Mercedes-Benz Inaugurates Battery Center in Stuttgart, Aims for Cost Reduction and Technological Advances

TapTechNews July 8th news, on the local time of the 8th (today), Mercedes-Benz held the inauguration ceremony of the battery research and development and production center Mercedes-Benz eCampus at its headquarters in Stuttgart, Germany.

The center has a factory covering an area of 10,000 square meters and plans to produce tens of thousands of battery cells annually, and will open a battery testing and experimentation center by the end of this year.

Its goal is to develop new chemical combinations and optimize manufacturing processes, and hopes to reduce battery costs by more than 30% in the next few years. The company is researching lithium-ion batteries with high-energy anodes and cobalt-free cathodes, as well as solid-state technologies, which are expected to achieve more energy storage, longer driving range and faster charging speed.

According to Reuters, Markus Schaefer, the chief technology officer of Mercedes-Benz, said that the battery design developed by the new center will be shared with partner companies and incorporated into the battery cells of suppliers in the future.

German Economy Minister Robert Habeck said that Germany and Europe will build up their own capabilities, especially the know-how in key technology areas - which is crucial.

According to TapTechNews' previous report, in June this year, the battery joint venture (AutomotiveCellsCompany, hereinafter referred to as ACC) jointly established by Mercedes-Benz and Stellantis suspended the construction project of the European electric vehicle battery factory and re-evaluated the future development direction, considering switching to the lower-cost lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery.