The period of equivalent electric and ICE products looking drastically different is over at Mercedes-Benz, according to Chief Technology Officer Markus Schäfer. The recently-revealed electric GLC is the start of a new age at the company where the same models using both electric and ICE propulsion will largely share their styling, but will use unrelated platforms underneath.

The news comes after the debut of the new electric GLC, which replaces the former EQC that was the brand’s first mass market EV, and confirmation of the new electric C-Class that’s due to launch in 2026. Like the electric GLC, that car will look quite similar to the ICE C-Class on top, but use the brand’s new ‘MB.EA’ EV platform underneath.

According to Schäfer, cars like the EQC and EQE were designed to look different in the market because that’s what the first adopters of EVs wanted, but now as EVs sell in greater numbers, they’ll progress to look more like their ICE siblings as that’s what new customers want. “Early adopters wanted to be different. They wanted to show that they were driving an electric car and now we’re entering the mainstream and mass adoption, and customers don’t want to show that they’re driving an EV. They want the same shape, no matter the drivetrain” said Schäfer.

What we can also take from that is that the controversial ‘jellybean’ shape of previous EQ models, such as the EQE and EQS, will be retired in next generation models for more conventional styling to be shared with future equivalent ICE models.

Why not develop a platform that can handle both ICE and EV drivetrains? Schäfer says that’s just not going to work.

“In future, the top hat will be the same. The MB.UX intelligence will be the same, but the platform is different. Why are we doing this? Eventually you’re compromising when you try to squeeze different drivetrain types into one platform, especially if you want longitudinal engines like six and eight cylinders, hybrids, you’re pushing back space for the batteries. They are made smaller and not sufficient for good range.

“That’s the same from C-Class, E-Class, S-Class, etcetera.

“Fitting both drivetrains to the same platform ultimately ends up with compromise and we don’t want to offer compromised cars” he said.

Not much is yet known about the electric C-Class, aside from that it will also use the new MB.EA platform and feature a similar illuminated grille as the new electric GLC.

Both the electric GLC and C-Class will go on sale in Australia sometime in 2026.