BERLIN (Reuters – Mercedes-Benz plans to include a high-energy-dense, new battery in its upcoming G-Class electric car from 2025. This is a solution for the challenge of powering large electric vehicles without weighing them down by heavy batteries, according to Tuesday’s announcement.

Mercedes-Benz claims that this battery is made from start-up Sila Nanotechnologies. It uses silicon-based anodes, and it’s 20-40% denser than similar cells.

Tesla (NASDAQ) stated in 2020 that it will use Silicon in its battery production. It is an alternative to graphite which 70% of which comes out of China.

Sila Nanotechnologies’ first customer, Mercedes-Benz, announced that the company had signed a contract with Mercedes-Benz to purchase its automobiles. It is located in California.

This premium carmaker holds a minority stake in Sila (unlisted), which also works with BMW.

Sila, which was started by an ex Tesla engineer, has raised additional $590million last year. This raises its estimated valuation at $3.3Billion.