Left – Markus Schäfer, Member of the Board of Management of Daimler AG/Mercedes-Benz AG; Right – Dr. Robin Zeng, Founder, Chairman and CEO of CATL.
Mercedes-Benz and CATL (Contemporary Amperex Technology Limited), which develops and manufactures lithium-ion batteries, are moving forward with a partnership that aims to create battery technology for the OEM’s electric models.
It is all part of the automaker’s goal to accelerate its “Electric First” strategy with advanced, CO2 (neutral-produced) battery cells, modules and systems, which will be supplied by CATL. The agreement between the two companies covers the full range of battery technologies for Mercedes-Benz Cars and Vans.
“We intend to lead in battery technologies, so we are now combining our own research and development expertise with bold partners,” said Markus Schäfer, COO of Mercedes-Benz Cars who is also responsible for Daimler Group Research. “We will integrate cutting-edge battery systems to create luxury cars with outstanding range, charging speed, safety and sustainability.”
The partnership is expected to help the OEM accelerate its move towards carbon-neutrality, with CATL being a major supplier that will help secure capacity for the next generations of the automaker’s EQ products.
Mercedes-Benz and CATL have already started working on future battery generations that will be introduced in several vehicles within the coming years. The goal is to reduce the development cycles, boost the range of future batteries through advances in energy density, and reduce charging times, according to CATL’s news release.
“In order to make electrification even more attractive for customers in the luxury segment, the goals set are ambitious: with the EQS luxury sedan, which will be delivered to customers next year, the development goal is a long-distance range of more than 700 km (WLTP range) and a doubling of the charging speed compared to current models,” said CATL.
