Starting in 2026, including a qualification period, this allows the Stuttgart-based luxury carmaker to get its battery partners supplied with raw material to rapidly scale up its production of fully electric vehicles.
Mercedes-Benz plans to go all electric by the end of the decade, wherever market conditions allow, requiring the brand with the three-pointed star to open new sources of raw materials with new partners. As part of the agreement, Rock Tech Lithium plans to supply battery-grade lithium hydroxide to Mercedes-Benz battery partners from a converter based in Guben, Brandenburg, Germany. Lithium hydroxide is needed to produce lithium-ion batteries which are used in Mercedes-Benz electric vehicles.
“This significant amount of lithium sourced directly from Rock Tech will help Mercedes-Benz to advance localisation of European production of state-of-the-art battery cells,” said Markus Schäfer, member of the board of management of Mercedes-Benz Group, CTO, responsible for R&D and procurement. “Together with additional sourcing partnerships in the future, the on average 10,000 tons of lithium per annum will play a key role in securing the lithium supply for our battery production in Europe, to help achieve our ambitious electrification goals.
