Mercedes CEO Dieter Zetsche looks at the future

[Robert.Boston]

It's just a matter of designing proper cooling.

Agreed, but I wanted to note that "proper" is case specific. For example, I believe the Model S's power train is properly cooled for on-street applications, which is (to my thinking) the proper case. That the car doesn't have a cooling system sufficient to track the car doesn't bother me. If the cooling is a problem on the Autobahn, however, that may need to be addressed.

 

[ggr]

Agreed, but I wanted to note that "proper" is case specific. For example, I believe the Model S's power train is properly cooled for on-street applications, which is (to my thinking) the proper case. That the car doesn't have a cooling system sufficient to track the car doesn't bother me. If the cooling is a problem on the Autobahn, however, that may need to be addressed.

Maybe I missed it, but I don't recall anyone from Germany saying that they have actually had overheating problems on the Autobahn? Tight, windy mountain roads, uphill, yes. Racetrack, yes.

 

[Auzie]

Why wouldn't he say otherwise? Why would they want to position MB as a Tesla challenger with some hypothetical future product... Even if they were building one? It is Business 101 not to Osbourne your current products.

When it comes to reading corporate communications, reading between the lines is mandatory. This goes for Tesla too. Business has current and future interests, communicating about the latter does not always (mostly?) serve the former. That doesn't automatically mean the latter isn't happening.

In the case of MB, I think we have sufficient other proof to say they do take EVs and alternate fuels more seriously than your average car company does.

I am not following Mercedes so I am not aware of other proofs that they take EVs more seriously than other car companies. Perhaps there are proofs, I hope so.

Businesses are not democracies, employees do not vote on their future, it is their leaders that decide on a strategy and deploy it. If a leader says something, I take it seriously and at face value.

If I understand your statement correctly, there is an implication there that DZ is misstating or insufficiently disclosing his views on the MB business future.

People often compromise themselves by saying one thing and doing another but I find such behaviour unlikely in this case. There is no clear upside in doing so. DZ is stating his intentions to make many hybrids with some bevs, and I have no reason not to believe what he says.

 

[Larry Chanin]

It is simple: show us definitive signs of seriousness.
What is a great accomplishment for Tesla, may be a big failure for Mercedes.

A new company selling 40k per year is big, Mercedes selling only 40k EVs is sign of "un-seriousness".
It all ends with battery supply: 100k 200miler EVs per year needs 50kWh * 100k = 5GWh worth of cells.
No believing and arm wavering can replace those cells that they cannot buy.
Cells are made in big factories. Where is Mercedes's one? LGChem? Samsung? Panasonic?
They cannot produce 5GWh for VW, Mercedes, Audi, Kia, Fiat and XY. All of them together come to about 1/5 of the number.

At the end it is not lack of fastcharging network, but lack of supply.
Why is Mercedes not building one for their own EVs? Because, they are *not* serious.

I entirely agree with the need for scepticism, not only regarding Mercedes, but also regarding the other manufacturers who actually have publically stated that they plan to build long range, affordable EVs. Show us the supply source if they are planning to build a truly mass market vehicle, and not some sort of pseudo compliance car.

Having said that Tesla and Mercedes have history in a good way. The timing of their initial capital investment in Tesla has caused Elon to frequently credit them with saving Tesla's bacon during the start-up. The sharing of their parts bin with Tesla, their collaboration on the very nice Class-B EV demonstrates a positive history. Mr. Zetsche's measured and relatively positive remarks regarding Tesla also doesn't rule out future collaborations.

Beyond Panasonic Tesla will need more investors in its Gigafactory, why not Daimler? Why not provide Mercedes with batteries? Why not a further collaboration particularly after Elon demonstrates Tesla's ability to sell hundreds of thousands of EVs? The truth is despite all the current talk by other mainstream automobile manufacturers they all appear to be waiting for Elon to fail or succeed. When Elon succeeds it wouldn't surprise me to see Daimler the first in line to partner. If Mr. Z is smart and plans to eventually build a long range EV hopefully it will be a partnership that extends to the Tesla charging specification and involves contributing to the expansion of the Supercharger network. Why reinvent the wheel when a high performance, compact charging specification is available for "free"?

No, I don't expect Mr. Z to share these sort of possibilities publically with an automotive journalist year's in advance of needing to, but maybe...just maybe, he's smart enough to position his company in that direction to be able to capitalize on a productive history with Tesla when the time is right.

Larry