News from IAA Frankfurt/Germany:Tuesday, 10 September 2019,...

News from IAA Frankfurt/Germany:

Tuesday, 10 September 2019, 16.19 hrsHead of Daimler Development:Manufacturer shifts efforts to electric drivesDaimler's Chief Development Officer explained at the IAA that the main focus is now on electric drives. However, Schäfer does not want to rule out the possibility that the manufacturer will be working on new combustion engines again in the future."There is currently no plan for a new development," said Markus Schäfer about internal combustion engines at Daimler. (Photo: Daimler)ad-bannerThe carmaker Daimler currently has no plans for the new development of further combustion engines in the industry shift to electric drives. "Of course, the main focus is now on electrification, electric drives and battery development," said Markus Schäfer, Daimler Board Member for Development, at the IAA motor show in Frankfurt."We are also shifting capacities from classic engine development, transmission development to the departments that make battery technology, make power electronics, make electric drives". The group will continue to keep its budget for research and development at a high level.CO2-neutral until 2039At present, the Group is still rolling out the most recently developed generation of combustion engines in its models - but the generation could also be the last. "At the moment there is no plan for a new development," said Schäfer. However, he could not rule out the possibility that Daimler would work on new combustion engines again in the future.Daimler wants to work CO2-neutral in production and in the new car fleet by 2039. According to Schäfer, another step towards this goal is that the Stuttgart company will also purchase battery cells from the cell factory planned by the US-Chinese company Farasis in Bitterfeld - this will be geared towards CO2-neutral production from the outset."Countering "range anxietyIn order to make the Group's electric vehicles a success, Daimler also wants to follow unusual paths and playfully encourage drivers to drive efficiently. To this end, elements from the gaming world could be integrated into the graphic user interfaces of the cars, says Schäfer. This could reduce the "range anxiety" of battery cars.Tests with test persons had been positive, especially in the Asian culture, Schäfer said, this was well received. Currently, the company is increasingly hiring experts from the games industry. (dpa/fuh)Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator