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Mercedes-Benz has announced its intention to have a new fleet of "carbon neutral" passenger cars by 2039, calling it a "fundamental transformation" of the company.
The automaker's Ambition 2039 initiative aims to achieve this transformation into "less than three product cycles". Mercedes wants electrified models – including all-electric cars and plug-in hybrids – to account for more than half of its sales by 2030.
In terms of production, Mercedes said that all its European plants would be carbon neutral by 2022, and that other plants would follow. The automaker presents its new addition to its plant in Sindelfingen as a model: the future "Factory 56" uses renewable energy and will be carbon neutral as soon as it opens.
Mercedes's blog on its objectives covers many areas – from car fleets to production, to supporting the Paris Agreement – but uses a lot of broad language. According to Mercedes, the goal of "creating a carbon-neutral driving experience" is to "dramatically reduce emissions" while electrifying vans, buses and trucks.
Mercedes seems reluctant to commit specifically to a 100% electric target, stressing that while its current goal is "battery-electric mobility", it is also necessary to look at other technologies, such as battery powered vehicles. fuel:
Today, no one knows for sure which transmission mix will best meet the needs of our customers in 20 years. That's why we encourage politicians to pave the way for technological neutrality: set the goal, but not the means to achieve it.
The company also said to be "open to a discussion about the effectiveness of reducing CO2 prices, as well as incentives for low- and no-carbon technologies – preferably at the global level. "
EQC
As part of this announcement, Mercedes qualifies its 100% electric EQC SUV as "the first of a generation of electric Mercedes models". Last week, the company announced the start of production of EQC at its Bremen plant.
Deliveries for "VIP customers" are expected to begin in June, and Mercedes said in February that the EQC was already exhausted for this year at least. The company has launched a special edition of the vehicle, the EQC Edition 1886, at the New York Auto Show.
We will have many more details and our opinion on the vehicle soon – expect your first ride report on the EQC this week.
Electrek's Take
Mercedes' carbon-neutral timeline is the boldest to date among older 'established' car manufacturers – this tell about the auto industry as a whole? – but the exact details of the initiative are still quite rare and 2039 is still very far away.
Mercedes has set a carbon-neutral goal here, not a zero-emission goal, which leads us to wonder what the manufacturer really means. Will the fleet be fully electric by then? Are plug-in hybrids still part of the company's 2039 plans, as they are in 2030? Will the company purchase renewable energy credits to offset vehicle emissions?
For the moment, they leave a lot of room open, but we do not see any way to have a carbon neutral fleet without zero emissions, unless Mercedes plans to compensate each gas purchase made by drivers using hybrid vehicles.
Also know that even though Mercedes is clearly expressing its ambitions of electrifying other vehicles, the automaker is only committed to making the car fleet carbon neutral by 2039, and not his trucks and buses.
Given all of the above, please forgive us if a carbon-neutral goal in two decades ahead seems disappointing.
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