OEM INTERVIEW DAIMLER
www.electrichybridvehicletechnology.com // January 2020 // 87
Daimler is on a mission. The automotive
manufacturer has set itself the target that in less
than 20 years it will have a completely carbonneutral
new passenger car fl eet, and by 2030 have
more than half of its sales come from plug-in
hybrids or fully-electric models.
It’s all part of its Ambition2039 goal, which involves a
holistic approach to how its business can deliver sustainable
mobility by this date. For a company that has been a
purveyor of internal combustion engine vehicles for the
past 130 years to achieve this target, it takes massive
organizational shifts in strategy, investment and resource.
Over US$11bn will be invested to put a range of EVs into
production over the course of the next few years and also
spend a further US$1bn on battery manufacturing.
It’s rolling out a three-track approach to electrifi cation
and recently launched the EQ moniker – a badge to indicate
models of vehicles having either a 48V electrifi ed engine,
a plug-in hybrid, or all-electric or fuel cell powertrain.
As well as the vehicles themselves, Daimler is a
committed to more sustainable ways of manufacturing.
With renewable energy, such as wind power, already being
used at several production sites, its ultimate target is for all
of its European plants to be CO-neutral by 2022.
With Daimler’s sights set on the goal and the deadline
to achieve this racing towards it, the company’s aggressive
push is moving at an electrifying pace and Jochen
Hermann, vice president of development for eDrive at
Daimler AG is in the front seat. Responsible for the electric
powertrain components for electric mobility he ensures
their system integration within Mercedes-Benz vehicles.
This includes advances in both battery technology and fuel
cells, and he is also responsible for the overall development
of the new electric vehicle architecture. With the group
planning a total of 10 all-electric cars in the next years,
he has his work cut out.
VISIONARY IDEA
Beyond 2039, Mercedes-Benz engineers are looking
way into the distant future of what an electric
vehicle might look like and be powered by, with the
Vision AVTR (Advanced Vehicle Transformation)
concept car. Shown off at the 2020 Consumer
Electronics Show, the groundbreaking vehicle is a
luxury saloon with four near-wheel-built electric
motors with a combined power of more than 350kW.
The power and movement of the wheels can be
individually controlled to enable the vehicle to move
sideways. If that’s not impressive enough, its battery
is based on graphene-based organic cell chemistry,
which eliminates rare and toxic materials found in
current chemistries. It also means it is completely
recyclable, solving the end-of-life dilemma of
today’s batteries. The concept was created in part
with a team from James Cameron’s upcoming Avatar
2 movie, and will sadly remain science-fiction.
1. Daimler AG’s line-up
of electrifi ed commercial
vehicles including buses,
trucks and LCVs
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