Mercedes Reports 6% Global Sales Decline As Electric Vehicle Records Set
Mercedes-Benz shares fell by 4% at around 1 pm CEST on Wednesday before adjusting their losses, after announcing sales of 491,700 cars and vans in the third quarter of 2026, 6% fewer than a year earlier.
Growth in Europe and North America, alongside record battery-electric vehicle (BEV) sales, was not enough to offset weakness in China
“Mercedes-Benz Cars achieved the highest quarterly BEV sales in the company’s history, led by the electric GLC, whose sales more than tripled compared with Q2,” said Mathias Geisen, Mercedes-Benz board member responsible for sales and customer experience.
Global sales in the car segment alone dropped 8% year on year to 407,200 vehicles.
In Asia, Mercedes sold 25% fewer cars than a year earlier, totalling 132,300 vehicles. This shortfall was driven by a 31% decline in the Chinese market, where intense competition and challenging conditions squeezed sales, according to the automaker. The strongest performers in China were the GLC and E-Class; together they accounted for nearly two-thirds of Mercedes-Benz Cars’ sales in the country.
China contributed almost a quarter of Mercedes-Benz’s overall car sales in the second quarter, highlighting the region’s significance to the German manufacturer.
The latest dip follows a 30% decline in Chinese vehicle sales during the second quarter. Mercedes lowered its full-year sales and group revenue forecasts in July, attributing the weakening performance to ongoing challenges in China, including tighter competition, muted demand, and adjustments to its model lineup.
Excluding China, group sales increased 2%, while car sales alone rose 1%. “Outside China, automotive sales climbed for the third straight quarter in 2026,” Geisen noted.
Electric car sales reach record high
Expansion across Europe and North America bolstered overall sales, coinciding with heightened global interest in electric mobility.
BEV sales surged 61% year over year worldwide to 68,400 vehicles, registering a 29% increase from the previous quarter.
In Europe, Mercedes-Benz Cars posted record quarterly BEV sales, up 78% year on year and 24% higher than the second quarter.
“Our newly launched electric models—GLC, CLA, GLB and GLA—are selling out in Europe through the end of 2026, with order book commitments stretching into 2027,” Geisen stated.
The company confirmed that its manufacturing sites in Bremen and Rastatt, Germany, and Kecskemét, Hungary, operate on three-shift production schedules to satisfy demand.
Fully electric vehicles claimed a record 16.8% share of global car sales, moving up 7.2 percentage points from the previous year’s quarter, per Mercedes.
European automotive sales rose 5% to 168,700 vehicles, primarily propelled by gains in Germany (+13%) and the United Kingdom (+7%).
North American sales expanded 4% to 83,200 units in the third quarter, with U.S. numbers up 6%.
From September through December 2026, Mercedes delivered 1,244,400 cars—a 7% year‑on‑year decline—but fully electric models surged 40% to 165,500 units.
