New Mercedes EV powered by Tesla

[Wolfgang]

what could this new Mercedes EV be about? ​

Tesla says new electric powertrain deal with Daimler will exceed in value sum of all its prior powertrain agreements​

In its letter to shareholders reporting Q1 2012 results, Tesla Motors Chairman, Product Architect and CEO Elon Musk and Deepak Ahuja, Chief Financial Officer, said that the company had recently signed an agreement with Daimler to create an entire electric powertrain for a new Mercedes-Benz EV, formalizing a joint effort kicked off in Q4 last year. (Earlier post.)​

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This program is expected to exceed in value the sum of all powertrain agreements signed in Tesla history. [Approximately $280 million, according to Tesla.] Producing at this expected volume will allow for economies of scale that give the resulting vehicle a cost of ownership that is on par with its gasoline equivalent.​

—Letter to Shareholders​

This will be Tesla’s third deal with Daimler, following component supplies for smart cars and A-Class hatches.​

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http://www.greencarcongress.com/2012/05/tesla-20120510.html​

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[Human]

I believe Tesla are in serious financial trouble? Or are the deals with Daimler part of the recovery, I assume?

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Other highlights of the quarterly report included:​

• Losses widened to $89.9 million as sales of the Roadster wind down and prior to the release of the Model S.
• The first Model S customer cars will be available in June, ahead of the announced July target; Tesla is maintaining its target of 5,000 vehicle deliveries by year end.
• Tesla raised the bottom-end of its prior 2012 revenue guidance by $10 million, to $560-600 million, up from $550-600 million.

 

[Wolfgang]

^ May indicate Daimler is getting increasingly confident in Tesla?

The deal is larger than expected. The new Mercedes EV is due by 2014.
Daimler has been tight lipped about this project -- as far as I know.

Tesla's agreement with shareholder Daimler is "to create an entire electric powertrain for a new Mercedes-Benz EV," Musk and Ahuja said in a statement yesterday. "This program is expected to exceed in value the sum of all powertrain agreements signed in Tesla history." The combined value of past supply deals is about $280 million, and this would be "north" of that, Ahuja said on the conference call.

The project, with a vehicle due by 2014, would be Tesla's third with the Stuttgart, Germany-based automaker, following the supply of components for Daimler's electric Smart cars and Mercedes A-Class hatchbacks. Revenue from it may occur as early as this year, Musk said.

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Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/artic...rticlesM3QD2C0D9L3501-M3TFT.DTL#ixzz1uUzsbdZy​

 

[Wolfgang]

Here is one possibility???


http://mercedes-benz-blog.blogspot.com

One possibility is an electric version of the new third-generation A Class, perhaps a continuation of the previous A Class E-Cell project.

Only time will tell.

Stay tuned for an update as more details on the collaboration between Tesla and Mercedes-Benz progresses.

http://www.germancarforum.com/community/threads/daimler-board-member-“electric-mercedes-a-and-b-class-coming-in-2010″.25151/page-2

 

[Centurion]

I believe Tesla are in serious financial trouble? Or are the deals with Daimler part of the recovery, I assume?

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They are not in financial trouble. Industrial projects of this nature are often invested based on 5 or 10 year plans. Licensing and partnership is a common strategic source of revenue. Tesla as a motor company begins with the Model S. The Roadster was nothing more than a proof of concept to demonstrate the realism in bringing an electric car to the market.

 

[Wolfgang]

It's the B-Class.

Daimler has given the U.S. electric car pioneer a contract to
develop an electric drivetrain for the B-Class.

The Stuttgart-based car manufacturer is stepping up cooperation with the U.S. electric car pioneer Tesla and adjusted its strategy for alternative fuels. The new battery-electric vehicle by Mercedes is expected to come to the market in 2014.

http://translate.google.de/translate?sl=de&tl=en&js=n&prev=_t&hl=de&ie=UTF-8&layout=2&eotf=1&u=http://www.automobilwoche.de/article/20120626/REPOSITORY/120629934/1293/daimler-erteilt-tesla-auftrag-fur-elektrofahrzeug&act=url

 

[Wolfgang]

Spiegel Online mentions the range.

The range of the lithium-ion battery powered vehicle will be approximately 200 kilometers.

http://translate.google.com/translate?sl=de&tl=en&js=n&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&layout=2&eotf=1&u=http://www.spiegel.de/auto/aktuell/mercedes-und-tesla-planen-b-klasse-mit-elektromotor-a-841105.html&act=url

 

[Wolfgang]

Mercedes to market Tesla-powered 2014 B-Class EV in U.S.

Looks like another Tesla Motors investor will be looking to cash in on their connection. Autoweek reports Mercedes-Benz will offer their B-Class in the U.S. with Tesla propulsion.

The magazine says their source at the German automaker confirms plans for a B-Class electric-only vehicle. While Tesla already provides battery packs for the battery-powered Smart ForTwo, the B-Class EV will reportedly have Tesla batteries, motor and other components. U.S. residents should be able to procure one sometime in 2014.

The same Mercedes source says plans for a hybrid B-Class have been postponed for now. Adding a range-extending, gasoline-powered engine to an electric vehicle would put the car into a different class for which rebates and incentives aren't as favorable in the States.

Mercedes-Benz parent Daimler owns a 4.7-percent share of Tesla. Toyota also owns part of the electric-car company with which it builds electric RAV4 crossovers.

http://www.autoblog.com/2012/07/05/mercedes-to-market-tesla-powered-2014-b-class-ev-in-u-s/

 

[tennmb]

Where does the Nissan connection fall in? I heard that MB and Nissan might even be sharing V6 engines. Nissan seems to be a leader in EV tech. The whole comment about hybrid vs. fully electric seems off, consdering what a premium one must get for a EV versus a hybrid.

 

[Wolfgang]

Where does the Nissan connection fall in? I heard that MB and Nissan might even be sharing V6 engines. Nissan seems to be a leader in EV tech.

Update on the Nissan/Renault alliance.

The collaboration began with three project pillars:

• Joint smart/Twingo architecture: The project is on track for launch in the early first quarter of 2014. Two-seater smart vehicles will be produced at Daimler’s plant in Hambach, France, and four-seater smart and Renault production are slated for Renault’s plant in Novo Mesto, Slovenia.
• All-new entry-level city van project for Mercedes-Benz: The project is on schedule with expected launch in late 2012.
• Powertrain cross-supply: The Alliance is supplying Daimler with compact three-cylinder gasoline engines to be used in smart and Twingo vehicles and four-cylinder diesel engines to be used in the jointly developed light commercial vehicle and in Mercedes-Benz’s next generation of premium compact cars. Daimler will supply Nissan and Infiniti with four- and six-cylinder gasoline and diesel engines from the current and future engine portfolio as well as with automatic transmissions.

Since its founding in April 2010, the collaboration has been gradually expanded. In addition to the announcement this week about North American engine production, the companies had decided earlier to partner on:

• Platform sharing: Infiniti plans to base a premium compact vehicle on the Mercedes compact-car architecture, starting in 2014.
• Zero-emission vehicles: Daimler will provide batteries from its production facility in Kamenz, Germany, and Renault-Nissan will provide electric motors for the use in electric vehicles (smart and Twingo ZE). First releases will occur in 2014.

http://www.daimler.com/dccom/0-5-7153-1-1452394-1-0-0-0-0-0-16694-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0.html

The whole comment about hybrid vs. fully electric seems off, consdering what a premium one must get for a EV versus a hybrid.

Comments were with regard to the B-Class E-CELL PLUS range extender hybrid:

The source said plans to offer a B-class hybrid in 2014 with a small internal combustion engine as range-extender have been postponed.

"Zero-emission vehicles receive more favorable classifications and higher incentives than vehicles with a range extender," the source said. "This is especially an issue in the U.S."

Mercedes showed the Concept B-class E-cell Plus with a range extender last fall at the Frankfurt auto show. At the time, executives said the vehicle would go into production.

http://www.autoweek.com/article/20120702/green/120709993#ixzz1zlaV8jup

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[Wolfgang]

Continue here:

http://www.germancarforum.com/community/threads/concept-b-class-electric-drive.46812/