Luxury car maker Mercedes-Benz announced on Tuesday that it would introduce a new high energy density battery for its G-Class electric vehicle model. The new battery uses silicon-based anodes and its energy density is 20% to 40% higher than similar batteries. Cailian Press learned from people familiar with the matter on Wednesday that the battery is to be provided by Chinese industry giant CATL, and that the negative electrode material came from Sila Nanotechnologies, a California-based startup.
Mercedes-Benz said that the innovative high-silicon cathode materials could effectively enhance the energy density of the battery without affecting safety or other performance parameters. Compared with business-used batteries with comparable formats, Sila’s technology can increase the energy density by 20-40%, reaching more than 800 Wh/l on the battery. This allows Mercedes to store more energy in the same space, thus significantly increasing the cruising range of its future EVs.
Mercedes-Benz has had a long-term cooperation with CATL. In 2019, Daimler Truck AG and CATL signed a global supply agreement for lithium battery cell and modules for Mercedes-Benz’s eActros, Freightliner’s eCascadia and eM2.
In addition, on May 20, 2021, CATL announced plans to supply lithium-ion battery packs for Mercedes-Benz’s eActros LongHaul electric trucks – scheduled for mass production in 2024 – and the supply will last beyond 2030.
