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EQS is Just the Beginning - Here's the Future of Mercedes' EV Battery Tech

Mercedes-Benz has announced its plans today, and the company is being ambitious to say the least. As you already know if you follow this website, Mercedes-Benz wants to have an all-electric alternative for every model in the range. That is a lot of new electric vehicles in the next four years.
Mercedes-Benz EQS final checks at Factory 56 42 photos
Photo: Mercedes-Benz
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All of those new models, along with further electric vehicles on the way by the end of this decade will require a massive battery production capacity. According to the German brand, the estimated capacity for their needs will be 200 Gigawatt hours by the end of the decade. At the same time, Mercedes-Benz is working on new battery technology and new electric motors.

In the case of the EQS, which has a WLTP range of 780 kilometers and the lowest Cd for any production car ever, its batteries are Lithium-Ion ones. These use NMC811 cells, and the batteries have a 550 Wh/l energy density., with a total capacity of 111 kWh. Whie these specs are impressive today; Mercedes-Benz plans to go further with next-generation battery technology.

With their new technology partners at SilaNo (SILA Nanotechnologies), Mercedes-Benz wants to attain an energy density of up to 900 Wh/l by employing silicon-carbon composites in the anode. As a comparison, solid state batteries, yet to be developed in production form for cars, will enable automakers to exceed the limits of conventional lithium-ion cells, with a capacity of over 1200 Wh/l and in excess of 400 Wh/kg.

All the new batteries from Mercedes-Benz will share a common platform and will be 90% identical. These batteries will have two key differentiating factors, cell chemistry and cell height. Obviously, there will be a third factor, the number of cells in a battery, but the former two will be more important.

The company's plans do not stop here, as Mercedes-Benz wants to build eight Gigafactories worldwide with existing and future partners. Four of those plants will be in Europe, one will be in the U.S. to serve the van factories in Tuscaloosa and Charleston, while the rest will be placed in key positions to serve the company's vast supply network.

The new factories will be operational by the end of this decade and will be responsible for all of the needs of the Germany company. Mercedes-Benz has already arranged a green supply chain for the EQS, which also has CO2-neutrally produced batteries. Furthermore, the company's suppliers only source raw materials for battery components from IRMA-certified mines. The IRMA certification is short for The Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance.

While Mercedes-Benz was previously criticized for not offering enough electric vehicles in its range, it would be safe to say that this issue will be fixed by 2025. Some might not be happy with the timing, and further criticize the company for taking so long, but it appears that the German automaker has considered all of the required steps to provide sustainable and even CO2-neutral electric vehicles.
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About the author: Sebastian Toma
Sebastian Toma profile photo

Sebastian's love for cars began at a young age. Little did he know that a career would emerge from this passion (and that it would not, sadly, involve being a professional racecar driver). In over fourteen years, he got behind the wheel of several hundred vehicles and in the offices of the most important car publications in his homeland.
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