Mercedes-Benz chairman holds high-profile meeting with Samsung, LG

Mercedes-Benz Group Chairman Ola Kallenius held high-profile business meetings Thursday with top executives from Samsung and LG to strengthen their auto parts partnership amid the shift to electrification. He met with Samsung Electronics Executive Chairman Lee Jae-yong and a group of other CEO-level officials from the two Korean conglomerates. This marks the first visit by the Mercedes-Benz chief to Korea since 2023. The Mercedes-Benz chief was widely expected to discuss future ties with the carmaker’s major Korean clients in areas such as batteries, in-vehicle displays and auto chips, as the luxury automaker undergoes a major shift to electrification. The focus is on whether Samsung can deepen its battery partnership with Mercedes-Benz. In September, LG Energy Solution secured a large-scale battery supply contract worth 15 trillion won ($10.2 billion) from the German automaker. Mercedes-Benz sells electric vehicles (EVs) equipped with batteries from Korean firms, such as LG Energy Solution and SK On, for the Korean market, but Samsung SDI has yet to supply its EV batteries to the auto