Skip to main content

Daimler and Geely to develop Smart’s electric cars

Daimler, owner of Mercedes-Benz, has partnered with Chinese automotive group Zhejiang Geely Holding Group to develop Smart’s electric cars. Smart makes small vehicles designed for urban driving and the new joint venture will assemble the next generation of Smart products at a factory in China. International sales are due to begin in 2022. Dieter Zetsche, chairman of the Daimler board, says: “Separately, Mercedes-Benz will produce a compact electric vehicle [EV] at the Hambach plant, sustaining employ
April 9, 2019 Read time: 1 min

2069 Daimler, owner of 1685 Mercedes-Benz, has partnered with Chinese automotive group Zhejiang Geely Holding Group to develop Smart’s electric cars.

Smart makes small vehicles designed for urban driving and the new joint venture will assemble the next generation of Smart products at a factory in China. International sales are due to begin in 2022.  

Dieter Zetsche, chairman of the Daimler board, says: “Separately, Mercedes-Benz will produce a compact electric vehicle [EV] at the Hambach plant, sustaining employment with further investment in the facility.”

Mercedes is investing €500 million at the French location, where the compact EV will be produced under the EQ brand.

In the run-up to 2022, Daimler will continue producing vehicles such as the Smart EQ Fortwo at the Hambach plant, as well as using its Novo Metso facility in Slovenia to produce the smart EQ Forfour.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Ohmio to produce self-driving vehicles in New Zealand
    September 12, 2017
    Ohmio Automotion has launched in New Zealand to begin production of self-driving vehicles in the country, using technology developed by Australian parent company HMI Technologies. The electric Ohmio Hop shuttles are self-driving, fully electric autonomous vehicles which Ohmio says can form a connected convoy, enabling them to be used as a scalable public transport solution. They have been designed to be a last mile solution, carrying people and their luggage short distances, providing the last mile conn
  • Hyundai and Kia invest $300m in ride-hailing firm Ola
    March 29, 2019
    Hyundai Motor and Kia Motors are investing $300 million in ride-hailing firm Ola to develop smart mobility solutions in India. The partners will also work together to develop fleet solutions as well as electric vehicles (EV) and infrastructure. Hyundai will work with Kia and Ola to develop cars for a ride-hailing service. Data gathered during the service operation will allow the companies to make vehicle improvements. Ola drivers will receive various financial services including lease and instalment pa
  • IBTTA: ‘The only way to keep up is to stay ahead’
    March 4, 2019
    The focus of the IBTTA’s Annual Technology Summit is changing. The tolling organisation’s Bill Cramer explains why this is good news for ITS professionals looking to embrace new technologies For a decade or more, the technology summits hosted by the International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association (IBTTA) have helped drive the tolling industry’s embrace of the systems, services and breakthrough concepts that are building a 21st century transportation sector. Now, the summit itself is adjusting its
  • NXP and Changan Automobile to cooperate on connected cars
    September 8, 2017
    Dutch connectivity solutions provider NXP Semiconductors has partnered with China-based connected car manufacturer Changan Automobile to develop solutions for infotainment and connected vehicle technologies. The long-term agreement has two phases; the first phase is focused on excellence in infotainment, products, solutions and the development of industry standards for future vehicle semiconductors. In the second phase, Changan will apply NXP’s vehicle-to-X (V2X) communication, near field communication (