Mercedes-Benz has opened a lithium-ion electric vehicle battery pack assembly plant in Alabama, US ahead of the start of production of its all-electric Mercedes-EQ vehicles in the country.
The German-headquartered firm has partnered with lithium-ion cell producer Envision AESC, which will deliver batteries ahead of the car brand going all electric in 2030.
Under the new agreement, Envision will supply the factory in Bibb County with battery modules from its US, state-of-the-art battery facility becomes operational in 2025.
Mercedes-Benz will assemble packs for its EQS SUV and EQE SUV at the plant as part of a global push to produce all-electric vehicles at seven locations on three continents.
The battery systems will use a cell chemistry containing nickel, cobalt and manganese in a ratio of 8:1:1 to reduce cobalt content to around 10%.
Mercedes has invested $1 billion dollars into the battery plant, logistics centers and to upgrade the production line to make EVs after producing large SUVs at the plant since 1997.
Envision’s US plans follow confirmation it will build gigafactory’s in France, Japan and the UK with the goal of having 300GWh+ capacity by 2030.
Lei Zhang, executive chairman, Envision AESC, said: “We are pleased to partner with Mercedes-Benz to provide high-performance battery cell modules for its new Mercedes-EQ vehicles produced in the US.
“This marks a significant step forward in our company’s mission to be a leading technology partner to support the global transition to carbon neutral transportation.
Our planned investment in a new gigafactory will form part of an ecosystem in the region, aimed at growing the local supply chain and developing the whole life cycle opportunities of batteries.”
