Mercedes-Benz Sets 2039 Emissions Cut Targets
The automaker outlines further decarbonisation steps and new initiatives to reduce emissions from aluminium and steel.
Updated on Nov. 15, 2026 in Electric Vehicles
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Mercedes-Benz aims to cut CO₂ emissions from its own production by 90% by 2039 compared with 2019, and has announced new initiatives to reduce emissions from aluminium and steel. The company also plans to launch 14 all-electric vehicles between 2025 and 2027.
Why it matters
Emissions from vehicle production and materials make up a large share of an automaker's footprint, so cutting them shapes how electric vehicles are built as well as driven. The targets set a benchmark for competitors as the industry faces growing pressure to decarbonise its supply chains.
Mercedes-Benz targets 90%, 80% and 70% CO₂ cuts by 2039 against 2019, with the usage-phase goal subject to market conditions. Renewable energy covers 51% of energy at its Cars sites and 39% at its Vans sites.
The players
Mercedes-Benz Group AG
A German luxury automaker headquartered in Stuttgart that produces cars and vans and has set long-term decarbonisation targets for its operations and supply chain.
Hydro
A Norwegian aluminium company that signed a long-term offtake agreement to supply Mercedes-Benz with at least 10% of its primary aluminium requirements.
HyIron
A company whose rotary kiln technology uses hydrogen to convert iron ore directly into reduced iron, tested in a pilot with Mercedes-Benz.
Anglo American
A global mining company whose Kumba Iron Ore division supplied the fine iron ore used in the Mercedes-Benz steel pilot.
The details
Mercedes-Benz joined the aluminium sector of the First Movers Coalition and signed a binding, long-term offtake agreement with Hydro covering at least 10% of its primary aluminium needs. A pilot with Anglo American's Kumba Iron Ore division and HyIron converted South African fine iron ore into reduced iron using hydrogen, and that material was used in steel and a demonstrator part for the Mercedes-Benz EQS.
Timeline
2025 to 2027: Planned launch of 14 all-electric vehicles.
Past two years: Achieved about 570 GWh of cumulative energy savings across its global production network.
2027: Hydro aluminium deployment is scheduled to begin.
Mid-2027: Twenty wind turbines at the Papenburg test track are expected to start generating electricity.
2039: Target year for the 90%, 80% and 70% emissions reduction goals.
Roadmap
Mercedes-Benz's aluminium commitment follows the First Movers Coalition's approach of creating guaranteed demand for low-emission metals, moving beyond voluntary pledges. The move reflects a wider automotive shift in which decarbonising materials and production now matters as much as electrifying the drivetrain.
Buyers considering Mercedes-Benz electric models may see the 14 planned all-electric vehicles arrive between 2025 and 2027. The targets signal how the brand's production and materials choices could influence the cars that reach dealerships in that period.
The takeaway
Emissions reduction for electric vehicles extends beyond the tailpipe to materials like aluminium and steel and to the energy used to make them. Watching whether targets such as the 2027 Hydro deployment are met will show how quickly these commitments translate into production.
Further reading
For more on how automakers are shifting their production and supply chains, explore the Electric Vehicles section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Themachinemaker.
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