Daimler could produce batteries and Mercedes-Benz EVs in China as it looks to boost local sales.
On the back of 28 per cent growth in China this year, the parent company to Mercedes-Benz believes that in order to keep up these high sales figures, creating electric vehicles locally could be the answer but refused to comment on whether a decision has been made.
Speaking to Reuters, Daimler’s board member responsible for Greater China, Hubertus Troska said “I am confident that Mercedes in China will show a decent performance next year. Sales of the C-Class in the past year were phenomenal and we cannot build enough GLCs.
“The strategic plan by the authorities is to push battery electric vehicles. We continue to invest in both battery electric cars and hybrid,” he said.
Mercedes-Benz has already committed to have 10 all-electric vehicles in its range by 2025 and that the first in the EQ family will arrive by the end of the decade and in the form of a sporty crossover.
Recently, the brand said that a new electric model will arrive annually after 2019 but has yet to publicize just how or where these vehicles will be built. Logically, existing plants will have to be expanded and new factories constructed and given China’s cheap labor, it’s certainly possible some production could be handled there.
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