FRANKFURT -- Mercedes-Benz will bring out an electric-powered Tesla fighter in the next few years.
Thomas Weber, Daimler AG board member in charge of group research and Mercedes-Benz car development, confirmed in an interview here that Mercedes plans to begin selling an electric vehicle with a range of 400-500 kilometers (250 to 310 miles) within a few years, possibly in 2018.
The planned EV isn’t meant to be competitive with the company’s electric versions of the Smart ForTwo, Mercedes B-class or the Mercedes-AMG SLS, Weber said.
“It’s something different,” he said. “It’s unique; it’s emotional. Wait and see.”
The vehicle likely will need to be a larger vehicle to accommodate the size of the battery pack necessary for that proposed range.
Some of the aerodynamic features shown in the automaker’s Intelligent Aerodynamic Automobile concept unveiled this week in Frankfurt could be used to help extend electric range, Weber said.
“Aerodynamics is and will be important,” he said.
