Mercedes-Benz Opens EV-Only Store in Japan, It’s World’s First

Mercedes-Benz has just opened the world’s first EV-only store in Yokohama, Japan. Customers will be able to book test drives, spec their future cars and check out the electric mobility tech.

The new dealership opened its gates in Yokohama, just south of Tokyo, in an area where many carmakers have stores. The move is part of a partnership of the premium car brand with the dealership Stern Setagaya of Tokyo.

A black two-stories building with a multitude of windows, following an open-space floor plan, hosts the new dealership. That is where customers will be able to check out the EQ models, book test drives, spec the cars that they order and benefit from rental services, but also find out about charging options. They will thus be able to experience the EQ technology.

The guests will also have the chance to test a device that allows them to power home appliances through car batteries in case of an emergency.

The five electric models in the German carmaker’s lineup will all find room on the dealership’s floor. The EQA, EQB, EQC (first series production model of the EQ range), EQE, and EQS will be there on display.

Reuters reports that foreign brands set an impressive record this past November, with 2,357 EVs sold. That is more than a tenth of the total number of cars imported into Japan, according to the Japan Automobile Importers Association (JAIA).

Mercedes-Benz sold 51,722 cars in Japan last year, ICE-powered models included. That makes it the top-selling foreign car brand in the island country.

The new dealership is one more step towards the company’s goal. By 2025, the Germans are planning to include an electric version in every lineup. That will happen before the shift to a complete zero-emission portfolio. In Europe, 2035 is the deadline for the elimination of ICE engines.