Mercedes-Benz is in an advantageous position over its competitors in the race to have electric cars with solid-state batteries, since the German company has shares in a company specialized in the development of this technology.
The electric car is, in itself, a revolution. Not because it is a new invention, since, at the end of the 19th century, at the dawn of the automotive industry, there were already cars that were powered by electric propulsion systems. Rather, it is due to the transcendental changes that the electric vehicle is generating in the sector, from the manufacturers to the market itself.
However, electric car technology evolves almost every day. Car manufacturers are investing huge amounts of money in their research and development departments to create new solutions that make electric cars more friendly, usable and efficient in their different areas.
Now, the revolution that the electric car could need to take off is in Mercedes-Benz’s hands and could see the light of day in series production vehicles in 2030. We are talking about solid-state battery technology, a novelty of the which has been talked about for years, but which no manufacturer is currently close to making available to buyers.
Mercedes-Benz could benefit from solid-state batteries in Europe first
And it is precisely here where Mercedes-Benz could have some advantage over its direct competitors. The German firm made an investment in 2022 of 5.2 billion euros in ProLogium, a Taiwan-based company founded in 2006 with the aim of developing solid-state battery technology.
That same year, this company announced that it would implement a solid-state battery factory in Europe, in France, specifically. This is a plant that is currently in the development phase, but will be operational in the coming years and from which solid-state batteries will be produced to supply the automotive industry exclusively.
Through this million-dollar investment, Mercedes-Benz has secured part of ProLogium’s shareholding, a position on the company’s board of directors and access to the battery technology it is developing.
And all this is important because ProLogium has just announced the opening of the first solid-state battery mass production factory in Taiwan. The first automotive customers to receive these batteries will be those in the Asian market and they will obtain them next year, in 2025.
For the ProLogium factory in France to come into operation, we will still have to wait some time. However, from these facilities, when they finally begin their activity, solid-state batteries will be released aimed at vehicles marketed in Europe, which includes all current and future Mercedes-Benz models.
It is believed, therefore, that the first cars that will hit the market with ProLogium’s solid-state battery will do so in the year 2030. As the German company forms part of ProLogium’s shareholding, it is expected that its electric cars will be the first. to benefit from this innovative technology, which will mean a before and after for the market.