Daimler starts construction of new EV battery plant

Daimler subsidiary Accumotive has started construction of a new electric vehicle battery plant in Kamenz.

The plant will be the second at the site in Kamenz and will be located in immediate proximity of the existing compound, bringing the total production and logistics area to around 80,000 square meters. Daimler has pledged to invest up to €500 million to develop Kamenz into one of the biggest and most modern battery factories in Europe, as part of an overall investment of more than €1 billion in global battery production.

The new production facility is scheduled to start operations in the middle of 2018 and Daimler plans for the new plant to be constructed as a ‘CO2-neutral factory’. The manufacturer has said that production facilities will be powered by a cogeneration unit and a photovoltaic system combined with stationary energy storage systems. Solar panels on the roof are expected to cover the surface area of two football fields, which will equal a capacity of two megawatts.

The lithium-ion batteries produced at the new facility are expected to be used in all electrified vehicles of Mercedes-Benz and smart – including plug-in hybrids as well as fully electric vehicles. Additionally, it will also produce batteries for stationary Mercedes-Benz energy storage units as well as 48-volt-systems.

Prof. Dr. Thomas Weber, member of the board of management of Daimler AG, group research and Mercedes-Benz Cars development, said: “By 2025, our passenger car product portfolio will contain more than ten fully electric vehicles. At the same time, we are continuously pushing our plug-in-hybrid offensive and the introduction of 48-volt-systems. Highly efficient battery systems are an important aspect of our strategy. They are an integral part of the vehicle architecture and not a ready-made product. The development, production and integration of those complex systems into our vehicles is one of our core competences.”

Markus Schäfer, member of the divisional board of Mercedes-Benz Cars, production and supply chain management, added: “We are building a global production compound for lithium-ion batteries. Kamenz will become the competence centre of this compound. With the new battery factory, the flexible and efficient production network of Mercedes-Benz Cars deepens crucial know-how for the production of promising future technologies. This also strengthens our global competitiveness and puts us in a very good position concerning future mobility.”

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