As part of "Ambition 2039", Mercedes-Benz is working to offer a carbon-neutral new car fleet in less than 20 years, which is eleven years earlier than EU legislation currently requires. By as early as 2030, the company wants more than half the cars it sells to feature electric drive systems - this includes fully electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids. In many areas, Mercedes is already thinking about tomorrow today: the new EQS is designed to be correspondingly sustainable. The vehicles are produced in a CO₂-neutral manner at Factory 56, and resource-saving materials such as carpets made from recycled yarn are used. This is because Mercedes-Benz considers the entire value chain, from development and the supplier network to its own production. Mercedes-Benz AG has had its climate protection targets confirmed by the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTI). With these goals, the company supports the Paris Climate Accord.

Eleven important building blocks of the transformation towards sustainable mobility.

1. Electrified product portfolio
Mercedes-Benz is aiming for the leading position in electric drives and vehicle software. Ambition 2039 describes the goal of a fully connected and carbon-neutral vehicle fleet in 2039. In 2022, a total of eight Mercedes-EQ electric vehicle series will already be produced at seven locations on three continents. The company envisages that more than 50 percent of its passenger car unit sales will be accounted for by plug-in hybrids or all-electric vehicles by 2030.

2. Transparent dialogue
Since 2005, Mercedes-Benz has been the first company ever to subject its vehicles to the strict requirements of an environmental certificate in accordance with ISO standard TR 14062. The TÜV-certified documentation is based on a comprehensive life-cycle assessment of the respective vehicle, in which every environmentally relevant detail is documented. The Group's sustainability report has provided detailed information on this topic every year since 2006. And the Daimler Sustainability Dialogue has been bringing together sustainability experts from various fields with Daimler representatives every year since 2008. Current and future sustainability issues are discussed in workshops, progress as well as deficits and risks are evaluated and resulting needs for action are defined. In November 2020, the Daimler Sustainability Dialogue brought together over 200 representatives from business, science, politics, NGOs, associations, trade unions and local authorities in the digital space.

3. Production in Factory 56 – efficient, flexible, digital and sustainable
The EQS rolls off the production line at Factory 56 in Sindelfingen, Mercedes-Benz's most modern automotive production facility. In line with the Ambition 2039, Factory 56 will become a zero-carbon factory - completely carbon-neutral and with a significantly reduced energy requirement. Overall, the energy requirement in Factory 56 is reduced by a quarter compared to other assembly buildings. On the roof of Factory 56 is a photovoltaic system which supplies the shop with self-generated, green electric power. This is able to cover around 30 percent of the annual power requirement of Factory 56. Some of this power flows to an innovative direct current network which will improve the energy efficiency of the assembly shop during operation in future. This powers infrastructural systems such as ventilation units for example. A stationary energy bank based on starter batteries is also connected to the DC network. With an overall capacity of 1400 kWh, it acts as a buffer for superfluous solar power from the photovoltaic system. Mercedes-Benz's approach to sustainability also encompasses other ecological aspects. 40 percent of the roof area of Factory 56 is greened, and recycled concrete was used for the first time in the head building.

4. Carbon-neutral production
Mercedes-Benz's own plants will have carbon-neutral production from 2022. To achieve climate-neutral production, the first step is to consistently reduce and, where possible, completely avoid emissions that are generated in Mercedes-Benz vehicle production and in the energy supply of the plants. The company relies on three strategic pillars for doing so: continuous increase in energy efficiency, use of green power and realisation of a sustainable heat supply. Starting in 2022, all own production plants of Mercedes-Benz AG around the world will obtain electricity exclusively from renewable sources. In addition, concrete CO₂ measures are agreed with suppliers. Logistics are an essential part of this supply network: at the beginning of 2020, rail transport in Mercedes-Benz transport logistics was converted to a carbon-free energy supply in cooperation with Deutsche Bahn.

5. Sustainable battery production
Local battery production is a major success factor in the strategic electric initiative of Mercedes-Benz AG – and a crucial element when it comes to being able to flexibly and efficiently serve the global demand for electric vehicles. Production plays a decisive role in Mercedes-Benz AG's understanding of sustainability. For example, the Mercedes-Benz Hedelfingen plant will produce battery systems in a carbon-neutral manner from 2022. Mercedes-Benz has also agreed to purchase carbon-neutral battery cells as part of strategic partnerships, starting with the EQS.

6. Decarbonisation of the supplier network
The supplier network accounts for a substantial share of value creation, and is therefore of decisive importance for the decarbonisation targets. A large number of suppliers, who account for more than 75 per cent of the annual purchasing volume, have already signed an Ambition Letter and have agreed to only supply parts produced in a CO₂-neutral manner in the future. From 2039 at the latest, only production materials which have been produced on a carbon-neutral basis in all value creation stages will be allowed through the plant gates of Mercedes-Benz. A supplier declining to sign the Ambition Letter will not be eligible for new supply contracts.

7. Raw materials from certified minin
Mercedes-Benz looks at the entire value chain, from development and the supplier network to its own production. Responsibly mined and processed raw materials provide the foundation for a sustainable Mercedes-Benz electric vehicle fleet. Mercedes-Benz has therefore had the complex supply chains of battery cell suppliers audited in accordance with OECD standards and will in future only purchase battery cells with cobalt and lithium from certified mining. In addition, Mercedes-Benz is making the "Standard for Responsible Mining" of the "Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance" (IRMA) a key criterion for supplier decisions and contracts in raw material supply chains and will only work with suppliers who agree to these requirements.

8. Resource-conserving materials
EQS components with a total weight of more than 80 kg are proportionally manufactured from resource-saving materials (recycled and renewable raw materials). These include for example the cable ducts made from recycled plastics. The floor coverings are made from recycled yarn (brand name ECONYL®), and the aluminium for the inner part of the front bonnet has already been certified by the Aluminium Stewardship Initiative (ASI) as being sustainably produced.

9. Highly efficient aerodynamics
With its C_d figure^[1] from as low as 0.20, the EQS is the world's most aerodynamic production car. The low air resistance pays off, for example, in the range (up to 780 km according to WLTP)[2].

10. Green power for on the move
With Mercedes me Charge, customers have been charging green at every public charging station throughout Europe since 2021. After the actual charging process, the charged energy quantities are compensated with green power and, in addition, incentives are created to invest in renewable energy systems. In the first three years after the purchase of an EQS, there is no basic fee to customers for Mercedes me Charge and thus for Green Charging

11. Sustainable battery use
Mercedes-Benz takes a holistic approach to the battery life cycle: Re-Use, Remanufacture, Recycle. Once the traction batteries of the Mercedes-EQ fleet reach the end of their life on the road, it's far from over. Mercedes-Benz Energy, based in Kamenz, is a subsidiary of Mercedes-Benz AG responsible for the development of innovative energy storage solutions. By building stationary energy storage systems,
electric car batteries can be connected to the grid. The spectrum for large-scale storage applications from Mercedes-Benz Energy ranges from peak load balancing and black start (power plant start-up independent of the power grid) to uninterruptible power supply (UPS). The company's focus is in particular on applications from the 2nd-life and replacement parts storage unit sector. Only then is it time for material recycling.

[1] C_d figure 0.20: EQS 450+ with 19-inch AMG wheel/tyre combination and AMG Line exterior (available in the EU from the end of 2021) in the SPORT drive program
[2] The electrical consumption (and information based thereon) has been determined on the basis of Commission Regulation (EC) 692/2008 according to NEDC and Commission Regulation (EU) 2017/1151 according to WLTP.