Mercedes: One million electric drives per year should be produced in Stuttgart in the future

Created: 06/12/2022, 17:31

By: Patricia Huber

At Mercedes, large quantities of electric drives are to be produced in Germany in the future.

© Carmen Jaspersen/dpa

Mercedes wants to make its "traditional location" fit for the future.

In Stuttgart, the planned production capacity for electric drives is to be doubled.

Stuttgart – Mercedes-Benz is driving the transformation towards e-mobility at its headquarters in Stuttgart.

In the future, the carmaker wants to produce significantly more electric drive units at its plant in Untertürkheim than previously planned.

As part of a new works agreement, employer and employee representatives agreed on doubling the planned capacities, as the company announced on Tuesday (December 6) in Stuttgart.

Mercedes: One million electric drives per year in Stuttgart

The ramp-up will start at the end of 2024, said site manager Frank Deiß.

According to current planning, this will take around three to four years before one million electric drives can be produced annually.

Doubling the production capacity requires investments in the three-digit million range, said Deiss, without wanting to put a number on them.

Overall, the construction of production is also in the three-digit million range.

Mercedes is thus making its "traditional location in the Neckar Valley fit for the future," said CEO Jörg Burzer according to the announcement.

This underlines the orientation of the plant in the global production network for powertrains.

The transformation of the location is making great strides, said Deiß.

The location is not only involved in the transformation of the company, but an essential part, said the chairman of the works council in Untertürkheim, Michael Häberle.

Mercedes: Combustor is not dead

Nevertheless, the combustion engine is not dead, said Deiß.

It will still be important for a while and will ensure that the Untertürkheim plant is busy.

Due to the parallel production of combustion engines and electric drives, Häberle sees the plant as busy and diversified as never before.

Mercedes-Benz wants to become fully electric by the end of the decade, but only "where market conditions permit".

According to its own information, the group produces drive components such as motors, batteries, axles and transmissions in Untertürkheim with around 16,000 employees.

Around 3,000 employees are also active in research and development in this area.

Parts of the electric drive systems are already being developed and tested today.

Construction of the new assembly lines will begin next year.