The production of the batteries at the factory is essential for meeting demands of producing electric vehicles flexibly and efficiently, according to the automaker. The factory is a project of Beijing Benz Automotive Co., Ltd. (BBAC), the Sino-German production joint venture between Daimler and BAIC Motor.
Daimler and BAIC will jointly invest over $7 billion in the production of battery-electric vehicles under the Mercedes-Benz brand and in battery localization at the site. This includes an investment for the battery production by the joint venture. Local production of battery-powered vehicles is scheduled to start by 2020.
The battery factory will be part of the global battery production network of Mercedes-Benz Cars, in which Daimler invests over $1 billion dollars.
The cells for the new plant’s batteries will be from China.
