Back to today’s briefing

Story perspectives

Mercedes Launches GLC EV, CLA Hybrid, Gesture Seats in Beijing

4/25/2026

29 5 Full Breakdown

Summary

Mercedes-Benz Unveils

Mercedes-Benz unveiled the all-electric GLC L EV and plug-in hybrid CLA 260 L at the Beijing Auto Show, marking a China-first strategy.
The GLC L EV uses an 800-volt architecture, 89 kWh battery, 416 hp dual-motor output and claims over 700 km range.
Mercedes-Benz introduced a rear-seat multimedia system co-developed with Tsinghua University that reads passenger gestures and facial expressions to auto-adjust climate, lighting and entertainment.

Summary

China Halts Robotaxis

China finished a public consultation on new autonomous-car safety standards, yet no nationwide rules exist.
Regulations limit expansion, causing robotaxi growth to stall and Baidu’s Apollo Go service to halt in Wuhan.
Huawei pledged up to 80 billion yuan for autonomous-driving software development.
AlixPartners projects Chinese overseas vehicle production will reach 3.4 million units by 2030, driven by new factories in Hungary and Turkey.

History

Historical Context

China’s NEV pilot began in June 2010, offering subsidies for electric and plug-in hybrid cars in five cities and later a national scheme that capped support at 20% of the ex-factory price, spending about 200 billion yuan through 2022. The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology oversaw the program, which spurred projects such as NEVS’s Tianjin factory and attracted automakers, shaping today’s Beijing Auto Show EV launches.

1 of 3

Mercedes-Benz Unveils

Mercedes-Benz unveiled the all-electric GLC L EV and plug-in hybrid CLA 260 L at the Beijing Auto Show, marking a China-first strategy.
The GLC L EV uses an 800-volt architecture, 89 kWh battery, 416 hp dual-motor output and claims over 700 km range.
Mercedes-Benz introduced a rear-seat multimedia system co-developed with Tsinghua University that reads passenger gestures and facial expressions to auto-adjust climate, lighting and entertainment.

1 / 3