More Chinese Components To Be Integrated Into Future Mececdes-Benz Models

Mercedes-Benz already has some very interesting new electric models on the horizon, including the latest generations of the CLA and GLC. However, that doesn’t mean the German brand isn’t also considering the next phase of its electric car development. According to a new report, Mercedes could further deepen its partnership with Chinese automaker Geely for the next generation of electric vehicles.

Unnamed sources claim that Mercedes has already held initial talks with Geely about future electric models. There is a possibility that these cars could use certain components from the Chinese manufacturer, which would help reduce development costs and speed up the process of creating new models.

Geely has not commented on the allegations for now. A Mercedes representative only confirmed that the company is constantly looking for ways to make development and research faster, more efficient, and more cost-effective, both in China and globally. At the same time, it was emphasized that there are currently no discussions about platform sharing between Mercedes and Geely, Bloomberg reports.

Such a development would not be unusual. Another German manufacturer, Volkswagen, has already formed a partnership with Chinese company Xpeng. As part of that collaboration, the two companies share the architecture for some future electric models, including the new electric sedan in the ID family.

Chinese manufacturers such as BYD, Geely, Chery, and Xpeng have made significant progress in the development of batteries and electric motors in recent years, even faster than many traditional Western manufacturers.

Mercedes and Geely already have a strong business relationship, as they jointly manage the Smart brand. Once known for its small city cars, Smart has transformed itself into an electric vehicle manufacturer in recent years. In the partnership, Mercedes develops the design, while Geely is responsible for engineering and production.

There is also a new CLA, which is equipped with a 1.5-liter turbocharged gasoline engine developed in collaboration with Geely.

Although Mercedes claims it has no plans to share platforms with Geely, a Chinese report suggests that the cooperation could deepen. According to 36Kr, Mercedes could develop a next-generation electric platform based on Geely’s GEEA electronic and electrical architecture.

The new platform is reportedly being developed under the codename Phoenix. It is expected to be used for more affordable electric models aimed at the global market and could appear around 2030 as a replacement for the current MMA platform.

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