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Mercedes-Benz spends $1 billion to make EVs at Alabama plant
Like most auto makers these days, Mercedes-Benz is investing in electric vehicles in a big way. The Daimler-owned company is fast-tracking all of its models to an electric future by 2022. It has also been showing off a slate of EV models, like the Generation EQ concept car, slated for production in 2019, an art deco-inspired, 20-foot-long Cabriolet and an adorably small Smart Vision EQ. It's looking at infrastructure, too, giving money to help support quick-charging tech made by Israeli startup StoreDot. Now Mercedes-Benz' parent company, Daimler AG, has plans to invest an $1billion in an Alabama factory to make sure it can make fully electric vehicles and battery packs here in the US.
Mitsubishi electric delivery trucks are headed to the US
Tesla's long been teasing the unveiling (with test rides!) of its electric big rigs next month, and other companies in the auto industry like Cummins and Mercedes have made sure to introduce their own EV truck initiatives. Today, Daimler announced that it's bringing its smaller Mitsubishi Fuso eCanter trucks to the US, starting in New York City.
Daimler eyes super-fast electric vehicle charging
Daimler, parent company of Mercedes-Benz (and others) is pushing to get the majority of its vehicles to run on electricity. But there's still the issue of slow battery charging times that needs to be overcome if users are going to abandon gas. Which is why Daimler is throwing some of its cash towards Israeli startup StoreDot, which is working on a way to fully charge an EV in just five minutes.
Mercedes-Benz plans electric versions of all its models by 2022
We've seen quite a few car companies commit (and recommit) to electic vehicles recently, and now Mercedes-Benz has joined them. At Daimler's investor day today, the company's chief executive Dieter Zetsche said that Mercedes will offer electric versions of every single car it makes by 2022. Mercedes-Benz is also planning on turning its popular city SmartCar into a fully electric line by 2020.
Daimler and Via to launch ride-sharing shuttle service in Europe
Minivans, while not the most exciting form of transportation, could have a role to play in society's shift away from car ownership. Daimler, the company behind Mercedes-Benz, is teaming up with Via to launch a new ride-sharing service across Europe. Like UberPool, it will be an on-demand system that allows passengers to set their own pick-up points and destinations through a smartphone app. Mercedes-Benz will supply the minivans, while Via — which already runs a similar service in New York City, Chicago and Washington DC — manages the software. It's basically a bus service, but with dynamic routes and no predetermined stops.
Mercedes-Benz sees self-driving EVs as the future of car sharing
Earlier this year, Daimler announced plans to develop a self-driving, car-sharing system with fully autonomous vehicles geared towards city living. Today, the company says that the first part of that vision -- Smart's Vision EQ Fortwo concept vehicle -- will be presented at the 2017 Frankfurt International Motor Show next month.
Daimler funds Volocopter's autonomous flying taxi dreams
Volocopter just got a $30 million cash injection, thanks to a few investors, including fellow German firm Daimler. The automaker's contribution can help the company stick to its timeline and its plans to release its first autonomous electric air taxis next year. Volocopter has been working on the creation of a personalized air transport system for years and completed the first manned test flight of its multicopter in 2016.
Mercedes-Benz will join Formula E in 2019
Last October, Mercedes-Benz announced that it had reserved a spot in the Formula E racing championship for the 2018/19 season and today it revealed that it would officially be entering the competition during the 2019/20 season. To do so, the automaker will be leaving another competition, the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters (DTM), in order to focus on Formula E. In the 18 years it has competed in the DTM, Mercedes-Benz has won a slew of drivers', team and manufacturer titles. "Our years in the DTM will always be held high as a major chapter in the motorsport history of Mercedes," said head of Mercedes-Benz Motorsport Toto Wolff in a statement.
At the Mercedes museum, your rental car parks itself
The concept of a self-parking car certainly isn't new, but Daimler is about to take the next logical step on that front. It's partnering with Bosch to launch an Automated Valet Parking service at the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart. When it launches at the start of 2018, anyone (not just museum guests) can rent cars that will not only drive themselves out, but park themselves upon return. You just need a smartphone app to both make the reservation and the virtual handover when you're done.
BMW denies conspiring with rivals on diesel emissions systems
VW isn't the only German automaker reeling from the effects of diesel emissions scandals. BMW is denying Der Spiegel allegations that it not only colluded with Daimler and the Volkswagen Auto Group (including Audi and Porsche) on the designs and prices for AdBlue diesel emissions treatment systems, but fell short of European exhaust standards. While the newspaper claims that BMW's thousand-plus meetings with rivals amounted to a "cartel," BMW insists that the meetings were simply meant to create a Europe-wide infrastructure for AdBlue. It also claims that the technology (which injects urea into the mix to help reduce emissions) meets the latest European requirements, and that it can update the software on older cars to meet that standard.
Einride's self-driving truck looks like a giant freezer on wheels
Einride has just revealed the prototype of the T-pod, its autonomous electric truck. The Swedish company's self-driving vehicle can transport 15 standard pallets and can travel 124 miles on one charge. And because there's no need for a person to sit inside of it, the T-pod also has no cab space and no windows -- giving it a very futuristically odd look.
Daimler is investing $735 million in China's EV infrastructure
German car manufacturer Daimler has announced a partnership with China's BAIC Motor Corporation, pledging to provide $735 million investment into electric vehicle infrastructure in the region. Daimler (the company behind brands like Mercedes-Benz) has revealed a large chunk of that hefty sum will be spent on building a new Chinese battery factory under the joint venture Beijing Benz Automotive Co., Ltd.
Daimler bets big on luxury EVs with new battery plant
Mercedes-Benz owner Daimler is incredibly bullish about electric vehicles. So much so that it's recently broken ground on another battery plant in Germany, a stone's throw from its existing facility. It'll begin operating around June next year and sounds positively massive. "The new plant will quadruple the production and logistics area in Kamenz to a total of around 80,000 square meters (around 262,000 feet)," a press release says. More than that, by 2020 the plant will have over 1,000 employees.
Mercedes and Bosch want you in a self-driving taxi ASAP
Mercedes parent Daimler has put aside its own project to develop a self-driving car and will now collaborate with automotive supplier Bosch. The two companies plan to deliver fully autonomous "level 5" tech by the "beginning of the next decade," with a focus on city driving and autonomous car-sharing. "It will allow people to make the best possible use of their time in the vehicle and open up new mobility opportunities for people without a driver's licenses," Daimler said in a press release.
Mercedes steps up its electric car production plans
When Mercedes-Benz parent Daimler unveiled plans to have at least six electric cars on the market within a decade, it was clearly being conservative. The automaker has announced that it's accelerating those plans, with over 10 EVs on the road by 2022 -- 3 years ahead of the target it set half a year ago. Daimler will pour €10 billion (about $10.8 billion) into the initiative to make it a reality. The company wants to shape the car industry "from the forefront," according to the firm's Manfred Bischoff, and that means an aggressive strategy.
Daimler recalls one million Mercedes after dozens catch fire
German automaker Daimler AG announced a major worldwide auto recall today, encompassing one million recent models of Mercedes-Benz vehicles that are at risk of catching fire due to a potentially faulty fuse. So far, 51 vehicle fires have be reported, but there have been no reported injuries or deaths.
Daimler is going all-electric with 'Smart' cars in North America
Smart, a subsidiary of Daimler AG, announced on Tuesday that starting in 2018 all of its vehicles sold in North America will be of the electric variety. The company plans to stop selling the gas-powered Fortwo and Fortwo Cabrio in the US and Canada at the end of the 2017 model year.
Uber opens its network to self-driving cars, starting with Daimler
Mercedes-Benz parent company Daimler has agreed to eventually roll out a fleet of self-driving vehicles on the Uber network, in the hope of making ridesharing safer and more environmentally friendly. To be clear, Daimler doesn't currently have any self-driving vehicles on the market, but it's working on a line due out "in the coming years," according to Uber.
Car makers plan grid of super-fast EV chargers in Europe
It's all well and good to create electric car charging networks to help you on long drives, but merely having stations isn't enough. What use are abundant chargers if you spend ages waiting for your battery to replenish? Thankfully, at least some big automakers are aware of this. BMW, Daimler, Ford and the Volkswagen Auto Group are forming a joint venture that will install a grid of super-fast EV chargers along major European highways. And we do mean fast -- they could supply up to 350kW of power, or nearly triple the 120kW that Tesla Superchargers offer. So long as your car supported that kind of input, you could be back on the road in several minutes.
Daimler will fight Tesla with 'at least' six electric cars
It looks like Daimler's plans to fight Tesla are even more ambitious than first thought. Reuters sources understand that the German automaker is working on "at least" six electric cars, and might introduce as many as nine. The exact roster isn't public, but Daimler's central Mercedes-Benz brand had previously talked about making two sedans and two SUVs. Automobilwoche tipsters claim that the focus will be on crossovers and SUVs, although there would also be compact cars and sedans.
