Mercedes-Benz is intensifying its cooperation with Grob in manufacturing technology, expanding production capacity and know-how for next-generation batteries.
Mercedes-Benz’s global battery production network will include nine battery factories on three continents, underscoring the company’s ambition to become fully electric before the end of the decade, where market conditions permit.
“The global Mercedes-Benz battery production network is a key pillar of the Mercedes-EQ model offensive and the foundation of our strategic shift from ‘Electric First’ to ‘Electric Only,’” said Mercedes-Benz member of the board and Production and Supply Chain management, Jörg Burzer.
“Through our partnership with Grob-Werke, we want to leverage further potential in the area of manufacturing technology in terms of efficiency, digitisation and sustainability and thereby further expand our battery production capacity.”
The focus of the cooperation is on the joint development and construction of production facilities for the global battery production network and includes the assembly of both battery modules and packs.
Production systems from Grob are already in use in the battery plants of Mercedes-Benz. In future, the partners will work closely on the development and construction of production facilities in the spirit of ‘Design for Manufacturing. ‘The cooperation will focus on the system technology of future generations of Mercedes-Benz battery systems to be used in Mercedes-EQ vehicles from 2025.
The batteries for the Mercedes-EQ electric vehicles will in future be supplied by a global battery production network, with nine plants in seven locations on three continents.
Mercedes-Benz already manufactures battery systems at its locations in Kamenz (Saxony), Hedelfingen (Stuttgart), as well as in Bangkok (Thailand), Beijing (China) and Jawor (Poland).
Staff in Brühl (Stuttgart) and Tuscaloosa (US) are now preparing for the start of production in 2022.
In addition, a battery plant is also to be built at the Sindelfingen plant near Stuttgart.