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Mercedes-Benz USA released its second quarter 2023 sales results, indicating an over 600% jump in EV sales. Electric vehicles now account for 15% of overall Mercedes-Benz passenger vehicle sales in the US.

Mercedes-Benz sees EV sales growth in the US

Despite several US automakers seeing a drop in EV sales from the first quarter, Mercedes-Benz continues to see higher demand.

The German automaker sold 11,927 electric vehicles in Q2 2023, up 608% from the second quarter of last year. After EV sales in the US climbed 251% in the first quarter to 7,341 units, Mercedes has now sold a total of 19,268 electric models through the first half of 2023.

Mercedes has five electric vehicles (EQ), with one in every category across its lineup. Currently, the automaker offers the EQS sedan, EQS SUV, EQB, EQE sedan, and EQE SUV.

The EQS SUV continues building momentum leading the way with 3,077 units sold. Meanwhile, the EQS sedan saw sales grow 25% over last year, with 2,456 models sold in Q2.

Mercedes-Benz EV Q2 2023 sales Year-to-date (YTD)
EQS Sedan 2,456 4,539
EQS SUV 3,077 5,490
EQE Sedan 1,682 2,990
EQE SUV 2,845 2,845
EQB 1,867 3,404
Mercedes-Benz EV Sales in the US Q2 2023 (Source: Mercedes-Benz USA)

Mercedes says “sustained demand” for its EQ and top-end vehicles helped propel top-end growth. Commenting on the progress, Dimitris Psillakis, president and CEO of Mercedes-Benz USA, said:

We are very encouraged by the exponential demand of our electric vehicle line-up and Top-End offerings. Especially, the EQS SUV and EQE SUV, both proudly manufactured in Alabama, continue to advance our electric offensive and welcome new customers to the Mercedes-Benz brand.

The news comes after American automakers Ford and GM both saw a decline in EV sales quarter over quarter (QOQ).

General Motors sold 15,652 EVs in the second quarter (13,959 were Bolt EV/EUVs), down from 19,700 in the first three months of the year. GM’s CEO Mary Barra said last month that battery production is holding the automaker’s production back, with Hummer EV sales down 83% YOY.

Mercedes-Benz-US-EV-sales-Q2
Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV (Source: Mercedes-Benz)

Meanwhile, Ford’s EV sales fell by 2.8% QOQ, slipping behind both GM and Hyundai/Kia in the US EV race. Ford sold a total of 14,843 EVs, down from 15,273 in the first quarter.

Ford said the slip in sales comes as its Mexico plant, where it has been retooling to ramp Mustang Mach-E production, is just coming back online. Andrew Frick, VP of sales distribution, commented on the situation, saying, “Improved Mustang Mach E inventory flow began to hit at the end of Q2 following the retooling of our plant earlier this year.”

Like Ford and GM, Mercedes-Benz recently announced it would adopt Tesla’s NACS connector in North America starting in 2025, giving buyers access to Tesla’s Supercharger network.

Electrek’s Take

While Ford and GM are making excuses as to why EV sales are falling, Mercedes-Benz seems to be doing just fine. The automaker continues ramping up EV sales at a consistent pace.

Mercedes covers all segments with its portfolio of electric vehicles. Demand is building for top-end luxury EVs as consumers look for the latest in tech and software, and Mercedes is capitalizing on it.

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Meet Cadillac’s new $80,000 Lyriq-V, the quickest Caddie (EV or gas-powered) so far

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Meet Cadillac's new ,000 Lyriq-V, the quickest Caddie (EV or gas-powered) so far

With 615 horsepower, the Cadillac Lyriq-V is the quickest Caddie to date. Cadillac’s first V-Series EV will outsprint a CT5-V Blackwing, and it can be yours for under $80,000.

The 2026 Lyriq-V EV is the fastest Cadillac ever

We knew it was coming soon. Cadillac teased the Lyriq-V for the first time in late October, giving a sneak peek at its first electric V-Series vehicle.

Cadillac’s performance brand is known for iconic sports cars like the CT5-V Blackwing, but the new EV pushes the “V-Series sub-brand to new heights,” boasted John Roth, vice president of Global Cadillac.

As the first EV to wear the V-Series badge, Cadillac promised the Lyriq-V would be powerful, but we didn’t know it would be this fast.

Cadillac officially introduced the 2026 Lyriq-V on Thursday, revealing additional specs, prices, and more. With an estimated 615 hp and 650 lb-ft of torque and a standard dual motor AWD powertrain, the EV is expected to accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in just 3.3 seconds, making it the quickest Cadillac to date.

Cadillac-Lyriq-V-EV
2026 Cadillac Lyriq-V (Source: GM)

At that speed, it would outrun the Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing with a 0 to 60 mph sprint time in 3.4 seconds. Although the CT-5 packs slightly more horsepower (668 hp), the Lyriq-V’s EV powertrain unlocks more powerful, instant acceleration.

The added power is enabled by an added Velocity Max feature, which “unleashes the vehicle’s full performance capability” with a surge of power and acceleration.

Cadillac-Lyriq-V-EV
2026 Cadillac Lyriq-V (Source: GM)

Interior and exterior design, prices, and features

The V-Series model differs from the traditional Lyriq with a lower center of gravity and custom front and rear bumpers. It also features V-Series badging on the rear doors and tailgate, V-pattern mesh on the lower grille, and 22″ wheels with the logo etched into the side.

Inside, the performance EV borrows features from the Lyriq, such as a panoramic fixed glass roof, a 23-speaker AKG sound system, and a massive 33″ LED display screen.

Cadillac distinguishes the V-Series from the traditional Lyriq by adding the V-Series logo, a V-mode button, and a sports rim with hand grips. Other unique features include a custom infotainment experience with a “V-Series persona,” a signature V-Series illuminated sill plate and V-pattern detailing on the seatbacks.

A 102 kWh battery pack is expected to provide a range of up to 285 miles. The 2026 Cadillac Lyriq-V starts at $79,990, including the destination fee.

Cadillac-Lyriq-V-EV
2026 Cadillac Lyriq-V (Source: GM)

In comparison, the Tesla Model Y Performance starts at $51,490 and has an EPA-estimated range of up to 277 miles. It also includes AWD and can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in 3.5 seconds.

Cadillac’s new performance EV will be sold in the US, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. Other markets will be announced closer to launch. GM will begin producing the new Lyriq-V at its Spring Hill, TN, manufacturing plant in early 2025.

What do you think of the Cadillac’s new performance EV? Would you buy one for $80,000? Or are you sticking with the Model Y Performance? Drop us a comment below to let us know.

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Trump says he will approve power plants for AI through emergency declaration

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Trump says he will approve power plants for AI through emergency declaration

U.S. President Donald Trump makes a virtual address to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025. 

Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images

President Donald Trump said Thursday he will approve the construction of power plants for artificial intelligence through an emergency declaration.

“We’re going to build electric generating facilities. I’m going to get the approval under emergency declaration. I can get the approvals done myself without having to go through years of waiting,” Trump said in a virtual address to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

“They can fuel it with anything they want, and they may have coal as a backup,” he said of the plants.

The president declared a national energy emergency on Monday, directing federal agencies to use whatever emergency authorities they have at their disposal to expedite energy infrastructure projects.

Power demand from artificial intelligence data centers is forecast to surge in the coming years. The tech companies building the centers that support AI have primarily focused on procuring renewable energy to meet their climate goals, though they have shown a growing interest in nuclear power to meet their growing energy needs.

While the tech sector has focused on carbon-free power to meet their climate goals, analysts believe natural gas will play a pivotal role in powering AI because it’s in plentiful supply, is more reliable than renewables and can be deployed much faster than nuclear.

Trump said he wants power plants to connect directly to data centers rather than supplying electricity through the grid.

“You don’t have to hook into the grid, which is old and could be taken out,” Trump said. This setup, called co-location, has faced opposition from some utilities who are worried about losing fees and have warned taking power off the grid could lead to supply shortages.

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Tesla announces giant price hikes to all electric cars in Canada

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Tesla announces giant price hikes to all electric cars in Canada

Tesla has announced some important price hikes across its entire lineup in Canada amid incentives going away and a struggling Canadian dollar.

The Canadian EV market is already having problems amid announcements that the federal incentive program will be eliminated. The same thing is happening to Quebec’s own program, which was the most generous in the country—making the province the leader in EV adoption in Canada.

Now, Tesla, which sells more EVs than anyone in Canada, announced that it is increasing prices on all its lineup.

Here are the price increases for each Tesla model:

  • Model 3:
    • Long Range RWD: $4,000
    • Long Range AWD: $8,000
    • Performance: $9,000
  • Model Y: $4,000
  • Model S: $4,000
  • Model X: $4,000

Buyers can still get $1,300 CAD off of new Model Y, Model S, or Model X purchases with a referral code.

Tesla never comments on price changes and therefore, we don’t know the official reasons for these specific price increases, but we can make some educated guesses.

First off, the Canadian dollar has crashed in comparison to USD over the last few months:

Furthermore, the timing of announcing that the price increases will take place on February 1st has led some to link this to the upcoming tariff wars that President Trump signaled against Canada.

The US President said that he plans to impose 25% tariffs on any goods coming from Canada, and Canada said that it would retaliate.

Electrek’s Take

Obviously, this is not good for the EV market in Canada.

The removal of incentives is already hurting the market, and now the base price of the most popular EVs in the country, Tesla vehicles, is also going up before incentives.

This will be a bad year for EVs in Canada.

Hopefully, things will settle down and we will get more clarity once the tariff war actually starts.

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