ROME – After the Smart, it’s up to Mercedes-Benz. The Daimler group continues the radical electric transition that will also lead the star brand towards the production of battery-powered models only by 2030 (in markets where this will be possible). An acceleration for which the Stuttgart company has established an investment of 40 billion euros for battery electric vehicles, in the period 2022-2030.
The roadmap of the Mercedes-Benz electrification strategy envisages that three exclusively electric architectures will be launched in 2025: MB.EA, a platform designed to meet the needs of medium and large cars; AMG.EA dedicated to high performance electric vehicles, continuing in the path traced by AMG; VAN.EA on which electric vans and light commercial vehicles will be developed. The German brand’s plan also includes acquisitions in the field of electric drive technology such as, for example, that of the British electric motor company Yasa specializing in axial flux thrusters, at the basis of the development of very high performance units to be introduced in the future.
As for the battery sector, in addition to the already planned network of nine plants dedicated to the construction of battery systems, the company plans to create eight Gigafactories for the production of cells, together with its partners around the world. Furthermore, Mercedes-Benz will take advantage of the partnership with SilaNano to increase the energy density by using the silicon-carbon composite in the anode which will bring benefits in terms of greater autonomy and faster charging times. New developments are also expected on the front of charging standards with the “Plug & Charge” system intended to simplify the life of users in terms of authentication and payment processing. The system will debut later this year to coincide with the market launch of the EQS.
The Mercedes me Charge network, which already has over 530,000 charging points worldwide, will grow further thanks to agreements such as the one signed with Shell. A taste of what lies in the electric future of Mercedes-Benz will then arrive in the course of next year when the development of the Vision EQXX (which also includes specialists in the F1 High Performance Powertrain division) will be completed, capable of offering, according to the house, a real range of over 1,000 kilometers under normal use conditions. (mr)
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