Mercedes-Benz to Go Carbon-neutral by 2039

Mercedes-Benz proves how much the company is paying attention to the urgent need for sustainability by announcing its Ambition2039 plan, which will help the business become completely carbon-neutral by year 2039.

Ambition2039 revolves around one goal: to launch a new passenger car fleet in 20 years that is fully carbon-neutral. This does not mean, however, that only the cars are going to be emission-free; the plan also includes the business’ whole operation, including the manufacturing plants, which are going to be environmentally friendly.

The automaker has already taken its first steps to accomplishing the project with its EQC electric SUV and Formula E racer, which it continuously showcases at events such as the SXSW. In addition, the brand is aiming for half of all its car sales to come from pure electric cars or plug-in hybrids by 2030. And by 2039, the new approach will be implemented in all of its consumer vehicles including trucks, buses, and vans.

Mercedes-Benz is currently focused on battery power, but it has started working on other alternative fuel methods such as hydrogen as seen in the brand’s GLC F-Cell.

But more than vehicle emissions, another integral part of Ambition2039 is working on fixing manufacturing emissions. The company’s carbon-neutral Factory 56 plant in Sindelfingen, Germany serves as the green blueprint, which all European plants will be patterned by 2022. The plants will also begin using renewable energy sources (wind and solar), while vehicles will have a “potential recycling ratio of 85 percent,” greatly reducing overall waste by the brand.

The German manufacturer, however, is aware that this is only a small part of the problem as a huge chunk of electric energy still comes from sources that release carbon dioxide. However, the company says it is working with suppliers to find more sustainable solutions and is continuously encouraging its customers to charge their electric vehicles using renewable energy.