Future Mercedes models based on its MMA platform will use Samsung’s batteries. Several existing Mercedes-Benz EVs already use advanced NMC battery packs. The current Mercedes CLA 250+ and CLA 350 source battery packs from CATL. Just after unveiling its all-new electric C-Class, Mercedes-Benz confirmed a key piece of its future EV strategy. The next generation of its electric models will draw power from battery cells supplied by South Korea’s Samsung SDI. The agreement, signed earlier this week, secures a steady flow of nickel, cobalt, and manganese (NMC) battery cells. Samsung claims these packs will deliver strong energy density, long service life, and the kind of sustained output and range figures premium EV buyers have come to expect, at least on paper. Read: Mercedes’ Electric C-Class Is The BMW i3’s Neue Nightmare Mercedes has yet to put a firm date on when these NMC batteries from Samsung will make their debut. Still, industry insiders point to models built on the upcoming Mercedes Modular Architecture (MMA) from 2028 onward. That would cover a wide spread of compact and mid-size SUVs, along with a handful of coupes that, for now, remain unnamed. German Cars, Asian Batteries The German brand already offers several of its EVs with NMC batteries, including the CLA 250+ and CLA 350 4Matic, sourced from China’s CATL. In addition, the all-electric Mercedes VLE uses a 115 kWh NMC battery pack, while the newly-revealed electric C-Class uses a 94.5 kWh NMC battery, promising a range of up to 472 miles (760 km). “This partnership brings together the innovative DNA of both companies,” Samsung SDI said. “It is meaningful in that SAMSUNG SDI has secured a battery order aimed at strengthening its position in the global EV market.” There are trade-offs between nickel, cobalt, and manganese (NMC) batteries and lithium iron phosphate (LFP) packs, the two chemistries currently dominating the EV space. NMC’s headline advantage is energy density, which means more range from a similarly sized battery, something premium brands tend to prioritize. LFP, on the other hand, takes a more pragmatic approach. These packs are typically more durable over time and can be charged to 100 percent far more frequently without accelerating degradation. That makes them well suited to daily-use scenarios, even if they cannot quite match NMC’s outright range potential.
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