Daimler invests $1 billion in the expansion of electromobility in the USA
In total, Mercedes-Benz will invest a billion US dollars in the expansion of its industrial activities in the United States. The move is expected to create over 600 new jobs. A large part of the investment is to be channeled into the implementation of the electrification of its model spectrum. The remainder will be used to expand the logistics activities at the same site.
By 2022, Mercedes-Benz Cars has announced to electrify its entire portfolio and offer customers at least one electrified alternative in each segment – from the Smart subcompact to large SUVs. In total, the company plans to develop more than 50 electrified vehicle variants. At the same time, Mercedes-Benz will continue to support the development of plug-in hybrids and the introduction of 48-volt systems. The first EQ series model, the EQC, will be rolled off the production line at the Mercedes-Benz plant in Bremen (Germany) from 2019; production of the EQ models in Tuscaloosa is scheduled to start at the beginning of the next decade.
The new battery factory near the existing Tuscaloosa plant will become part of Mercedes-Benz Cars’ global battery production network. This plant will complement Daimler’s worldwide battery production network with two factories in Kamenz, Saxony, and additional sites in Stuttgart-Untertürkheim, Beijing and now Tuscaloosa. With this concept, the battery production network can react flexibly to market demand. The individual locations supply local vehicle production and are ready for export, if necessary. Construction work on the new factory in Alabama covering an area of over 90,000 square meters is expected to begin in 2018, with production scheduled to begin at the beginning of the next decade.
As part of the electrification of the powertrain, Daimler is developing the EQ brand with a vehicle family and an ecosystem that includes not only the vehicle as such but also a comprehensive suite of electric mobility products. This ranges from intelligent services to energy storage systems for private and commercial customers, charging technologies and sustainable recycling. On the road to zero-emission driving, Daimler is pursuing a three-pronge drive strategy to achieve environmental compatibility across all vehicle classes (incl. commercial vehicles, vans) – with an intelligent mix of combustion engines and part electrification using 48-volt technology, EQ Power Plug in hybrids and electric vehicles powered by battery or fuel cells.
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