Daimler has begun the construction phase for a second battery factory at its subsidiary Accumotive’s site in Kamenz, Germany. The new production facility is planned to start operations in the middle of 2018.

Accumotive develops and produces highly complex drive batteries for hybrid and electric vehicles based on lithium-ion technology for passenger cars of the Mercedes-Benz and smart brands. 

With an investment of about 500 million euros (Rs 3,822 crore), the site in Kamenz will be one of the biggest and most modern battery factories in Europe.

“By 2025, our passenger car product portfolio will contain more than 10 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,” said Prof. Dr. Thomas Weber, Member of the Board of Management of Daimler AG, Group Research & Mercedes-Benz Cars Development.

Accumotive to make batteries for EQ

At the Paris Motor Show held earlier this month, Mercedes-Benz presented its new product brand for electromobility, EQ. It offers a comprehensive electromobile ecosystem consisting of products, services, technologies and innovations. The forerunner of the new brand is the EQ-showcar which saw its world premiere in Paris. Series production of the EQ with a range of up to 500 kilometres is planned within this decade in the SUV segment. Accumotive will deliver the batteries for the first EQ production model.

Daimler has invested an overall amount of one billion euros (Rs 7,644 crore) in the global production of battery systems. “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,” said Markus Schäfer, Member of the Divisional Board of Mercedes-Benz Cars, Production and Supply Chain Management.

CO₂-neutral facility

The new plant will be constructed as a CO₂-neutral factory. Production facilities will be powered by a cogeneration unit and a photovoltaic system combined with stationary energy storage systems. Solar modules with the surface of two football fields will be installed on the rooftop of the new production building. This equals a capacity of 2 megawatts. The new battery factory will also be benchmark for Industry 4.0 with most modern facilities and technologies.

In the future, Kamenz will produce lithium-ion batteries for all electrified vehicles of Mercedes-Benz and smart – including plug-in hybrids as well as fully electric vehicles. On top of that, Kamenz will produce batteries for stationary Mercedes-Benz energy storage units as well as 48-volt-systems. The 48-volt-system will gradually be integrated into different model ranges.