Daimler buys battery cells worth billions
VW fancy with own production
The German car manufacturer Daimler wants to equip itself for electro mobility and secures battery cells for several billion euros. The carmaker will be able to install these in the electric models.
The company announced that by the end of the year 2030 battery cells worth more than 20 billion euros will be purchased. Wilko Stark, Head of Purchasing at Mercedes-Benz Cars, said: “Together with our supply partners, we are thus ensuring that the global battery production network is supplied today and in the future with the latest technologies”.
Daimler pushes electric offensive forward
The demand for battery cells, which are necessary for the production of electric cars, is continuously increasing. Over the next four years, for example, Daimler intends to offer all its passenger car models as electrically powered or hybrid variants. The Stuttgart-based carmaker is also introducing a new brand for electric mobility: EQ. More than ten fully electric vehicles shall be developed and sold under this brand.
Daimler is certain that the models will also be well received by customers. The declared goal is to generate around a quarter of total sales by 2025 from battery-powered vehicles. Particularly ambitious: this should not only apply to Mercedes passenger cars, but also to vans, buses and trucks.
Car groups secure access for themselves
In view of the advancing climate change, the time to comply with the Paris Climate Convention is becoming increasingly scarce. The problem with the electrification of vehicles is the procurement of battery cells. This is because they require raw materials such as lithium and cobalt. The large German car manufacturers are currently looking for ways to secure access to battery cells.
For example, BMW has ordered cells from the Chinese manufacturer CATL for the next ten years. Costs: four billion euros. Volkswagen, on the other hand, is even considering setting up its own battery cell production facility. This could pay off for the Wolfsburg-based company, as VW sold three times as many vehicles in 2017 as Daimler.Volkswagen is currently still using various suppliers.
