Over the past year (or even more) we’ve heard about several companies planning to become the new Tesla and eventually take over the company lead by Elon Musk. however, none of them managed to do this yet, but one of the top brands in the automotive industry is going to give it a shot in 2018 and they have some pretty big chances of succeeding.
Same path, with bigger ambitions
According to Business Insider, Mercedes is planning to compete with Tesla in three key areas: electric SUVs, at-home batteries and finally, electric trucks. The same source also mentions that back in May, the German company announced a partnership with Vivint Solar, in order to develop a battery, targeted to the US market, while Vivint will be in charge with solar installation.
Basically, they’re following the same business model Tesla opted for, when they acquired Solar City in November, combining solar installation with the Powerall sales. And this is not the only aspect in which they’re ‘borrowing’ some inspiration, as Mercedes wants to adopt the same strategies and exploit Tesla’s weakness: a lack of infrastructure, unable to support brig ideas.
Can Mercedes make clients fall in love with their story, like Tesla did?
“Mercedes is not a startup. It’s not a stock-value-driven company with some velocity behind it that can go one way or another. It’s really a mature company that will be there — and will be there for the foreseeable future,” said Boris von Bormann, CEO for Mercedes’ energy division. “That way, you feel trusted and have a quality brand where you get support whenever you need it,” he added.
However, despite all these, it’s hard to believe that Mercedes has what it takes in order to take over Tesla. After all, it’s Elon Musk’s commitment to developing a company that makes a profit while caring for the environment is one of the main reasons behind its success!
