SEOUL, Feb 17 (Reuters) - South Korea’s SK Innovation said on Wednesday it has secured orders to supply battery cells for Mercedes-Benz electric cars, which will come out starting 2017. The battery maker said the “large-scale project” involved multiple models in diverse segments, without disclosing details. “Battery cells to be supplied by SK Innovation will be formed into battery packs and equipped in future Mercedes-Benz electric vehicles,” SK Innovation said in a statement. Mercedes-Benz parent Daimler AG is developing plans to produce a family of new battery-powered luxury vehicles, the automaker’s research chief Thomas Weber told Reuters in January. Weber indicated Mercedes planned to sell electric vehicles in high volume, saying “we need more than only one battery factory”. Daimler does not currently have dedicated electric vehicles unlike rival Tesla Motors Inc, although the German carmaker offers the electric version of Mercedes Benz B-class cars and Smart cars. SK Innovation currently counts South Korea’s Kia Motors and China’s BAIC Motor Corp as its customers. (Reporting by Hyunjoo Jin; Editing by Stephen Coates)
On Tuesday it was announced that SK Innovation of South Korea has secured an order to supply battery cells for Mercedes electric vehicles, which are launching in 2017, and apparently the “large-scale project” will involve multiple models in diverse segments.