India becomes 1st market outside US to start local production of Mercedes-Maybach GLS

(IANS/Mercedes-Benz India Photo)

New Delhi, (IANS): Mercedes-Benz India on Tuesday announced that it has achieved a major global milestone by becoming the first market outside the United States to start local production of the ultra-luxury Mercedes-Maybach GLS.

The move highlights India’s growing importance for the German luxury carmaker and underlines the company’s strong confidence in the country’s appetite for top-end luxury vehicles.

According to Mercedes-Benz India, local manufacturing of the Mercedes-Maybach GLS will not only strengthen its top-end portfolio but also help the brand respond better to rising demand while reinforcing its long-term commitment to the Indian market.

“The decision to start the local production of the Mercedes-Maybach GLS reiterates Mercedes-Benz’s deep commitment to the Indian customers, offering the pinnacle of luxury SUV, ‘Made in India’,” Santosh Iyer, Managing Director & CEO, Mercedes-Benz India, said.

“Local production will further enhance the vehicle’s appeal, reiterating our world-class manufacturing prowess and agility, catering to most demanding customer wishes for such exclusive top-end vehicles,” Iyer added.

In its 2025 sales performance highlights, the German luxury carmaker announced it has sold 19,007 units in India during CY 2025, slightly lower than the 19,565 units sold in 2024.

Despite the marginal dip in volumes, the company recorded its best-ever year in terms of revenue.

According to the company, the Top-End Vehicles portfolio, which includes the S-Class, Mercedes-Maybach models and AMG cars, showed strong resilience and grew 11 per cent year-on-year.

This segment accounted for 25 per cent of total sales, reflecting rising demand for ultra-luxury vehicles in India.

The high-performance AMG portfolio performed particularly well, registering a sharp 34 per cent growth, as Indian customers continued to show strong interest in performance-oriented luxury cars.

Mercedes-Benz India’s electric vehicle business also maintained its growth momentum in 2025.

The company’s battery electric vehicle portfolio grew 12 per cent year-on-year and accounted for 20 per cent of all top-end Mercedes-Benz cars sold in the country.

Notably, 70 per cent of the electric vehicles sold during the year belonged to the top-end segment, priced between Rs 1.25 crore and Rs 3.1 crore.

These included models such as the EQS SUV, EQS Sedan, Mercedes-Maybach EQS SUV and the Mercedes-Benz G580.The EQS SUV remained the company’s highest-selling luxury electric vehicle in India. India becomes 1st market outside US to start local production of Mercedes-Maybach GLS | MorungExpress | morungexpress.com

Read More........ → January 27, 2026

Nissan to invest $17.6 bn in EV development over next 5 years

IANS Photo

Tokyo, (IANS): As the adoption of electric vechicles enters top gear globally amid rising petrol-diesel prices, Japanese auto-maker Nissan on Monday said it will invest $17.6 billion (2 trillion Yen) in developing new EVs and battery technology over the next five years.

Unveiling the 'Nissan Ambition 2030' plan, the company announced it will launch 23 new electrified models, including 15 new EVs, aiming for 50 per cent electrification mix, by fiscal year 2030.

"We will drive the new age of electrification, advance technologies to reduce carbon footprint and pursue new business opportunities. We want to transform Nissan to become a sustainable company that is truly needed by customers and society," said Makoto Uchida, Nissan CEO.

Over the next 10 years, Nissan aims to deliver exciting, electrified vehicles and technological innovations while expanding its operations globally.

The vision supports Nissan's goal to be carbon neutral across the life cycle of its products by fiscal year 2050.

With the introduction of 20 new EV and e-POWER equipped models in the next five years, Nissan intends to increase its electrification sales mix across major markets by fiscal year 2026, including Europe by more than 75 per cent of sales, Japan by more than 55 per cent of sales, China by more than 40 per cent of sales and the US by 40 per cent of EV sales in fiscal year 2030.

"With our new ambition, we continue to take the lead in accelerating the natural shift to EVs by creating customer pull through an attractive proposition by driving excitement, enabling adoption and creating a cleaner world," said Nissan COO Ashwani Gupta.

Representing the next stage of Nissan's electrified future, the company also unveiled three new concept cars that offer enhanced experiences through sophisticated technology packaging.

Nissan aims to launch EV with its proprietary all-solid-state batteries (ASSB) by fiscal year 2028 and ready a pilot plant in Yokohama as early as fiscal year 2024.

With the introduction of breakthrough ASSB, Nissan will be able to expand its EV offerings across segments and offer more dynamic performance.

"By reducing charging time to one-third, ASSBs will make EVs more efficient and accessible. Further, Nissan expects ASSB to bring the cost of battery packs down to $75 per kWh by fiscal year 2028 and aims to bring it further down to $65 per kWh to achieve cost parity between EV and gasoline vehicles in the future," the company announced.

Nissan intends to increase its global battery production capacity to 52 GWh by fiscal year 2026, and 130 GWh by fiscal year 2030.

Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from news agency feeds and has not been edited by The Morung Express.Source: IANS Nissan to invest $17.6 bn in EV development over next 5 years | MorungExpress | morungexpress.com

Read More........ → January 15, 2026

Ola Electric faces tough year as market share drops over 50 pc in 2025

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New Delhi, (IANS): India’s electric two-wheeler market saw a major shift in 2025, with last year’s leader Ola Electric losing a large part of its market share, while traditional auto companies strengthened their position.

Ola Electric’s market share dropped sharply to 16.1 per cent in 2025 from 36.7 per cent in 2024.

Despite overall demand for electric two-wheelers improving, the company sold 1,96,767 vehicles during the year, according to data from the government-run Vahan portal.

The sharp fall highlights the growing challenges Ola Electric faced through the year. Ola Electric’s troubles were also linked to operational issues, including customer complaints related to service delays and inconsistent deliveries.

Meanwhile, Bhavish Aggarwal-run electric two-wheeler maker reported a consolidated net loss of Rs 418 crore in second quarter of the current financial year (Q2 FY26).

The revenue from operations of the firm also followed suit and dropped nearly 43 per cent year-on-year to Rs 690 crore in Q2, compared to Rs 1,214 crore in Q2 FY25.

In an earlier exchange filing, the firm said that “For the Auto segment, we expect lower volumes than the Q1 guidance as we continue to focus on margin and cash discipline in a hyper competitive market.

The stock of Ola Electric is also not performing well. Around 1:40 p.m., the company’s shares were down 3.34 per cent at Rs 34.97. Over the past five days, the stock had gained 1.36 per cent.

However, it was down 13.77 per cent over the last one month and had delivered a negative return of nearly 19 per cent in the past six months.

On a year-to-date (YTD) basis, the shares were lower by 59.44 per cent, according to official data.

At the same time, established manufacturers with strong dealer networks and better after-sales support gained ground.

TVS Motor Company emerged as the market leader in 2025, capturing a 24.2 per cent share after selling 2,95,315 units.Bajaj Auto followed closely with a 21.9 per cent market share, further tightening competition in the segment. Ola Electric faces tough year as market share drops over 50 pc in 2025 | MorungExpress | morungexpress.com.

Read More........ → January 06, 2026