According to foreign media reports, Ola Kallenius, CEO of German automaker Daimler AG, believes that if technology giants such as Google, Apple and Alibaba decide to launch their own electric cars, the company will face fierce competition.

　　(Image source: Daimler)

　　Although these technology giants have not yet started selling their own cars, there are reports that as the electric car race heats up, they may soon launch products that combine hardware and software.

　　Therefore, when asked if he is worried about these technology giants entering the electric car market, Kang Linsong said frankly that the competition will be very fierce. "When an industry is undergoing transformation, I think it's natural to get the attention of new players."

　　Kang Linsong stated that Daimler will “examine the meaning of its brand and bring it into the next technological era.” He added that if the company does a good job in electrification, it will be able to build on the foundation of its current position. Continue to develop.

　　Kang Linsong made the above remarks at a time when Daimler's Mercedes-Benz division launched an electric version of the luxury flagship sedan S-Class. "This can be said to be the beginning of a new era," Kang Linsong said. "A lot of people are curious about this new car." The pricing of this electric luxury sedan will be announced this summer, but Kang Linsong said Daimler expects this car. It will be profitable as soon as it goes public.

　　He added that the variable cost of a car with a large battery is higher than that of a car with a traditional internal combustion engine. "During this decade of transformation, our task is to reduce variable costs on the one hand and restore profit margins in all our market segments."

　　Kang Linsong also said, "Electric vehicle technology is still in its infancy, and there is still a lot of work to be done. But it is certain that electric vehicles will achieve large-scale and technological development. I am optimistic that we will be able to restore the previous profit margins. ."

　　In the past 12 months, Daimler’s share price has soared. On April 15th, the company’s share price rose to 75 euros ($89) per share, a year-on-year increase of 173%. "Our share price has a positive and good momentum," Kang Linsong said, "This is due to the improvement of the company's financial performance and future technology strategy."

　　However, Daimler's market value has fallen from approximately 185 billion euros in 1998 to 80 billion euros today. At the same time, Tesla's market value soared to $694 billion. Kang Linsong said, "If we calculate the current total market value of every automaker in the world, you will end up with a surprising number. We need to ensure that the distribution of total market value is more beneficial to us. This is the direction we are working on. ."

　　Like other automakers, Daimler’s business has also been negatively affected by the global chip shortage. Kang Linsong said, "At present, our sales volume is larger than the production volume."