The United States, Canada and members of the European Union
have all used economic recovery funds to support green technology. The German
Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Reactor Safety joined
the club with a $13.4 million grant to Mercedes-Benz Vans. Germany’s Economic
Support Program will issue the grant to help Mercedes-Benz Vans produce 50
battery-electric vehicles (BEV) throughout the country. In addition to aiding
the resource-intensive R&D process, the government hopes to see an
improvement in the automaker’s fortunes in the European market.
Mercedes-Benz Vans will use most of the grant in implementing a
drive system dedicated specifically to electrical power rather than hybrid
vehicle operation. The BEVs produced with government funds will be monitored using
driver diaries addressing mileage, performance and durability. The testing process
will also look at limitations to battery-electric operation including public
charging needs and battery durability. In particular, Mercedes-Benz Vans wants to
monitor the impact of varying temperatures on lithium-ion batteries in
day-to-day operation in the midst of humid summers and frigid winters.
This $13.4 million grant is a small part of the German
government’s National Development Plan for Electric Mobility. This long-term
development plan encourages the growth of public and private institutions within
Germany needed for electric vehicles to hit German streets. The investment made
in Mercedes-Benz Vans is an investment in the company’s Stuttgart-based research
and development facility. Ministry officials are also banking on a quick
turnaround on this investment with a projected release date of 2010 for the
initial order of BEVs, according to automaker representatives.
Germany should receive significant dividends from this
relatively minor investment in Mercedes-Benz Vans. The automaker already has a
prototype and design in place for its battery-electric vans, which means it is
only a matter of time before a final production model is ready. Mercedes-Benz Vans states it will
focus on fleet customers with the first 50 units, which is a reliable market
for battery-electric vehicles. By opting for battery-electric power,
Mercedes-Benz Vans introduces an emissions-free option for fleet buyers that
put high mileage on their vehicles. These BEVs will also help Germany adhere to
increasingly strict standards for carbon emissions within the European Union. The
main virtue of the $13.4 million grant to Mercedes-Benz Vans is that BEVs will
become more affordable in Germany, the European Union and worldwide through
better production processes.
