Speaking at its annual meeting, Dieter Zetsche, chairman of Daimler AG and head of Mercedes-Benz, said the company will invest roughly $10.8 billion (€10 billion) to expand its electric vehicle operations and bring “more than 10 new electric cars in series by 2022.” Daimler previously anticipated reaching that target by 2025.
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Attractive alternatives
Zetsche pointed out that future mobility will become even more multifaceted. And while noting the firm’s long-term corporate strategy will focus on emission-free driving as previewed in the Generation EQ Concept pictured here, it will continue to leverage the potential of cleaner internal combustion engines in upcoming plug-in hybrid models. Regardless of drivetrain specifics, all will be crafted under the guiding principle: “Alternative drive systems must be attractive drive systems.”
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The first new passenger car in Daimler’s gas/electric queue will be a plug-in version of the upcoming S-Class featuring an advanced lithium-ion battery pack capable of delivering around 31 miles of pure electric driving range. On the commercial front, Zetsche also confirmed plans to launch a limited-series version of the all-electric Urban eTruck later this year that will have a 125-mile per-charge range.
Like other manufacturers, Daimler AG will remain deeply involved in the autonomous driving arena as well as ensuring it remains a leading provider of mobility services in the form of sophisticated private and commercial car-sharing solutions.
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