Gregson Mathe
Tesla. Yes, that Tesla.
Mercedes is ready to up their battery production and take on the electric car giant in a battle royal. How much will they be upping production? To the tune of 3 times the capacity of their current facility.
Daimler’s existing 215,000-square foot facility in Kamenz, two hours south of Berlin, will triple in size by 2017. Since it opened in 2012, the plant has built an average of just under 18,000 lithium-ion batteries a year for the few hybrids and EVs Daimler has had on the market. Mercedes-Benz needs a whole lot more to supply 10 all-new plug-in hybrids going on sale by 2017, some of which are already out in Europe. Another dedicated all-electric crossover will join the party to compete with the Audi Q6.
A lot has changed in short time. In 2009, Daimler bought a 9.1-percent stake in Tesla for $50 million in order to secure powertrains for the Smart Fortwo and Mercedes B-class Electric Drive models. That stake then dropped to four percent before Daimler sold it for $780 million in October 2014.
We’re not entirely sure that Mercedes has the electric know-how to take on Tesla in this way, but we do know that more and more companies will have to adapt and adjust due to how successful and popular Tesla has become. More electric cars are coming everyone. Be prepared. Let’s hope they all come with a ludicrous mode.
(Source: Car and Driver)
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