Mercedes-Benz is no longer beating around the bush as it has officially confirmed plans to develop and build 10 electric cars by 2025. The proclamation is the latest indication that the German automaker is doubling down on its electrification plans, which it first announced at the 2016 Paris Motor Show with the unveiling of the Generation EQ Concept. There have been past reports that the automaker wants to roll out four EVs by 2020, but now those plans have not only been confirmed, but essentially extended to include 10 models that will be released over the next nine years.

The company didn’t identify each and every one of these 10 planned models, but we already know that an EV SUV based on the Generation EQ concept will be the first one to be released, likely by 2019. An electric sedan is expected to follow shortly although no timetable has been set for that model’s release. While these plans are likely to evolve over time, or maybe even shift in the event of unforeseen circumstances, what’s clear is that Mercedes is rolling out a long-term strategy that will make it one of the biggest EV players in the premium car segment.

Given the relatively smaller market it competes in compared to a mainstream brand like Volkswagen, 10 EVs from now until 2025 is a bold leap to the world of electrification. To its credit, the company has already begun preparations to get a head-start over the competition because in addition to revealing the Generation EQ Concept, it’s also in the process of creating a new platform that will be exclusively used by its future EV lineup. The so-called “skateboard-style” platform will be used in the electric SUV and all future EV models under the electric-exclusive MEQ sub-brand. In addition, the company has also linked up with Accumotive, another Daimler subsidiary, to help supply the lithium-ion batteries that it plans to use on its future EV models.

Continue after the jump to read the full story.

The big Mercedes about-face

If there are still any skeptics out there about the potential of zero-emissions cars, you need only to look at what companies like Mercedes-Benz are doing to understand that these cars are not flash-in-the-pans that will eventually go away once the market corrects itself. The truth is, there’s no market correction happening because electric vehicles are slowly taking over the industry. Just as important, these cars are getting the blessing and backing of market regulators, especially places like China where actual incentives are being given to those who buy electric cars.

EVs are here to stay and you can tell that Mercedes isn’t about to let itself get left behind as the market pushes towards this segment. It does look, at least from one point of view, that the German automaker is rushing into the development of this technology. After all, it wasn’t that long ago – August 2015 to be exact – that the company’s head of car division Dieter Zetsche said that Tesla was “too small” of a competitor for Mercedes to take seriously and the company didn’t have “serious plans” of joining the EV market.

Fast forward to today’s confirmation and that’s really all you need to know about how the winds of electrification are building up quicker than anybody expected and if company’s like Mercedes resist this movement, they’re at risk of being left behind in a growing market that’s only going to get bigger in the coming years.

Read our full review on the 2016 Mercedes-Benz "Generation EQ" Concept here.