Ebonisa ukuzimisela kwayo ngekusasa likagesi, iMercedes-Benz ihlela ukutshala imali eyizigidi eziyizinkulungwane eziyi-1 zamaRandi e-Alabama ukuze ikhiqize izimoto zikagesi.

Lokhu kutshalwa kwezimali kuzoya kokubili ekwandiseni isitshalo esikhona somkhiqizo wobukhazikhazi waseJalimane eduze kwaseTuscaloosa kanye nokwakha imboni entsha yamabhethri engamamitha-skwele ayisigidi.

Nakuba ukuthengiswa kwezimoto zikagesi bekungapholile, iMercedes ibukele njengoba iTesla iphuma isibe ngumdlali onamandla esigabeni se-super-premium nge-model S sedan yayo kagesi kanye ne-Model X crossover. Manje iTesla isongela ingxenye ephansi, esezingeni lokuqala yemakethe yobukhazikhazi nge-model 3 sedan yayo eshibhile.

Le nkampani ilandela isu lokuthi “noma yini iTesla engayenza, singayenza kangcono”, kusho umhlaziyi weSanford Bernstein uMax Warburton encwadini yakhe yakamuva kubatshalizimali. “IMercedes iyaqiniseka ukuthi ingalinganisa izindleko zebhethri leTesla, inqobe izindleko zayo zokukhiqiza nezokuthenga, ikhuphule umkhiqizo ngokushesha futhi ibe nekhwalithi engcono. Iphinde iqiniseke ukuthi izimoto zayo zizoshayela kangcono.”

Isinyathelo seMercedes siza njengoba abakhiqizi bezimoto abakhulu baseJalimane, okuhlanganisa iVolkswagen neBMW, beshintsha ngokushesha bashiya izinjini zikadizili ngenxa yemithetho eqinile yokukhishwa kwegesi emhlabeni jikelele.

IMercedes ithe ilindele ukwengeza imisebenzi emisha engu-600 endaweni yaseTuscaloosa ngotshalomali olusha. Izokwandisa ukwanda kwesakhiwo okubiza amaRandi ayizigidi eziyizinkulungwane ezingu-1.3 okwamenyezelwa ngo-2015 ukuze kwengezwe isitolo esisha sokukhiqiza izimoto kanye nokuthuthukisa izinhlelo zezokuthutha kanye nezamakhompyutha.

“Sikhulisa kakhulu indawo yethu yokukhiqiza lapha e-Alabama, ngenkathi sithumela umyalezo ocacile kumakhasimende ethu kulo lonke elase-US nasemhlabeni jikelele: I-Mercedes-Benz izoqhubeka nokuba sezingeni eliphezulu ekuthuthukisweni nasekukhiqizweni kwezimoto zikagesi,” kusho uMarkus Schäfer, umphathi womkhiqizo we-Mercedes, esitatimendeni.

Izinhlelo ezintsha zenkampani zifaka phakathi ukukhiqizwa kwezimoto zikagesi ze-Alabama ngaphansi kwegama leMercedes EQ.

Imboni yamabhethri engamafidi-skwele ayisigidi izoba seduze nesitshalo saseTuscaloosa, kusho iMercedes esitatimendeni. Kuzoba umsebenzi wesihlanu weDaimler emhlabeni wonke onekhono lokukhiqiza amabhethri.

IMercedes ithe ihlela ukuqala ukwakhiwa ngo-2018 futhi iqale ukukhiqiza “ekuqaleni kweminyaka eyishumi ezayo.” Lesi sinyathelo sihambisana ngqo nohlelo lweDaimler lokunikeza izimoto ezingaphezu kuka-50 ezinohlobo oluthile lwe-hybrid noma i-electric powertrain ngo-2022.

Lesi simemezelo sasihlobene nomkhosi wokugubha iminyaka engama-20 embonini yaseTuscaloosa, eyavulwa ngo-1997. Le fektri okwamanje iqasha abasebenzi abangaphezu kuka-3,700 futhi yenza izimoto ezingaphezu kuka-310,000 minyaka yonke.

Le fektri yenza ama-GLE, GLS kanye nama-GLE Coupe SUV athengiswa e-US nasemhlabeni jikelele futhi yenza i-C-class sedan ethengiswa eNyakatho Melika.

Naphezu kwentengo kaphethiloli ephansi kanye nesabelo semakethe sase-US esingu-0.5% kuphela kuze kube manje kulo nyaka ezimotweni zikagesi, ukutshalwa kwezimali kulesi sigaba kuyashesha ngenxa yezizathu zomthetho kanye nezobuchwepheshe.

Umhlaziyi weSanford Bernstein uMark Newman ubikezele ukuthi ukwehla kwezindleko zamabhethri kuzokwenza izimoto zikagesi zibe nentengo efanayo nezimoto zikaphethiloli ngo-2021, "okushesha kakhulu kunalokho abaningi abakulindele."

Futhi yize uhulumeni kaTrump ecabanga ukwehlisa amazinga omnotho kaphethiloli, abakhiqizi bezimoto bayaqhubeka nezinhlelo zezimoto zikagesi ngoba abalawuli kwezinye izimakethe baphokophela ukunciphisa ukukhishwa kwegesi.

Eyinhloko phakathi kwazo yiShayina, imakethe yezimoto enkulu kunazo zonke emhlabeni. UXin Guobin, iphini likangqongqoshe wezimboni nobuchwepheshe bolwazi eShayina, muva nje umemezele ukuvinjelwa kokukhiqizwa nokuthengiswa kwezimoto zikaphethiloli eShayina kodwa akanikezanga mininingwane ngesikhathi.