TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Mercedes-Benz has partnered up with Taiwanese battery maker ProLogium Technology to develop next-generation solid-state battery cells for electric vehicles (EVs).
ProLogium said in a statement on Jan. 27 that it expects a “high double-digit million EUR investment” from Mercedes-Benz, which aims to go all-electric by 2030. The car manufacturer will be joining ProLogium’s board of directors.
Mercedes-Benz Chief Technology Officer Markus Schafer said, “Solid-state technology helps to cut down battery size and weight. This is why we are partnering with companies like ProLogium.” According to the company, its efforts to integrate advanced battery cell technology that offers higher energy density and safety will “increase range during the production lifecycle of a model.”
Business Today reported that the deal is very important to ProLogium, which transitioned to developing solid-state batteries for EVs in 2015. While it has signed collaboration agreements with automakers such as China’s FAW Group Corporation, NIO, and Vietnam’s VinFast and received investments from Softbank China Venture Capital, dGav Capital, Yageo Corporation, Fubon Financial, and EV Advanced Material, Mercedes-Benz is the first automaker to invest in ProLogium.
ProLogium has specialized in developing solid-state batteries since its founding in 2006, with an initial focus on the electronics sector. The battery maker has been working with Mercedes-Benz to test EV battery cells since 2016 and is excited “to strengthen and expand our partnership,” ProLogium CEO and founder Vincent Yang (楊思枏) was cited as saying.
It is currently building a “gigafactory” in the Taoyuan Industry Park and expects to ramp up production capacity before the end of 2022, per Business Today.
(ProLogium photo)
