Mercedes announced recently that it has sold off its 4% stake in Tesla Motors for £485 million. I’m uncertain of whether this financial action is related to the development of a Mercedes electric car range, however Mercedes have confirmed that it will continue to buy battery systems from Tesla for the soon to be released Mercedes B-Class electric car.
Original Investment
When Mercedes invested in 2009, Tesla was a decidedly fragile start-up company. Yet over the past five years it has rapidly expanded, becoming a credible rival for the Mercedes-Benz brand in some sectors, more specifically a big competitor against the S Class saloon.
I wonder how Mercedes are going to use that £485 million. Perhaps in house R & D for their own battery cells? Nothing has been disclosed yet.
