Mercedes-Benz, Stellantis and TotalEnergies/Saft signed a deal to become equal partners in Automotive Cells Company (ACC), completing a transaction announced in September 2021 . The partners have committed to increase ACC’s industrial capacity to at least 120 Gigawatt hours (GWh) by 2030 and to scale up development and production of next-generation high-performance battery cells and modules.
As part of the Mercedes-Benz strategy to go all-electric, ACC will supply the world’s most valuable luxury automotive brand with high-performance battery technologies from mid of the decade.
“Our stake in ACC marks another important step on the way towards an all-electric product portfolio by the end of the decade. To reach this target, we need a total battery production capacity of more than 200 Gigawatt hours by 2030. This is why we are continuously expanding our own R&D and production activities, and teaming up with partners to speed up progress”, said Markus Schäfer, Member of the Board of Management of Mercedes-Benz Group AG, Chief Technology Officer responsible for Research & Development and Procurement.
“We believe in a local for local sourcing approach and will develop and produce battery cells and modules with ACC in Europe. With each partner contributing their particular strengths, we can create a strong European manufacturer of competitive, state-of-the-art battery cells and modules. With a convincing ecological footprint.”
As an equal shareholder, Mercedes-Benz will contribute its expertise and support the expansion of ACC’s production network based on the brand’s benchmark quality standards. With Saft, an affiliate of TotalEnergies, Mercedes-Benz has a partner with over 100 years of experience in the field of long-life batteries and battery systems for applications critical to safety, back-up power and electric and hybrid drives. Stellantis brings industrialisation expertise to the joint venture through its brand diversity, size and global footprint. Together with its partners, Mercedes-Benz customers can benefit from the joint venture’s unique combination of technological know-how, production experience and scale.e
With the investment, Mercedes-Benz is industrialising advanced and sustainable cell technologies in Europe. Mercedes-Benz is expanding its portfolio of partnerships to safeguard the degree of localisation in the procurement of battery cells and modules as a key technology for the age of electric mobility.
The new Shareholder Agreement is subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory approvals.
