Daimler is getting ready to launch its latest electric vehicle effort under its new Mercedes-Benz ‘EQ’ brand.
We thought that the all-electric ‘EQC’ SUV would be the first vehicle under the new brand, but with the unveiling of the new electric smart cars, the German automaker announced today that these vehicles are now ‘smart EQ’ cars.
Expand
Expanding
Close
China keeps securing electric vehicle investments from foreign automakers and the latest is coming from Daimler.
The German automaker confirms a deal with BAIC to expand local production for the Mercedes-Benz brand, which will include the highly anticipated Mercedes EQ all-electric vehicles.
Expand
Expanding
Close
As mentioned in our previous article, Daimler has several electric truck programs in the works and today it revealed the latest progress on the eActros heavy-duty electric trucks.
Here’s a closer look at the vehicle.
Expand
Expanding
Close
Daimler has several electric truck programs in the works and today it revealed the latest progress on the eActros heavy-duty electric trucks.
During the event, an executive compared the vehicle to the Tesla Semi and cast doubts about Tesla delivering on its promises.
Expand
Expanding
Close
Over the years, automakers have increasingly divested from making most components in cars and instead rely on extensive supply chains.
Now the industry’s transition to electric vehicles is affecting both automakers and their suppliers.
So much so that Daimler now warns that it might have to support financially some of them during the transition.
Expand
Expanding
Close
Mercedes-Benz unveiled this week its latest lineup of Sprinter vans and it includes an electric version called ‘eSprinter’ to be launched next year.
Expand
Expanding
Close
It’s not just concept vehicles and press releases anymore. Mercedes-Benz revealed in detail today its plan to build electric vehicles in volume at 6 factories across 3 continents and a “global battery network” to support the effort.
Expand
Expanding
Close
While all the attention is on Tesla Semi and other electric big rigs under development, smaller electric trucks are making it to market today.
After starting delivery in the US earlier this year, Daimler is now delivering all-electric trucks in Europe.
Expand
Expanding
Close
Daimler has unveiled a new part of its electrification plan today. Mercedes-Benz will add electric drive to all its commercial vans and it is starting by taking orders for the new eVito all-electric van.
Expand
Expanding
Close
At the Tokyo Motor Show today, Daimler’s Mitsubishi Fuso Truck division launched a new product brand entirely dedicated to electric trucks & buses.
As part of this new brand, the company unveiled a new all-electric heavy-duty concept truck at the show.
Expand
Expanding
Close
Almost every automaker working on electric cars is also currently looking at ways to leverage their battery technology development into other products. It started with Tesla’s launch of ‘Tesla Energy’ in 2015 and now BMW, Renault, Nissan, and several others have also launched similar products or even new energy divisions.
Daimler has its ‘Mercedes-Benz Energy’ subsidiary and the company unveils today an impressive new project using its vehicle battery packs for stationary energy storage.
Expand
Expanding
Close
I’m aware that the headline is pretty much an oxymoron and it looks like the stupidest thing from the picture above, but please bear with me for a second because this project is actually interesting.
The moovel Group, a research group owned by Daimler, created an electric vehicle platform with autonomous driving sensors but instead of a control unit powered by software, a driver controls the vehicle based on information fed through a virtual reality headset.
Expand
Expanding
Close
The 30th International Electric Vehicle Symposium (EVS 30) started today in Stuttgart and Mercedes-Benz brought its electric vehicle lineup for the occasion.
In an interview, Ola Källenius, who is responsible for Group Research at Daimler AG and Mercedes-Benz Cars Development, talked about Mercedes-Benz’s electric vehicle effort, but he also insisted on the need for internal combustion engines (ICE), diesel, and fuel cells at the electric vehicle conference.
Daimler, Mercedes-Benz’s parent company, announced last week a $1 billion investment in electric car and battery production in the US.
As with any new EV investment from a legacy automaker, the media painted it as an “attack on Tesla“, but Elon Musk, Tesla’s CEO and largest shareholder, doesn’t seem too worried about it.
Expand
Expanding
Close
Daimler, Mercedes-Benz’s parent company, is already converting gas-powered car production capacity to electric car production capacity in Europe, but now it looks like they are turning their attention to the US.
The German automaker confirmed today that it plans to invest $1 billion to build Mercedes-Benz’s ‘EQ’ electric cars and its batteries in the US.
Expand
Expanding
Close
Daimler’s FUSO delivered to carrier UPS its first few trucks as part of its all-electric eCanter truck program.
The German automaker claims that it’s the first all-electric truck in “series production” and they plan to deliver about 500 more over the next 2 years before starting volume production.
Expand
Expanding
Close
Israel-based startup StoreDot has been making waves in the battery world for the past few years.
It has been hard to gauge the credibility of its technology, but it now gets a big thumbs-up from some major players with a new $60 million round of investment to bring their battery tech to production.
Expand
Expanding
Close
At the company’s investor day in Sindelfingen, Germany, Daimler, Mercedes-Benz’s parent company, clarified its plan to electrify its vehicle lineup and the expected impact on its bottom line.
Expand
Expanding
Close
Ahead of the Frankfurt Motor show next week, Daimler unveiled a new ‘smart vision EQ fortwo’ concept to embody their vision of an electric and autonomous ride sharing service.
The vehicle could give some insights into the future generation of electric Smart cars as the brand is going all-electric in North America.
Expand
Expanding
Close
Earlier this year, Daimler announced that it is converting the Smart brand to all-electric in North America and discontinuing gas-powered Smart cars.
The move wasn’t really well received by Mercedes-Benz dealerships. Most of them are shutting down their Smart car sale operations because of the move to all-electric.
Expand
Expanding
Close
Among legacy automakers, Daimler has been one the most active in converting gas-powered car production to electric car production lately.
Earlier this year, they announced that their major Mercedes-Benz Untertürkheim plant will adapt to produce electric motors and today, they are adding battery pack production to the factory.
Expand
Expanding
Close
Just a few weeks after unveiling its own new battery Gigafactory for electric vehicles in Germany, Daimler is now announcing a new $740 million battery factory project in China.
The new factory will support the production of batteries for electric vehicles under the Mercedes-Benz brand.
Expand
Expanding
Close
Just like Tesla did with the Model S in the premium sedan segment, Tesla Semi, the company’s upcoming all-electric semi truck, is aiming to become the best-selling truck in its segment, according to CEO Elon Musk.
It means that they are attempting to dethrone Freightliner’s Cascadia.
Daimler, Freightliner’s parent company, doesn’t seem too worried about the upcoming competition from Tesla based on recent comments from an executive.
Expand
Expanding
Close
Earlier this year, Daimler announced that it is converting the Smart brand to all-electric in North America and discontinuing gas-powered Smart cars.
By September, Canadian and American dealerships will stop receiving gas-powered Smart cars and the 2017 electric smart model year cars will become the only options.
We now learn that the move is facing some opposition with its dealer network as Smart car dealers are now considering stopping sales of the vehicles and going service-only.
Expand
Expanding
Close
