Mercedes-Benz EQA.

Below are some details regarding the life cycle assessment of this electric SUV:

• To demonstrate the impact of using renewable energy, Mercedes-Benz presents two possible scenarios. If renewable energy is used to charge the high-voltage battery, CO₂ emissions over the entire life cycle of the EQA can be reduced by about one-third. This is the result of an analysis² conducted by Mercedes-Benz that included various energy sources. The second scenario is based on the conventional electricity mix. Both scenarios assume a total mileage of 160,000 kilometers.
• A major step forward in terms of cell chemistry sustainability has been achieved with this battery generation: the optimized active material consists of nickel, cobalt, and manganese in a ratio of 8:1:1. This reduces the cobalt content to just ten percent.
• Looking ahead to the future return of lithium-ion battery systems from battery-electric vehicles, Mercedes-Benz has established its own battery recycling plant based on hydrometallurgy in Germany, which was opened in October 2024. The plant’s process design is expected to enable recycling rates of more than 96 percent in the future.
• Since 2021, Mercedes-Benz has been ensuring retrospective compensation using green electricity when customers charge at public charging stations in Europe, the USA, and Canada via MB.CHARGE^[a]To use the Digital Extras, you must create a Mercedes me ID and agree to the current versions of the Terms of Use for Digital Extras and the Mercedes me ID Terms of Use. In addition, the respective vehicle must be linked to the user account. After the limited usage period expires, the Digital Extras can be renewed for a fee, provided they are still available for the respective vehicle.
  To use the Digital Extra MB.CHARGE Public, a separate, customer-owned charging contract with a selected third-party provider is required. This contract handles the payment and billing of the charging processes.
  . Green electricity certificates ensure that an equivalent amount of electricity from renewable sources is subsequently fed into the grid to match the charging processes.

²For the life cycle assessment, LCA software and database (version: SP2024.2) from Sphera Solutions GmbH were used.