Active Stocks
Thu Mar 28 2024 15:59:33
  1. Tata Steel share price
  2. 155.90 2.00%
  1. ICICI Bank share price
  2. 1,095.75 1.08%
  1. HDFC Bank share price
  2. 1,448.20 0.52%
  1. ITC share price
  2. 428.55 0.13%
  1. Power Grid Corporation Of India share price
  2. 277.05 2.21%
Business News/ Home-page / Mercedes-Benz readies first electric car to take on Tesla
BackBack

Mercedes-Benz readies first electric car to take on Tesla

Mercedes-Benz' EQC crossover, which will go into production in the first half of 2019, will compete with Jaguar I-Pace, Audi E-tron, Porsche Taycan

Mercedes will spend 1 billion euros on battery production to create a network of eight facilities globally. Photo: Pradeep Gaur/MintPremium
Mercedes will spend 1 billion euros on battery production to create a network of eight facilities globally. Photo: Pradeep Gaur/Mint

Frankfurt: Mercedes-Benz, the world’s largest maker of luxury cars, is rolling out its first in a series of battery-powered vehicles, adding to a growing array of high-end brands targeting Tesla Inc.

The Mercedes EQC crossover, which starts production in the first half of next year, is part of a plan to develop a range for its EQ electric line, Daimler AG Chief Executive Officer Dieter Zetsche told reporters in Stockholm before the car’s world premiere. The plan was to invest 10 billion euros ($12 billion) on the project, but the spending has become “more than that," he said Tuesday, without specifying figures.

The car joins the Porsche Taycan, Audi E-tron and Jaguar I-Pace in putting pressure on Tesla as the California-based carmaker struggles to ramp up the Model 3 and make a profit. Mercedes plans to assemble the EQC at its factory in Bremen, where the automaker also makes its best-selling C-Class sedan. Daimler will build the car in China for the local market.

Including the Smart brand, which will abandon combustion engines in coming years, Daimler plans to offer 10 fully electric cars by 2022. To underscore the shift, Mercedes will spend 1 billion euros on battery production to create a network of eight facilities globally.

Mercedes and other luxury brands are pushing aggressively into electric cars to challenge Tesla after its success in wooing wealthy buyers with the Model S. Daimler expects demand for battery-powered vehicles to eat into sales of more profitable conventional cars rather than lure new customers, Zetsche said Tuesday.

Daimler shares fell 2% to 53.91 euros at 3:35 p.m. in Frankfurt trading, extending declines for the year to 24%.

In addition to responding to shifting consumer tastes, electric models are critical to meeting increasingly stringent emissions standards. Some countries like the UK and France are even planning to ban combustion engines in the coming decades.

Establishing electric cars would help Daimler move beyond concerns over its diesel vehicles. Germany’s Transport Ministry forced the manufacturer to recall 774,000 cars over allegations that they were equipped with questionable software that made them pollute more on the road than during test results.

Unlock a world of Benefits! From insightful newsletters to real-time stock tracking, breaking news and a personalized newsfeed – it's all here, just a click away! Login Now!

Catch all the Business News, Market News, Breaking News Events and Latest News Updates on Live Mint. Download The Mint News App to get Daily Market Updates.
More Less
Published: 04 Sep 2018, 07:55 PM IST
Next Story footLogo
Recommended For You
Switch to the Mint app for fast and personalized news - Get App