Mercedes-Benz continues to realign its electric vehicle’s global production network. The luxury car brand is gearing to go all-electric by the decade’s end, wherever market conditions would allow, according to Automotive World.
The Stuttgart-Untertürkheim plant plays a vital role in this. In addition to conventional components and drive units, it’s already responsible for producing batteries and axles for all-electric and plug-in hybrid Mercedes-EQ models.
With the Mercedes-Benz eCampus launch a few months ago, the plant lays another breakthrough in its transformation. The production and assembly of drive units from 2024 onwards is part of the plant’s future vision in 2019.
Currently, the company and employee representatives agreed on the production capacities’ expansion for e-drive units as part of a new works agreement.
One million drive units to be produced
Notably, the previously planned capacities would be doubled during the new agreement. From 2024, the expansion would start at the Untertürkheim location. One million electric drive units could be produced in the target scenario, such as vehicles on the Mercedes Modular Architecture (MMA) platform.
Untertürkheim will continue to drive Mercedes-Benz in the truest sense of the word, also in the electric era. With production volumes for our new Mercedes-EQ models, we are making our traditional location in the Neckar Valley fit for the future and continuing its success story. One million electric drive units: We are reinforcing Stuttgart-Untertürkheim’s importance within our global powertrain production network and thus also the role of our highly competent colleagues.
Jörg Burzer, Member of the Board of Management of Mercedes-Benz Group AG
Assembly lines construction to begin next year
The electric drive units for the new models are being developed at Mercedes-Benz. New assembly lines construction on the site of the Untertürkheim plant and the Bad Cannstatt plant will start in 2023.
The transformation of the Untertürkheim location is progressing with great strides. With highly efficient drive units and batteries, we are making the Untertürkheim plant fit for the future. In future, we will be able to supply e-drives for one million Mercedes-EQ vehicles to our vehicle plants. That makes me proud. The ramp-up will begin in 2024. With our highly flexible and committed teams here at the location, we are continuing to write the success story of the Untertürkheim plant together.
Frank Deiß, Chairman Mercedes-Benz Drive Systems, Head of Production Powertrain Mercedes-Benz Cars and Plant Manager, Mercedes-Benz Untertürkheim
Untertürkheim & the Hedelfingen and Mettingen annexes to manufacture and provide drive unit parts
In the future, Untertürkheim and the Hedelfingen and Mettingen annexes would manufacture and provide parts of the electric drive unit. The basis for these sustainable jobs is a comprehensive training and retraining program for the workers at the place.
One million electric drives from Untertürkheim! This result shows that our efforts over the past years have paid off. With our battery factories, eCampus and electric drive units and axles, we have laid the foundation for our location not only to participate in the transformation of the company, but to be an essential part of it. With the latest decision, e-mobility has now also arrived in Bad Cannstatt and thus in all areas of our location!
Michael Häberle, Chairman of the Works Council at the Mercedes-Benz Untertürkheim location
The business unit “Mercedes-Benz Drive Systems” is responsible for the drive portfolio of the company and wraps all drive-related activities in controlling, development, procurement, production, and human resources under one roof.
Mercedes-Benz Untertürkheim plant
Notably, the Untertürkheim plant is the largest in the global Mercedes-Benz powertrain production network and has numerous plant annexes in the Neckar valley.
With an estimated 16,000 employees, the plant currently produces axles, batteries, components, engines, and transmissions.
In addition, the location is home to a large part of the automaker’s powertrain research and development, with about 3000 employees and a test track for vehicle testing.
Parts of the electric drive systems are also already being developed and tested there. Notably, Untertürkheim is also the Mercedes-Benz Group AG headquarters location.
