Mercedes-Benz will work with battery materials company Sila to incorporate Sila’s silicon anode chemistry in batteries, which are optionally available for the first time in the upcoming electric Mercedes-Benz G-Class.
The high-silicon anode material will increase the energy density of batteries without compromising safety or other performance parameters, the company says. Compared to today’s commercially available cells with a comparable format, Sila says its technology enables a 20-40% increase in energy density reaching more than 800 Wh/l at cell level. This enables Mercedes-Benz to store much more energy in the same space, the company says.
The silicon anode materials will be manufactured using 100% renewable energy in Sila’s new Washington state facility, making Mercedes-Benz the factory’s first publicly-announced automotive customer, the company says. Both companies are targeting mid-decade for a range-extended-version of the electric G-Class to be equipped with the new battery technology option.
Mercedes-Benz invested in Sila in 2019 as part of the company’s research and development of advanced batteries for the automaker’s future electric vehicles.
