing sales of EVs, but market demand has been sluggish. Asked how Mercedes-Benz would gain customer confidence, Iyer said: “We need to get customer confidence that an EV is a solution for mobility needs. For that, our strategy is to give them a worry-free and hassle-free ownership experience. We want to ensure customers enjoy electric cars because they are fun to drive, silent, environment friendly. We will assist them to take this leap of faith.”</p>.<p>On a general note, Iyer said that things have been looking up for the company. “We have been doing quite well and saw almost a 70 to 80% recovery compared to the period after the unlock. Also, on a month on month basis, we are seeing 25% growth. September was an excellent month. I think it was a bit slow for the luxury segment but for us it has been good. The festive season should bring us cheer,” he stated.</p>.<p>Iyer also said that there were some initial hiccups with the parts supply, but the situation is almost sorted out now. </p>
<p>Mercedes-Benz has just entered a new phase in their India operations with the launch of the EQC electric vehicle. This is the company’s first EV. </p>.<p>The launch of the EQC EV is significant as it is in the luxury segment and other players like Audi and Jaguar are expected to launch EVs too. </p>.<p>“We are really excited to be the first luxury brand to launch an electric car in India. We also feel it is our responsibility to get new technologies and advancements to the market as soon as possible,” Santosh Iyer, Vice President, Sales and Marketing, Mercedes-Benz India, told <span class="italic">DH</span>. </p>.<p>“We have also come up with India-specific customisation. Most importantly, the wall charging station will come with the car. Then, the battery is one topic that people have anxiety about but there will be an eight-year battery cover,” he added. </p>.<p>The EQC was also launched at the TVS Sundaram Motors showroom in Bengaluru. Apart from Bengaluru, the new vehicle will Initially be available at showrooms in Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, Hyderabad and Chennai.</p>.<p>Asked if the company had any targets in mind, Iyer said: “It was important to introduce electric mobility to our customers. Our primary target will be to upgrade our current customers to electric cars and give them a feel of a new technology." </p>.<p>“This car has a major role to play in our portfolio and worldwide, we are committed to 10 new electric cars by 2022. There will be a range of cars coming and we will then see which is suitable for India and bring them here.” he stated.</p>.<p>Bengaluru-based Mercedes-Benz Research and Development India has played a role in the development of the EQC, thus giving the City boasting rights. “A lot of telematics in the EQC have been developed by colleagues in India. For example, the EQC has all the charging stations, public charging stations available in the head unit. I can just say ‘Hey Mercedes, drive me to the nearest charging point’. This car will show the navigation to the nearest public charging facility and also our facility. This entire thing was done by MBRDI,” he explained. </p>.<p>Though the initial focus is in the big-city showrooms, there is buzz in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities as well. “There's a lot of expectation and excitement in Tier 2 and 3 markets. We have our technical team trained in all cities and we would like to open things up gradually based on supply and demand,” Iyer said. </p>.<p>The government is keen on pushing sales of EVs, but market demand has been sluggish. Asked how Mercedes-Benz would gain customer confidence, Iyer said: “We need to get customer confidence that an EV is a solution for mobility needs. For that, our strategy is to give them a worry-free and hassle-free ownership experience. We want to ensure customers enjoy electric cars because they are fun to drive, silent, environment friendly. We will assist them to take this leap of faith.”</p>.<p>On a general note, Iyer said that things have been looking up for the company. “We have been doing quite well and saw almost a 70 to 80% recovery compared to the period after the unlock. Also, on a month on month basis, we are seeing 25% growth. September was an excellent month. I think it was a bit slow for the luxury segment but for us it has been good. The festive season should bring us cheer,” he stated.</p>.<p>Iyer also said that there were some initial hiccups with the parts supply, but the situation is almost sorted out now. </p>
