Now that it has been settled that EVs are going to be the vehicle of the future every company is trying to come up with unique ways to trump each other. Some brands are offering great mileage others are offering quick charge and whatnot, however, one company has something else up its sleeve. In a bid to make their EVs better, the Mercedes Benz EV lineup to get Standardized Batteries.
Mercedes Benz at their annual fiscal announcement revealed their new electrification plans. One of these plans is to standardize batteries across their EV models as per reports.
The company has planned to run 90% of all its future vehicles on a common battery platform. The company aims to get a modular battery system that has uniformly designed components and standard interfaces across the vehicle lineup.
The cell chemistry and size of these batteries will create the necessary varieties in terms of lifetime performance, charging, and range. Mercedes Benz EV lineup to get standardized batteries and they will include a high silicon anode which is targeted for the year 2025. These batteries will have increased energy density due to the use of silicon carbon composite in the anode.
The plans for 2028 are even more ambitious as the company plans to use solid-state batteries for high energy density over lithium-ion cells. These batteries will have the benefit of being lighter in weight, having better packaging space, and lastly will offer more charging cycles over their lifetime. To accelerate the development of both these batteries, Mercedes Benz has collaborated with not just old but also new battery suppliers.
To develop EVs, Mercedes Benz has taken a one-third stake in ACC also known as Automotive Cells Company. They are a leading European battery maker that jointly develops and produces both cells and modules.
It is estimated that ACC will reach a capacity of no less than 120 GWh in Europe by the end of the decade. This move will benefit Mercedes Benz with high-performance battery technologies, beginning from the middle of this decade.
Not just this but Mercedes Benz has also unveiled the plan to have an all-electric alternative for every model in their lineup in the next couple of years. And to achieve this plan of theirs they will introduce three dedicated electric platforms. These platforms will be,
- MB.EA: a modular underpinning for medium and large-sized passenger cars
- AMG.EA: dedicated performance architecture for AMG versions
- VAN.EA: for electric vans and light commercial applications
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All these platforms are expected to be here by 2025. These will allow BEVs to be created from the ground instead of converting the ICE versions.
Mercedes Benz is also betting big on commercial vans for European markets and plan to have 50% PHEVs and BEV share in their lineup by as soon as 2025. This transition will be helped by the company going fully electric by the end of this decade.
