Daimler looking to sell batteries to third-parties
Batteries are the biggest hurdle to get electric vehicles to market. Most automakers are already getting their packs through joint ventures with electronics companies, but there are also companies like Tesla that are manufacturing their own packs using off-the-shelf lithium ion cells. Tesla is also selling complete packs and other drivetrain hardware to interested parties. Among those might be Daimler, which is rumored to be using Tesla packs and motors in its second-gen smart fortwo ed. Daimler, though, doesn't rely on just the one supplier, as it uses nickel metal hydride packs from Cobasys in its two-mode hybrid SUVs and uses lithium ion packs from Continental in its mild hybrid models. Now, the German automaker has entered into an agreement with Evonik to create its own lithium ion units.
[Source: Alibaba]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
radler63 4:39AM (1/08/2009)
Please somebody explain why there is such a mess, having so many variants of batteries with Daimler and so many supply options... I'm expecting having 3-5 specialised battery producers and auto makers just doing the integration with the help of specialised electric experts...
Reply
benzaholic 11:13AM (1/08/2009)
It's just like the beginning of any other industry, e.g, cars in the early 1900's, ecommerce ten years ago, etc.
There is not yet a consensus on the best solution, but everybody thinks they have come up with it. Within 10 or 20 years, I expect some standardization to occur after one or two firms reach the breakthroughs that drive manufacturing costs down.
Hopefully it can get at least as standardized as previous car battery technology, but just how many different sizes and configurations of regular battery are available at your local AutoZone or McParts store today?