The Formula E is on again, and with the season just starting remains entirely unpredictable. The FIA World Championship’s opening races on Friday and Saturday in Diriyah, Saudi Arabia, happened at night, making for striking imagery.

Mercedes has presented the new generation of the C-Class. These are only mild hybrids, and a plug-in hybrid is to follow in a few months. This promises a high electric range on paper and an unusually high charging power for plug-in hybrids.

Daimler’s partnership with the Chinese battery cell manufacturer Farasis Energy is in danger of collapsing, according to a media report. Since Farasis was firmly planned as a supplier in the manufacturer’s electrification offensive, this could have a sensitive impact on the Stuttgart-based company’s plans.

In a two-year project called QuESt, the German Aerospace Center (DLR) and the Fraunhofer Institute for Mechanics of Materials are using a quantum computer to research new materials for more powerful batteries and fuel cells.

Daimler has famously set itself the goal of achieving a CO2-free fleet by 2039. Now, the company is considering an early end to the combustion engine. In an interview, Daimler CEO Ola Källenius already hinted that the interim targets for electric vehicles could be revised upwards.

Mercedes-Benz is sending two new variants of the EQC to dealers in May: a base model configured uniformly throughout Europe at list prices starting at 66,068 euros and a new sports version that will round off the model range upwards in the future at prices starting at 73,208 euros.

After Mercedes-Benz had already postponed the US launch of its EQC by at least one year to 2021, the manufacturer has now apparently decided not to bring the EQC to the United States at all for the time being.

A few days ago, Mercedes-Benz opened the order books for its EQA compact electric car. The German company is finally getting serious about e-mobility and bringing their electric cars to the masses, one would think. Or are they?

Mercedes-AMG is apparently planning performance variants of the electric models EQA, EQB, EQS and EQE. Neither the performance data nor has the schedule for the market launch has been revealed.

Mercedes is opening the order books for its EQA compact electric vehicle, which they unveiled two weeks ago. The first models will arrive at dealers in the spring. So far we know list prices in Germany for the EQA 250 with 140 kW battery.

The Daimler Group has announced they would split up to spin-off and list Daimler Truck AG on the stock market as an independent company. The passenger car division, which will soon be renamed Mercedes-Benz, wants to focus on electric drives and vehicle software.

Wiesbaden’s public transport operator, ESWE is building electric momentum as the first Daimler buses with solid-state batteries arrive. Now ESWE Verkehrsgesellschaft added corresponding charging infrastructure.

Because the expansion of the Ionity fast-charging network is progressing too slowly, the owners are discussing attracting private equity capital for Ionity. According to a media report, financial circles are talking about at least 500 million euros in fresh money.

Mercedes-Benz Cars just presented the EQA, an all-electric compact e-SUV. Further variants are to follow the 140 kW EQ electric car now revealed. The EQA 250 will be available for order in Germany from February at prices starting at 47,540 euros.

Mercedes-Benz is planning a tight schedule for the market launch of the electric models EQA and EQS, according to a media report. While the electric compact car is to be delivered as early as March, August is reportedly scheduled for the first handover to customers for the electric flagship vehicle.

Just a few months after its market launch, the Mercedes-Benz electric passenger van, the EQV is already subject to a recall: 302 EQVs produced between 21 February and 27 October 2020 will have to go back to the factory. According to our updates, the e-Sprinter and e-Vito electric delivery vehicles are also affected by recalls.

In Germany, Bremer Straßenbahn AG (BSAG) has ordered five Mercedes-Benz eCitaro with solid-state batteries to arrive in early 2022. The scope of supply also includes five permanently installed charging systems, each with an output of 150 kW, as well as three mobile workshop chargers of 40 kW each.

Mercedes-Benz is now providing a comprehensive overview of the production sites for its electric offensive for the EQ brand. Production of the EQA at the Rastatt plant in Germany among others has already started ahead of the model’s world premiere on 20 January 2021.

Mercedes-Benz Vans plans to put the eSprinter on a new platform. The ‘Electric Versatiles Platform’ (EVP) is meant to enable greater ranges and various superstructures in order to prepare the electric Sprinter for the requirements of the North American market and potential customer Amazon.

The Supervisory Board of Daimler has given the CEO Ola Källenius the green light for an investment package worth more than 70 billion euros. Daimler intends to invest this sum between 2021 and 2025, in particular, to drive forward electrification and digitisation.

Daimler and its Chinese shareholder Geely are tightening the knots they share as they agree to cooperate in the development and production of hybrid drives. The two automotive groups intend to use synergies in their global research and development networks.

Mercedes-Benz has given the EQC a small upgrade for the new model year which might prove interesting for many customers. The electric SUV now has an 11 kW water-cooled onboard charger ex-works that should reduce the AC charging time by several hours.

In future, Mercedes-Benz will only buy battery cells with cobalt and lithium from certified quarries. The Stuttgart-based automaker also intends to reduce the cobalt content of the next generation of battery cells to less than ten per cent and, in the long term, to dispense with cobalt altogether.

The Volvo Group and Daimler Truck AG have signed the binding agreement to establish the announced joint venture for the development, production and marketing of fuel cell systems ready for series production.

Mercedes-Benz is supplying three units of the new all-electric eCitaro G articulated bus to Switzerland. They will be used by the Eurobus transport company to provide a fast connection between two university locations of the ETH in Zurich.

Mercedes-Benz has announced that it will significantly increase its stake in the struggling British manufacturer Aston Martin Lagonda from what is currently 2.6 per cent to a maximum of 20 per cent. In return, the British company is to receive hybrid and electric drive trains from Mercedes.

e-troFit, specialist for the conversion of diesel buses to electric drive, will bring out further series-ready electrification solutions for existing commercial vehicles in the next two years. This will involve retrofitting kits for the “most common models in Europe”.

Mercedes-Benz has presented an off-road electric motor based on its EQC series model with the EQC 4×4² concept. Several modifications to the chassis transformed the electric SUV into an off-road electric car.

Mercedes-Benz India has opened sales for the all-electric SUV, EQC. The branch heralds the introduction as the era of “sustainable luxury”. Affordability is another matter though as the “introductory offer” is much higher than in other markets.

Mercedes currently offers two battery-electric models with the EQC and EQV. The big breakthrough is to follow in 2021 with the premiere of a new electric architecture for premium electric models starting with the EQS. Daimler now confirmed two more e-SUV models on the new platform.