EVs are back on the menu: Mercedes re-opens EQ orders in US, plus CLA launch

Mercedes’ EQ line of EVs are back in US dealerships, after a roughly six month pause in orders. At the same time, the new electric CLA is just starting to hit the market.

In July, Mercedes abruptly paused new EV orders in the US, blaming “market conditions.”

It was somewhat of a strange move at the time, given that it was the beginning of what turned out to be a record quarter for overall EV sales in the US, ahead of republicans inflating the price of every EV by $7,500. This suggests that “market conditions” at the time were in fact quite good for EVs, whereas for the next couple quarters, EV sales will probably suffer from the hangover due to that pull-forward in demand.

But, Mercedes wasn’t wrong that the EV market would be disrupted, along with many markets in the US, due to chaotic tariff policy. And Mercedes buyers mostly didn’t qualify for the tax credit anyway – though they still could do so through leasing.

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But apparently that disruption has settled down enough for Mercedes, as it’s now ready to take orders again.

New 2026 Mercedes EQ cars hare quietly appeared in US dealerships, so it looks like everything is back in order and you can get yourself into an EQ in the US today.

We reached out to Mercedes for comment, and they said “Mercedes-Benz USA temporarily adjusted U.S. EQ order availability last summer to align with U.S. market demand. We continuously optimize our production network and use its high flexibility to react to fluctuations and changing market conditions to remain competitive,” which is about as generic as a corporate statement can get.

Mercedes does build the EQE Sedan, EQE SUV, EQS Sedan and EQS SUV in the USA at its Alabama plant. While it had paused orders for the US, it continued to make cars there for the export market.

Each model has some new updates for 2026, with EQEs getting more horsepower and quicker 0-60 and with all EQ models now coming with a NACS adapter for Tesla Supercharger access.

Mercedes has said that this year will be its “largest product offensive” ever, with its current lineup now accompanied by the new CLA EV, which has been selling well overseas and is hitting US dealerships right about now (the first few have hit the roads, and deliveries will scale this quarter). If you’re interested in the CLA EV, you can reach out to your local dealers and ask them to put you in line for when the electric model comes in.

If you’re looking to buy one of Mercedes’ 2026 EQ models, you can reach out to your local dealers here to check availability: 2026 Mercedes EQE sedan/SUV, 2026 Mercedes EQS sedan/SUV, or the hot new 2026 CLA EV.