Mercedes-Benz is planning to fully electric by the end of the decade when market conditions will be favourable. The brand boasts that the company will make its shift from being the “electric-first to electric-only” brand. The transition will help accelerate Mercedes-Benz’ towards a zero-emission and software-driven future.
All-Electric Future is Near
The brand also revealed that Mercedes-Benz would have battery electric vehicle iterations in all its segments as soon as 2022. Furthermore, the brand also revealed that from 2025 onwards, all newly launched vehicle architectures will be electric-only. Mercedes-Benz customers will also be able to choose all-electric alternatives for every model that Mercedes-Benz makes. The brand also announced that the company want to manage the accelerated transformation along with profitability. The company wants to be ready when the market switches from internal combustion engines to electric-only vehicles.
Electric Vehicle Platforms
Mercedes-Benz has revealed that the brand will launch three electric-only architectures. These include MB.EA, AMG.EA and VAN.EA. The MB.EA will feature a scalable modular system and underpin all medium to large size passenger cars. The AMG.EA will be a performance electric vehicle platform. This will target performance-oriented Mercedes-AMG customers. The VAN.EA will contribute towards emission-free transportation and underpin electric vans and Light Commercial Vehicles.
Manufacturing and Development
Mercedes-Benz plans to reorganise its powertrain activities by integrating planning, development, purchasing and production. The company also plans to expand the level of vertical integration in the manufacturing and development department. In addition to this, Mercedes-Benz will also insource electric drive technology. The brand also revealed that it has acquired the UK based electric motor company YASA which is the doorway to the unique axial flux motor technology.
With the newly acquired expertise, Mercedes-Benz will be able to develop the next-generation ultra-high performance motors. Also, the eATS 2.0 in-house electric motor technology will be a key part of the strategy. Mercedes-Benz also revealed that China, the most prominent New Energy Vehicle market globally, will play a key role in Mercedes-Benz electrification.
Gigafactories
Mercedes-Benz plans to set up eight Gigafactories to fulfil more than 200 Gigawatt battery capacity per hour. The brand will be producing battery cells with the help of its partners around the world. The company has already planned a network of nine plants dedicated to building battery systems. Mercedes-Benz revealed that the highly standardised and suitable battery systems would be ready for use in more than 90% of all Mercedes-Benz vehicles. The company is also working with SilaNano to develop silicon-carbon composite in the anode.
Electric Charging Infrastructure
The brand is working on a new “Plug & Charge” technology. This will help customers, plug-in, charge and unplug without any extra steps such as authentication and payment. Mercedes-Benz is working with Shell on expanding the charging network. The brand already has 530,000 AC and DC charging points worldwide. With Shell’s Recharge network, customers will have over 30,000 charge points by 2025 in Europe, China, and North America.
Mercedes Vision EQXX
Mercedes-Benz also announced that the brand is developing the Vision EQXX. The Vision EQXX will have a real-world range of more than 1,000 kilometres. The brand is targeting a single-digit figure for Kwh per 100 kilometres at average highway speeds. The world premiere of the Vision EQXX will take place in 2022.
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