FRANKFURT (Reuters) – Mercedes-Benz is eyeing China, the world’s top auto market, for its next electric vehicle (EV) campaign starting in 2025, its CEO told German magazine Automobilwoche.

Ola Kellenius was quoted as saying, “To do this, we have to fully master electric propulsion as well as digitization. That’s what our customers expect.”

From 2025, all new vehicle platforms from Mercedes-Benz will be EVs only, under a strategy outlined by the German luxury automaker in 2021.

A senior executive told AutomobileWoche that the models the company plans to launch in China based on the upcoming MB.EA platform are being reviewed to ensure they better meet the needs of local customers, separating space and digital content.

China remains the most relevant market for Germany’s automakers, but Counterpoint Research found that local brands are in control, with an 81% share of the Chinese EV market in 2022.

China also has a significant stake in Mercedes-Benz, with its top two shareholders being Beijing Automotive Group Co Ltd and Geely Chairman Li Shufu.

At the same time, Berlin is trying to reduce its exposure to China’s economy as part of efforts to de-risk the German economy, which has intensified since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine exposed German dependence on a key gas supplier.