Mercedes-Benz is accelerating its transition to electric cars to defend its position as the world’s best-selling luxury car manufacturer. This was stated by the head of the brand Ola Källenius in an e-mail. He added that the shift to electric propulsion is accelerating, especially in the luxury car segment.
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“The turning point is approaching and we will be ready when the markets decide to become fully electric,” he wrote. As part of Thursday’s strategy update, the company also stated that in the years 2022–2030 it will invest over 40 billion euros (1.025 trillion crowns) in the development of electric cars and that all new platforms introduced after 2025 will be for electric cars.
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The Daimler Group said it and its partners would build eight new battery factories. The carmaker is accelerating the transition to electric propulsion, and will be ready for full electrification by 2030. However, it has not set a date when it will stop selling cars powered by fossil fuels.
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“We need to divert the debate from when to produce the last internal combustion engine, because it is not relevant,” Ola Källenius told Reuters. “The question is how quickly we can achieve almost 100% electrification – and that’s what we’re focusing on,” he added.
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Daimler expects electric and hybrid cars to account for half of sales by 2025. The previous forecast counted on 2030.
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The carmaker will present three electric platforms – one for passenger cars, one for vans and one for high-performance cars. They will be launched in 2025. Daimler will also buy the British company YASA, which will contribute to the development of high-performance electric motors.
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According to the Automotive News Europe website, the company reiterated its prediction that in 2021 it will be the most profitable in the last many years. This is mainly due to strong demand and a tendency towards high-margin models. He prefers these during the global shortage of chips.
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