LG Energy Solution reportedly to build 46100 cells in Poland for Mercedes' next EVs, from 2028

LG Energy Solution (LGES), one of the world's biggest battery makers, is reportedly set to supply Mercedes-Benz's next electric cars with a new cylindrical cell format: 46100, meaning 46 mm in diameter and 100 mm tall. The report comes from South Korean outlet The Elec, citing industry sources. According to The Elec, LGES will build the production line next year at its plant in Poland, near Wrocław, with deliveries starting in 2028. electrive picked up the story on October 3.

Note: this is a sourced report, not an official announcement. An LGES official told The Elec only that the company "has been considering" a 46-series line in Poland "in light of support policies in Europe". The official added that investment in module equipment "has not been finalized" and that it is "difficult to confirm specific customers". We found no statement from Mercedes-Benz on the subject.

A clarification: electrive's headline ("46,100 round cells") can read as a quantity. It's actually the format name, 46100, not a number of cells.

What The Elec reports

• 46100 is a format LGES hasn't shown publicly. Until now, the 46-series cells it had announced were the 4680, 4695 and 46120. All share the 46 mm diameter but differ in height.
• The first mass-production line would be at the Polish plant, with Mercedes-Benz as the end customer.
• LGES is already adapting 46100 equipment at its Ochang plant in South Korea to match the specifications of the Polish line.
• LGES is weighing producing modules, and possibly packs, for Mercedes, not just cells. It would be the first time LGES assembles modules from cylindrical cells itself. Until now, that work has usually gone to outside companies.

What is officially confirmed: in February 2026, LGES Wrocław announced the 46inEU project, co-funded by the EU's Innovation Fund. It covers a 46-series cylindrical cell line with roughly 12 GWh of annual capacity (about 90 million cells), described as the first of its kind in Poland and in Europe. The release mentions NCMA chemistry and silicon anodes but names no customer and no exact format.

46100 vs 4680: what the numbers mean

For cylindrical cells, the first two digits are the diameter and the rest is the height, in millimetres. A 4680 cell, the format Tesla made famous, measures 46 × 80 mm. A 46100 has the same diameter but is 20 mm taller.

Format	Diameter	Height	Volume vs 4680
21700 (classic format)	21 mm	70 mm	~18%
4680	46 mm	80 mm	100%
4695	46 mm	95 mm	~119%
46100	46 mm	100 mm	~125%
46120	46 mm	120 mm	~150%

The volumes are our own calculation, based on dimensions alone. A cell's actual energy also depends on its chemistry, so a 46100 would store about a quarter more energy than a 4680 only if the chemistry is the same.

What large 46-series cells bring, according to The Elec and LGES:

• more than five times the energy per cell of the 21700 format;
• a "tabless" design: current is collected along the whole electrode rather than through a single tab, which cuts internal resistance and heat. That helps power output and fast charging;
• fewer cells and fewer connections per pack, which simplifies assembly.

Why exactly 100 mm? Neither LGES nor Mercedes has said. But cell height sets the thickness of the battery pack and, with it, how low the car's floor can be. Our inference: 100 mm looks like a compromise between a low car (a saloon or coupé) and as much energy as possible. BMW, which already uses 46 mm cylindrical cells in the Neue Klasse, chose two different heights: 95 and 120 mm.

Mercedes' battery strategy: more suppliers, more formats

For a long time Mercedes relied mainly on pouch cells. For its new generation of EVs it's diversifying both formats and suppliers:

Supplier	What it supplies (confirmed or reported)
LG Energy Solution	four long-term contracts since October 2024; 46-series cylindrical cells, according to Korean press
Samsung SDI	first contract, signed in April 2026: high-nickel NCM cells; prismatic, according to Korean press, for compact and mid-size SUVs and coupés
CATL	the prismatic cells in the current CLA (NMC, plus LFP for the CLA 200, according to electrive); in 2022 Mercedes said it was the first and biggest customer for the Debrecen plant's initial capacity
SK On, Farasis	earlier suppliers

The four LGES–Mercedes contracts, from LGES's Seoul stock exchange filings as reported by Reuters, Yonhap and the Korea Herald (the full table is in The Elec's Korean edition):

Signed	Volume	Market	Period
October 2024	50.5 GWh	North America and other regions	2028–2038
September 2025	32 GWh	Europe	Aug 2028 – Dec 2035
September 2025	75 GWh	US	Jul 2029 – Dec 2037
December 2025	undisclosed (2.06 trillion won, ~$1.4 billion)	Europe and North America	Mar 2028 – Jun 2035

LGES didn't publish the value of the first three contracts. Industry estimates put the two September 2025 deals at around 15 trillion won (about $10.8 billion). At the time, the Korea Herald reported that the European volume was expected to be made in Wrocław. Our inference: a 46100 line in Poland with deliveries from 2028 would fit the 32 GWh European contract, which starts in August 2028. That hasn't been confirmed, though.

Which platforms? Nothing official. Here's what we know:

• MMA is the platform for compact models such as the new CLA. Korean press and electrive report that Samsung SDI's prismatic cells would go here.
• MB.EA is the platform for mid-size and large EVs. Its first model, the electric GLC (MB.EA-M), uses prismatic cells grouped into modules, according to electrive.
• AMG.EA is AMG's electric performance platform. Mercedes says its battery uses cylindrical cells with direct cooling, and the AMG GT XX concept pictured is the first car to showcase it.

The Elec only says "next-generation EVs". AMG.EA already using cylindrical cells is a hint, but not confirmation, that the 46100 cells will end up there (our inference).

Why EU-made cells matter

For Mercedes, cells made in Poland mean shorter transport and less dependence on imports from Asia. They also offer some protection from potential trade tensions. The EU is putting more and more weight on European production. In the Commission's proposed Automotive Package, for example, super-credits for small EVs and subsidies for company cars would be tied to EU manufacturing (details in our article on the EU Automotive Package). The LGES official himself cites "support policies in Europe" as the reason for the Polish line.

The backdrop isn't simple. ACC, the European cell venture in which Mercedes is a shareholder alongside Stellantis and TotalEnergies, has faced delays and yield problems, according to The Elec. That's why German carmakers still lean heavily on Asian battery makers with plants in Europe.

The Central and Eastern Europe angle

For readers in Romania, the interesting part is the geography. A large part of Europe's battery supply chain has moved to our region:

• Poland, Lower Silesia. LGES has made batteries at Biskupice Podgórne, near Wrocław, since 2016 and describes itself as Europe's largest maker of automotive lithium-ion batteries. On its website, the company gives a capacity of 80 GWh a year, or roughly one million EV batteries. Also in Lower Silesia, at Jawor, Mercedes has a plant that has assembled battery packs for plug-in hybrids and EVs since 2020.
• Hungary. On September 22, CATL started trial cell production in Debrecen, near the Romanian border. In 2022 Mercedes said it would be the plant's first and biggest customer for the initial capacity. BMW also builds the iX3 and its Gen6 cylindrical-cell batteries in Debrecen (see our article on BMW's new battery plant and our piece on the iX3 and BMW's compact EV).
• Romania doesn't yet have an automotive cell plant on this scale. The Romvolt project in Galați, a €1.4 billion, 22 GWh gigafactory announced in 2023, was dropped by Belgian investor ABEE in 2024, according to Economica.net.

What it could mean for Romania (our inferences):

• For drivers, the direct effect is small and only arrives after 2028. Cells matter for the cost and range of cars that will also be sold in Romania.
• For industry, a battery cluster in Poland and Hungary means demand for components, materials, logistics and, later, recycling across the region. Romanian automotive suppliers could benefit, but losing Romvolt shows that big cell investments have so far bypassed Romania.

What it means for drivers

• Nothing changes right away. The line would be built next year, and the first cells would reach cars in 2028 at the earliest.
• Cell format isn't everything. Range and charging speed depend just as much on chemistry, cooling and software. A 46100 does promise more energy per cell and a simpler battery build, though.
• What to watch: official confirmation from LGES or Mercedes, the final investment decision in Wrocław, and the first Mercedes model to use these cells.