German luxury automaker Daimler AG, owner of the Mercedes-Benz and Smart brands, plans to speed up its push into electric mobility in the race against US pioneer Tesla Motors Inc and German rival BMW AG, a report said yesterday.
Business daily Handelsblatt reported that Daimler plans to market six new electric vehicles by 2020, starting with a sports utility vehicle based on the Mercedes GLC to be presented at the Paris Motor Show in September with an eye to go on the market next year.
Daimler plans to launch a new sub-brand of electric cars with a range of more than 500km to be built at its plants in Germany, the US and China, the report said.
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The strategic shift would be subject to approval by the supervisory board of the Stuttgart-based company at a July 20 meeting, the business newspaper said, citing unnamed company sources.
Daimler did not comment on the specific report, but confirmed that the group wants to focus more on electric cars in coming years.
Handelsblatt labeled the change, together with planned reforms to flatten the corporate giant’s management structure, “the biggest reform” during Daimler chief executive officer Dieter Zetsche’s 10 years in the job.
The move away from combustion engines has gained pace since an emissions-cheating scandal last year engulfed German automaker Volkswagen AG (VW) and cast suspicion on the entire sector.
Volkswagen chief executive officer Matthias Mueller — who apologized to shareholders at VW’s annual general meeting yesterday — earlier this week expressed doubts about the future of diesel technology.
Pointing to the scandal and tougher emissions standards on the horizon, he said: “We have to ask ourselves whether ... we want to spend more money on the further development of diesel” and promised that VW would take a “fundamental” look at the issue.
The move appeared to be in line with the group’s plans to reposition itself as a leading player in environmentally sustainable modes of transport, with more than 30 all-electric models to be unveiled by 2025.
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