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A senior executive in Mercedes-AMG has said that the carmaker was open to the idea of building a electric powertrains division, despite the fact that it would not be a direct competitor to Tesla.
Speaking at the Geneva Auto Show on Wednesday, Andreas Stoll, managing director of EV and Hybrid Technologies at Mercedes- AMG, said that his company had been “looking” at a joint venture with Tesla to develop an electric power train.
However, after having met with Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk, Stoll said that he did not think there was an immediate future for a partnership between Mercedes-Amg and Tesla, adding that “it will take a while”.
He added that Mercedes-BMW and Mercedes-Daimler have both expressed interest in a joint effort.
“We are open to working together with any carmaker to develop electric power.
I think we can do something very similar to Tesla, but I am not sure what it will be,” Stoll told journalists.”
It is not possible to say with certainty whether we will or not,” he said.
He added: “But, with our experience in this area, we know how to work together.”
Mercedes-Benz was a member of the alliance between Tesla and BMW for the development of the electric power trains.
However this deal has now been cancelled, and Musk’s future with the company has been put in doubt.
The company was also the first to announce that it was building a new electric power plant in China.
In addition, the company is working on developing a hybrid electric power system for the electric vehicle market, which is expected to be unveiled in 2019.
A source told Reuters news agency that Tesla’s partnership with Mercedes-AMS could be an important piece of the puzzle for the company.
“Tesla’s cooperation with Mercedes AMG will pave the way for a much more integrated strategy for the market,” said a source, adding: “It is clear that Mercedes AMGs partnership with Tesla will be a key component of that strategy.”
