Mercedes-Benz sold 204,600 battery-electric vehicles last year. Sales of electric models fell in both the car division and the van business.

But the linkage between performance on the track and performance on the road has become increasingly tenuous over the years, especially as race cars have become more specialized and subject to ever tighter technical regulations designed to improve “the show.

Annual sales of battery-electric cars (BEV) dropped by 23 per cent to 185,100 vehicles, adding pressure on the carmaker as new, harsher EU CO2 emission reduction targets take effect this year

Car sales fell 3% to 1.98 million last year in a challenging global market, with top-end vehicle sales weighed by market conditions in China, model changes and weak electric-vehicle demand.

German luxury carmaker Mercedes-Benz sold fewer vehicles in 2024 than in the previous year, the company reported on Friday. The sales decline slowed somewhat in the fourth quarter thanks to a slight recovery in the Chinese market.