Category: Mercedes

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Mercedes-Benz to electrify all model series in €7B R&D investment

Over the next two years, Daimler is slated to invest an unprecedented seven billion euro (approximately $7.8 billion in US) into what they are referring to as green technologies. Usually, such a large sum of money would be invested over a long period of time, but Daimler is leading the industry in doing so over a mere two years. By 2017, the car maker will offer all models with electrified powertrains.

According to Professor Dr. Thomas Weber, a member of the Board of management of Dimler AG, stated, “…no other manufacturer offers a comparable range of electrified vehicles and solutions in the field of electric mobility. The spectrum ranges from the smart city runabout and attractive Mercedes-Benz passenger cars to buses, coaches, and trucks of the Fuso brand. We will electrify all Mercedes-Benz passenger car model series step by step.“

The Mercedes-Benz name will not be compromised by lack of power, as stated in a press release, but will instead offer customers a broader range of engine options, keeping in mind the specific needs of each model and the desires of the purchaser. Mercedes-Benz will offer a multitude of plug-in hybrids and expand carbon-free options by implementing emission-free vehicles into every realm of their model options including buses and commercial vehicles. The car maker recognizes a need for more innovative technology within the automotive industry though, and is making great strides toward the future.

Mercedes-Benz will unveil a high-performance four-door, four-seat, all-wheel drive GT electric only saloon with 500 km range at the Paris motor show in October.

Source: Daimler

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Daimler invest €500M in Hamburg plant for e-mobility components

Daimler is comprehensively modernizing the Mercedes-Benz Hamburg plant and is expanding its product portfolio to include key components for electric driving. This is part of the transformation plan that the company has agreed on with the works council. With the agreement in Hamburg, Mercedes-Benz Cars has now successfully set out the transformation plans for all plants in Germany.

“The completion of the transformation plans is an important milestone in our growth strategy. We put our vehicle and powertrain plants on a future-oriented and sustainable foundation and strengthen their international competitiveness. Thus, we increase the flexibility and efficiency in our global production network. For that purpose we are investing several billion euros”, said Markus Schäfer, Member of the Divisional Board Mercedes-Benz Cars, Production and Supply Chain Management.

The transformation plan ensures the competitiveness of the site and keeps employment stable. In addition, the agreement provides for a highly flexible production through modern shift models.

“With the investment of 500 million euros, we will develop the Hamburg plant into a high-tech site producing drive components for electric mobility. This is a proof for the high qualification and outstanding performance of our employees. The transformation plan is a future-oriented achievement for the plant that offers employees new opportunities”, says Wolfgang Lenz, Site Manager Mercedes-Benz plant Hamburg. Company and works council have agreed on an increase in training places, resulting in 26 positions each year for the years 2017 and 2018. Furthermore, ten new permanent jobs will be created and filled this year.

“For the employees, the now agreed transformation plan is a clear, positive signal: The plant takes part in the company’s growth strategy and profits from future prospects of the industry. Our central goal in the negotiations was the assurance of future products for the site. The increase in the number of training places and permanent positions indicate that the company continues to count on the plant in Hamburg”, says Jörg Thiemer, Chairman of the Works Council Mercedes-Benz plant Hamburg.

The production of axles and axle components, lightweight structural components and steering columns, along with exhaust technology, will remain an integral part of the plant. The agreement provides the Mercedes-Benz plant Hamburg with extra capacity for axles and axle components. The third generation of steering columns will also be produced in Hamburg. This means that every Mercedes-Benz vehicle will continue to include a part from Hamburg. With the production of the cockpit crossmember for the C- and E-Class, lightweight structural components will continue to be produced here.

The innovative components, manufactured using environmentally responsible production technologies, make a significant contribution to reducing vehicles’ CO2 emissions.

“With the transformation plan for the Hamburg plant we are continuing the successful strategic realignment of our German powertrain plants. We have defined a sustainable product portfolio and measures to increase efficiency and flexibility for all plants, leaving us extremely well prepared to face the future”, says Frank Deiß, Head of Production Powertrain Mercedes-Benz Cars and Site Manager Mercedes-Benz plant Untertürkheim.

Daimler recently announced a 500 million Euros investment in a new battery factory in Germany. The new battery factory will produce lithium-ion battery packs for hybrid and electric vehicles for Mercedes-Benz and smart brands.

Daimler has also said it is open to the idea of creating an alliance between Germany's premium carmakers to manufacture next-generation batteries.

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Daimler to invest 500 million Euros in new battery factory in Germany

Daimler will invest 500 million Euros in a new battery factory in Germany. The new battery factory will produce lithium-ion battery packs for hybrid and electric vehicles for Mercedes-Benz and smart brands.

Li-Tec, a subsidiary of the Daimler Group, ceased manufacture of battery cells in December 2015. The majority of the 280 employees were transferred to the Deutsche Accumotive—also a wholly owned Daimler subsidiary—which manufactures battery packs based on LG Chem cells.

Daimler consistently expands its activities in the area of electromobility and invests around 500 million Euros in the construction of a new battery factory. This will lead to a significant expansion of the production capacities for lithium-ion batteries of Deutsche ACCUMOTIVE located in the Saxon city of Kamenz.

The new factory will produce batteries for electric and hybrid vehicles of the brands Mercedes-Benz and smart. As a first step, the full Daimler subsidiary has purchased about 20 hectares of land adjacent to the existing battery factory.

"To get closer to fully electric driving, we keep investing big in the key component of emission-free vehicles: powerful batteries. We are now devoting another 500 million Euros to build a second battery factory in Germany. This underlines our commitment to the consistent expansion of electromobility", said Dr. Dieter Zetsche, Chairman of the Board of Management of Daimler AG and Head of Mercedes-Benz Cars.

Daimler announced a initial 100 million euros investment to expand East German battery pack output in 2014.

With the growing electrification of the automobile, the demand for highly efficient lithium-ion batteries is also rising steadily. Through its entry into the new business field with stationary battery storage for private and industrial applications, Deutsche ACCUMOTIVE will tap into additional growth opportunities.

By the end of 2014, the Daimler subsidiary had already announced its plans for a significant increase in its production capacities and an investment of around 100 million Euros in the expansion of the existing battery factory. "With the purchase of the new land, our production area at the site will be tripled.

The previous 20,000 square meters will be stocked up by an additional 40,000 square meters of production space. We will expand the production capacity consistently in the coming years", said Harald Kröger, Head of Development Electrics/Electronics and e-Drive Mercedes-Benz Cars.

The groundbreaking ceremony for the new factory is planned for fall 2016. The topping-out ceremony will then follow in spring 2017. The new production plant is to start operations in summer 2017.

Daimler entered into the business with stationary battery storage with Deutsche ACCUMOTIVE last year. The scalability of the systems enables the use of the lithium-ion batteries in big industry for network stabilization and smoothing of peak shaving for energy producers as well as private households, for example in conjunction with photovoltaic installations.

Mercedes-Benz energy storage units for private households can already be ordered and will soon be installed at customers in collaboration with selected sales partners. In the area of industrial applications, around 29 megawatt will be connected to the network jointly with different partners.

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Germany wants to put 2 billion euros into encouraging electric cars

German Economy Minister Sigmar Gabriel wants to commit two billion euros ($2.17 billion) to encourage more people to buy electric cars, the newspaper Die Zeit reported on Wednesday.

Buyers of electric cars would receive a subsidy from the government, the newspaper said, giving no further details.

Gabriel also wants to expand charging stations and encourage federal offices to use electric cars - an initiative that will be funded under the current German budget without tax increases, he said.

The German government aims to put one million electric cars on the roads by 2020. Among the country's carmakers, BMW, Mercedes and Volkswagen now produce all-electric cars; Audi, Mercedes and Porsche have plans to build one.

Sales of electric cars totaled some 19,000 in 2014, but at the end of 2014 Germany had only 2,400 charging stations and around 100 fast-charging points.

Calls for supporting electric cars grew at the end of last year after the Volkswagen emissions scandal. Both Gabriel and his fellow Social Democrat Environment Minster Barbara Hendricks have called for a quota for electric cars.

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Mercedes open to battery alliance with BMW and Audi

Daimler is open to the idea of creating an alliance between Germany's premium carmakers to manufacture next-generation batteries.

"There are commonalities between the German carmakers." Daimler CEO Dieter Zetsche said when asked whether Mercedes-Benz would consider extending an alliance formed earlier this year to buy Nokia's maps business, Here, to battery technology.

"Nokia Here led to a common approach... and there might be other areas," he told a news conference at the Frankfurt auto show, adding that any such cooperation would most likely start with the next generation of batteries.

Daimler, Volkswagen's Audi and BMW teamed up to buy Nokia Here last month for around 2.5 billion euros ($2.8 billion) in the most significant cooperation to date between the rival premium carmakers.

Daimler are currently exiting the battery cell manufacturing business by closing subsidiary Li-Tec later this year while planning to spend 100 million euros (US$125 million) in coming years to increase production of lithium-ion battery packs in eastern Germany using cells provided by South Korean based LG Chem.

Mercedes, BMW and Audi/Volkswagen all rely on Korean battery manufactures, LG Chem, Samsung SDI and SK Innovation, who between them hold 41% of global automotive battery patents for current generation battery cells.

Samsung SDI Battery Systems (SDIBS), a subsidiary formed after SDI's acquisition of Magna in May are working to strengthen the competitiveness of their European automotive battery business with a Low Pack battery designed for key customers including BMW and Audi .

Daimler CEO Zetsche suggested an alliance to manufacture next-generation battery cells which is clearly a mission critical technology for the electric vehicle industry. The battle is currently focused on solid state battery development with Volkswagen, Bosch, Samsung and General Motors all having made recent investments.

Perhaps, most noticeably, Daimler are not known to have any IP investments in this key area.

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Mercedes open to battery alliance with BMW and Audi

Daimler is open to the idea of creating an alliance between Germany's premium carmakers to manufacture next-generation batteries.

"There are commonalities between the German carmakers." Daimler CEO Dieter Zetsche said when asked whether Mercedes-Benz would consider extending an alliance formed earlier this year to buy Nokia's maps business, Here, to battery technology.

"Nokia Here led to a common approach... and there might be other areas," he told a news conference at the Frankfurt auto show, adding that any such cooperation would most likely start with the next generation of batteries.

Daimler, Volkswagen's Audi and BMW teamed up to buy Nokia Here last month for around 2.5 billion euros ($2.8 billion) in the most significant cooperation to date between the rival premium carmakers.

Daimler are currently exiting the battery cell manufacturing business by closing subsidiary Li-Tec later this year while planning to spend 100 million euros (US$125 million) in coming years to increase production of lithium-ion battery packs in eastern Germany using cells provided by South Korean based LG Chem.

Mercedes, BMW and Audi/Volkswagen all rely on Korean battery manufactures, LG Chem, Samsung SDI and SK Innovation, who between them hold 41% of global automotive battery patents for current generation battery cells.

Samsung SDI Battery Systems (SDIBS), a subsidiary formed after SDI's acquisition of Magna in May are working to strengthen the competitiveness of their European automotive battery business with a Low Pack battery designed for key customers including BMW and Audi .

Daimler CEO Zetsche suggested an alliance to manufacture next-generation battery cells which is clearly a mission critical technology for the electric vehicle industry. The battle is currently focused on solid state battery development with Volkswagen, Bosch, Samsung and General Motors all having made recent investments.

Perhaps, most noticeably, Daimler are not known to have any IP investments in this key area.

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Is Adrian Newey working on the ‘Ultimate’ electric supercar with AMG?

The road car project that Adrian Newey is working on with Red Bull and Aston Martin appears to be picking up steam, and there are rumors that it could be an electric car.

Newey seems to have no interest in building a hybrid hypercar four years after the McLaren P1, LaFerrari and Porsche 918 Spyder. As previously discussed, these examples are very much first generation 'mild' hybrids.

What does interest him is a car that ​Autocar​​ says advances technology and the involvement of the driver. That would be an electric supercar. Newey reportedly wants his car to hold the same sort of place in history as Gordon Murray's McLaren F1.

Sources suggest that Aston Martin shareholder Mercedes-Benz wants to be involved in the project, both to create a connection with Red Bull’s younger audience and to have a technical involvement in what could be a landmark product. As such, it is said to be pushing for its performance arm, AMG, to work with Newey.

As AMG are responsible for designing the only production supercar with true all-wheel-drive torque vectoring (Mercedes SLS AMG Electric), any collaboration between AMG and Adrian Newey could spawn a vehicle to seriously eclipse the current generation of hybrid hypercar.

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Mercedes working on a range of 500 km EVs

Mercedes is reportedly working on a model range of electric vehicles able to cover up to 500 km on a single charge according to Daimler Chief Development Officer Thomas Weber.

In an interview with German publication auto motor und sport, Weber said, “We are working on an intelligent concept for a highly attractive electric vehicle with a range of 400-500 kilometers,” adding that the car would come “soon.” More importantly, the electric drivetrain will fit into the automaker’s flexible architecture, meaning it can be used in numerous models.

At the 2015 Frankfurt Motor Show in less than two weeks, Audi will showcase an e-tron quattro concept SUV, while BMW is planning an i5 sedan that will be based on the 5 Series and Porsche are also working on an EV with 500 km range.

Mercedes might have a slight lead on the competition, however, considering that it has been developing numerous applications of all-electric vehicles for a while now, including on the A- and B-Class as well as the electric SLS AMG that set a record on the Nurburgring.

[Source: auto motor und sport]

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Daimler and Qualcomm to develop wireless charging for EVs

Daimler and telecommunications giant Qualcomm Technologies have announced a partnership to develop new wireless charging technologies for vehicles and phones.

The alliance will focus on “mobile technologies that enhance in-car experiences and vehicle performance,” as well as Qualcomm's Halo Wireless Electric Vehicle (WEVC) technology, with the overall aim of introducing an induction charging system into future Mercedes models.

Possible candidates for the technology could include the next-generation Mercedes-Benz S-Class, currently powered by a plug-in hybrid 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6, or even the small-sized B-Class Electric Drive.

Qualcomm, more widely known for producing a range of high-end smartphone processors, started developing the technology in 2011 and WEVC trials have been underway in the United Kingdom since 2012, with the technology working similarly to wireless phone charging.

A Vehicle Charging Unit (VCU) is installed in the floor of a garage or car park, which sends power wirelessly to a similar unit installed in the car, which sends power to the electric vehicle batteries.

Currently the technology only allows for stationary charging, but development is underway on dynamic charging that will work by installing multiple VCUs underneath roads capable of charging cars on the move.

The implementation of dynamic charging could cut the cost of electric vehicle manufacturing by reducing the need for large, range-extending batteries.

Additionally, Qualcomm's WiPower technology will be implemented to allow full wireless charging on a smaller scale, for compatible smartphones and tablets inside the vehicle.

Daimler AG group research and Mercedes development board member Thomas Weber said the new partnership will bear fruit for both companies.

“It's important that we remain on the cutting edge of technology and continue to deliver unparalleled experiences to our customers,” he said.

“With this in mind, we are eager to jointly explore possible fields of future cooperation with an internationally leading tech-firm like Qualcomm.”

Qualcomm Incorporated President Derek Aberle said integration of vehicle and mobile communications is the way of the future.

“The automobile has become an extension of always-on connectivity, and as such, we're continuously utilising our expertise in wireless mobility to deliver in-car experiences comparable to the ease and convenience of smartphones,” he said.

Last year, German luxury rival brand BMW announced it would team up with Daimler to research and explore the possibilities of similar technology, and Volvo has also previously revealed it is looking at the cordless tech and Toyota signed a deal with WiTricity in late 2013.

Californian Electric car specialist Tesla has also tested the potential of such systems, but dismissed them saying too much power was wasted in the transfer process.

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LG Chem to supply batteries for Daimler’s Smart EVs

Daimler has picked South Korea's LG Chem to be the sole battery supplier for the automaker's new range of Smart electric vehicles, which will be launched in 2016.

LG Chem did not disclose the value or volume of the deal, but said EVs account for a small portion of about 100,000 Smart mini cars sold a year currently.

LG Chem, which is also an EV battery supplier for General Motors and Renault, said it will provide Smart EV battery cells, which will be made into packs by Daimler's wholly owned subsidiary Deutsche ACCUmotive.

Daimler is LG Chem's 13th automaker client for EV battery packs.