Mercedes is spending $1 billion to go electric in Alabama
Mercedes, which is owned by Daimler, said the investment will create 600 new jobs in communities near its plant in Tuscaloosa.The automaker plans to make new electric SUV models at the existing factory, and construct a battery plant nearby.The investment will put the German firm in direct competition with Tesla on its home turf. "With production locations for electric vehicles and batteries in Europe, China and, now, the U.S., our global network is ready for the era of electric vehicles," said Markus Schäfer, the automaker's head of production planning.The move to electric follows a global backlash against diesel cars that is motivated by concerns over climate change and pollution caused by dirty engines.Countries including India, France, Britain, Norway and China have pledged to ditch gas and diesel cars in favor of cleaner vehicles.
http://money.cnn.com/2017/09/22/news/economy/mercedes-alabama-billion-investment-jobs/index.html?iid=SF_River
It seems more and more countries and businesses are pushing for electric car models just within the past year. It will certainly be interesting to see how diesel car manufacturers and the oil industry will respond if this trend continues to grow.
ReplyDeleteI believe the diesel and oil industry will be perfectly fine in the years to come, but I am unsure how long oil can truly last. It is ludicrous to continue to rely on energy that destroys the planet at the same time. Eventually we will see huge shifts over to renewable energy especially with our generation.
ReplyDeleteVery true, but we still have a long way to go. Tesla will soon reveal an electric semi-truck to the market. Ships and rockets will be the leading customers for the oil industry, but an electric semi-truck will definitely hit sales.
DeleteThis is great for the Alabama economy. There will be more jobs and people will have more disposable income. This local town will receive a great boost in the short run. As more and more companies choose to go electric the industry will continue to change and oil companies will not be happy. In China they hope to mostly be electric by 2040 and I bet the United States will try and follow this trend.
ReplyDeleteAlthough electric cars are becoming more and more popular, is it too late for Mercedes to enter this market for them to become a leader? I think it will be hard for Mercedes to enter a market where other electric car manufacturers such as Tesla and Chevrolet have already been leading the way. I do believe they will succeed, but I also believe it will take some time for them to compete with the current electric car giants.
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