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Daimler stops developing internal combustion engines to focus on electric cars

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afadeev

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Feb 28, 2019
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Daimler stops developing internal combustion engines to focus on electric cars - Electrek

According to German magazine Auto Motor und Sport, Daimler development chief Markus Schaefer said that they currently have no plans to develop a next-generation combustion engine and they are focusing on new electric powertrains.

While they will not invest in the development of new combustion engines, Schaefer reportedly noted that they still might work on some specific parts to improve on their existing engines.

In recent years, there have been signs that internal combustion engines were reaching their limits.

It became increasingly clear when the entire industry was caught cheating to make it look like their diesel engines were actually more efficient and less polluting than they actually were.

Furthermore, generations of combustion engines have long development timelines and there are other factors that may render the investment worthless.

For example, several countries are implementing or announcing their intentions to ban the sale of new gasoline and diesel-powered vehicles by 2040.

This is pushing automakers like VW and now Daimler, to rethink their longterm strategy for investing in powertrain development.

Daimler has previously announced plans for Mercedes-Benz and smart cars to offer electric versions of all car models by 2022.

However, they still believe that a majority of their vehicles will still have an internal combustion engine at that time.
 
this is not surprising given the lifespan of most motors. honda has been employing variations of the k20 since the late 90s. subaru has been reliant on variations of their EJ motor since the early 90s. legacy automakers will likely continue to tune and improve existing motors and drivetrains until they're no longer lucrative.

FWIW the biggest hurdle for legacy makers entering the electric market is figuring out how to own their own battery tech. finite resources combined with huge inefficiencies and expensive startup put startups like Tesla and Rivian in the forefront.
 
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I predict that battery and electric motor tech will follow suit to the ICE. We started with Karl Benz and improved engine technology from carbs, FI, computers, BCMs, etc... over the decades.

GM EV1, Tesla Roadster, Model S, Tesla SEMI, and so on until the day where electric vehicles will make up the majority of the transportation on the roads. (US at least) I certainly hope to still have my Porsche products - I like vintage cars. ;)
 

I predict that battery and electric motor tech will follow suit to the ICE. We started with Karl Benz and improved engine technology from carbs, FI, computers, BCMs, etc... over the decades.

GM EV1, Tesla Roadster, Model S, Tesla SEMI, and so on until the day where electric vehicles will make up the majority of the transportation on the roads. (US at least) I certainly hope to still have my Porsche products - I like vintage cars. ;)

You didn't hear about the upcoming mandatory buy-back program as part of the Green Deal?

Porsche, eh, I might get free SC miles if I turn you in!