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Daimler Seeks Third Partner in Car Battery Alliance

Last December, Daimler and German company Evonik joined forces to develop advanced batteries for cars that were initially supposed to be used on electric vehicles produced under the Mercedes-Benz and smart brands. According to a report by Autonews Europe, Daimler is now seeking a third partner although it's still unclear what his role would be in the alliance.

"We have been in talks for some time with various companies which could become an additional partner for our joint-venture with Evonik for the production of lithium-ion batteries," Daimler Research Chief Thomas Weber told Handelsblatt according to Autonews.

Although there's no one favorite to become Daimler partner, Weber mentioned that one of the most important suppliers of the alliance might be chosen to join it. The first suppliers are expected to be appointed in the next few months.

“Evonik is the only company that can actually bring about commercial series production of battery cells of this kind,” CEO of Evonik Industries AG Werner Müller said in December when the two companies signed the partnership.

“We will also continue our ongoing investment in relevant future technologies. In the last 30 years, Daimler engineers have registered over 600 patents associated with battery-powered vehicles – over 230 of which were in the field of lithium-ion technology,” added Chairman of the Board of Management of Daimler AG and Head of Mercedes-Benz Cars, Dieter Zetsche.

At the time of signing the agreement, Daimler also acquired nearly a half of Evonik's Li-Tec unit, with first batteries likely to be installed on electric models of the two aforementioned brands as soon as 2010.
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About the author: Bogdan Popa
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Bogdan keeps an eye on how technology is taking over the car world. His long-term goals are buying an 18-wheeler because he needs more space for his kid’s toys, and convincing Google and Apple that Android Auto and CarPlay deserve at least as much attention as their phones.
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