Daimler breaks ground on another battery factory for EV push

The factory will be CO2 neutral and zero-net-energy.

By John Snyder
Grundsteinlegung bei ACCUMOTIVE in Kamenz für eine der größten und modernsten Batteriefabriken der Welt: Ehrengäste beim Festakt waren Bundeskanzlerin Dr. Angela Merkel (3.v.r.) und Stanislaw Tillich (2.v.r., Ministerpräsident des Freistaates Sachsen), die gemeinsam mit Dieter Zetsche (3.v.l., Vorstandsvorsitzender der Daimler AG und Leiter Mercedes-Benz Cars), Markus Schäfer (r., Mitglied des Bereichsvorstands Mercedes-Benz Cars, Produktion und Supply Chain), Frank Deiß (l., Leiter Produktion Powertrain und Standortverantwortlicher Mercedes-Benz Werk Untertürkheim) und Frank Blome (2.v.l.Geschäftsführer Deutsche ACCUMOTIVE GmbH & Co. KG) das Gehäuse einer Fahrzeugbatterie als Grundstein verankerten. Groundbreaking at ACCUMOTIVE in Kamenz for one of the world’s biggest and most modern battery factories: Guests of honour at the ceremony were Federal Chancellor Dr. Angela Merkel (3rd from right) and Stanislaw Tillich (2nd from right, Minister President of Saxony), who, together with Dieter Zetsche (3rd from left, Chairman of the Board of Daimler AG and Head of Mercedes-Benz Cars), Markus Schäfer (right, Member of the Divisional Board of Mercedes-Benz Cars, Production and Supply Chain), Frank Deiss (left, Head of Powertrain Production and Site Manager Mercedes-Benz Plant Untertürkheim) and Frank Blome (2nd from left) Managing Director Deutsche ACCUMOTIVE GmbH & Co. KG), laid the casing of a vehicle battery as the foundation stone.
Grundsteinlegung bei ACCUMOTIVE in Kamenz für eine der größten und modernsten Batteriefabriken der Welt: Ehrengäste beim Festakt waren Bundeskanzlerin Dr. Angela Merkel (3.v.r.) und Stanislaw Tillich (2.v.r., Ministerpräsident des Freistaates Sachsen), die gemeinsam mit Dieter Zetsche (3.v.l., Vorstandsvorsitzender der Daimler AG und Leiter Mercedes-Benz Cars), Markus Schäfer (r., Mitglied des Bereichsvorstands Mercedes-Benz Cars, Produktion und Supply Chain), Frank Deiß (l., Leiter Produktion Powertrain und Standortverantwortlicher Mercedes-Benz Werk Untertürkheim) und Frank Blome (2.v.l.Geschäftsführer Deutsche ACCUMOTIVE GmbH & Co. KG) das Gehäuse einer Fahrzeugbatterie als Grundstein verankerten. Groundbreaking at ACCUMOTIVE in Kamenz for one of the world’s biggest and most modern battery factories: Guests of honour at the ceremony were Federal Chancellor Dr. Angela Merkel (3rd from right) and Stanislaw Tillich (2nd from right, Minister President of Saxony), who, together with Dieter Zetsche (3rd from left, Chairman of the Board of Daimler AG and Head of Mercedes-Benz Cars), Markus Schäfer (right, Member of the Divisional Board of Mercedes-Benz Cars, Production and Supply Chain), Frank Deiss (left, Head of Powertrain Production and Site Manager Mercedes-Benz Plant Untertürkheim) and Frank Blome (2nd from left) Managing Director Deutsche ACCUMOTIVE GmbH & Co. KG), laid the casing of a vehicle battery as the foundation stone.
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Daimler subsidiary Accumotive
has broken ground on its second lithium-ion battery factory in Kamenz, Germany. The facility represents an investment of about €500 million (about $560 million at today’s exchange rates), and will support Mercedes-Benz’s plans to introduce its EQ e-mobility sub-brand, introduce 10 new plug-in models
by 2022, and continue to hybridize more of its vehicles.


German Chancellor
Angela Merkel and Saxony Minister President Stanislaw Tillich joined Daimler Chairman
Dieter Zetsche and other Daimler, Mercedes-Benz, and Accumotive executives in laying a battery casing as a foundation stone. “The automotive industry is facing a fundamental transformation and we see ourselves as the driving force behind this change,” says Zetsche.


The factory itself is adjacent to the existing facility, and will cover an area of almost 50 acres. By 2020, Accumotive plans to double its workforce to more than 1,000 employees. The new plant is designed to be CO2-neutral and zero-net-energy, with help from a solar plant and stationary batteries for energy storage. It’s expected to in operation around the middle of 2018.


Daimler’s electric strategy goes beyond its plans for electrified passenger vehicles. Batteries from the Kamenz factory will also power commercial vehicles, including the Mercedes-Benz Vito and Sprinter vans. Daimler will also launch a third generation of the Fuso eCanter. Mercedes will also test the all-electric, heavy duty
Urban eTruck. In addition to automotive use, Mercedes has also launched stationary energy storage for solar systems, and just began
offering home batteries in the US through a partnership with Vivint Solar.


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