Image from Benzinsider.com
It is strange to see some companies dragging their feet when its comes to electric vehicles, EV and others bold enough to embrace its technology. Mercedes-Daimler is surprising a few these days.
The gist is that when we think of Mercedes, we think of traditional, conservative big, heavy sedans with a particular accent on quality and safety. However, Mercedes has done an incredible amount of research on fuel efficient gas engine, diesel and now, through a partnership with Tesla Motors, the electric drive.
From A Smart Fortwo To An SLS. If German manufacturers have also been lukewarm in regards to EVs, Mercedes has distanced itself again from its competitors. The Smart Fortwo is stated to go onto production by year’s end which is a back entrance for the giant car maker. Mercedes also takes a risk by offering an electric version of a car it currently sells in a gas version. Most car makers fear this sort of version as it would take away from one and favor another.
According to BusinessGreen, the German government has just approved 500 million Euros on electric car development by 2011 in order to have one million electric vehicles on their roads by 2020.
With work done on the Mercedes SLC, the Smart Fortwo heralds Mercedes’ and Daimler’s commitment to enter the new electric drive paradigm and cement its position as a leader in the industry. This shows another aspect of the company not too many are used to see, one that is not to adopt to disruptive technologies.