“The existing automotive industry is collapsing and being completely reinvented,” emphasized Ola Källenius, Chairman of the Mercedes-Benz Group.
Mercedes-Benz Korea held an ‘All Electric Showcase Press Conference’ on the 24th at the Shilla Hotel in Jung-gu, Seoul. Present at the event were Ola Källenius, Chairman of the Mercedes-Benz Group’s Board, Thomas Klein, who transitioned to the head of Mercedes-Benz passenger vehicles after serving as the president of Mercedes-Benz Korea, and the new president of Mercedes-Benz Korea, Matthias Waitl, who will take office in September.
Ola expressed his view that “the existing internal combustion engine-focused automotive industry is collapsing and the electrification that is emerging as a new automotive industry is important.” He also added that “the digital transformation has increased the significance of many factors, including AI and software specifically for cars.”
Ola discussed Mercedes-Benz’s specific plans for carbon neutrality. He stated, “We will abide by the principles of the Paris Climate Agreement,” and added that “in accordance with Mercedes-Benz’s Ambition 2039 strategy, we will begin the process of carbon elimination for all Mercedes-Benz products and manufacturing processes before 2040.”
To achieve this, Benz aims to reduce carbon fuel usage at its factories by over 80% by 2029 and to expand solar power generation facilities, ultimately striving to completely eliminate carbon footprints in product manufacturing. For this goal, Ola mentioned, “We are continuing collaborations with various energy companies” regarding Benz’s decarbonization efforts. He also addressed the post-use issues of electric car batteries, explaining, “We will create a virtual mine by recycling lithium manganese from electric car waste batteries for perfect recycling.”
Meanwhile, Ola met with SK Group’s Vice Chairman Choi Jae-won on the 23rd, expressing the intent for collaboration between the two companies. Currently, Mercedes-Benz receives electric car batteries from SK On, and plans to release a model equipped with T-map infotainment in a new Mercedes-Benz model set to be launched next year through a business agreement with T-map Mobility.
Ola remarked, “There is no Mercedes-Benz vehicle currently in operation worldwide that does not contain Korean parts,” showcasing a strong bond with Korean parts suppliers, stating, “In the future, the relationship with Korean partners will only deepen.”
Lee Sang-jin daedusj@autodiary.kr