Mercedes is planning to launch an electric version of the A-class in 2010.
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According to an exclusive report in Automobilwoche, the car will have a lithium-ion battery and be produced at an initial rate of between 500 and 1,000 units year. Production should climb quickly, however.
A senior manager told Automobilwoche that the A-class is an ideal candidate because its ‘sandwich’ construction means the basic layout of the vehicle does not have to be changed much. The car was developed to accommodate a fuel cell and therefore has a double floor that can fit the cell. This space can instead be used for the lithium-ion batteries.
Mercedes is reportedly in discussion with Tesla Motors as the battery supplier. Tesla has already been working with Mercedes on an electric Smart car that is also due to be launched in 2010. Tesla bundles together conventional lithium-ion batteries used for laptops. Both the Smart and A-class should have a range of around 120 miles (200km).
The electric Smart and A-class cars will be built in Hambach and Rastatt respectively, but Mercedes is considering building an electric vehicle centre of excellence for the production of electric vehicles in the future.
