Mercedes-Benz continues to realign its global production network toward electric vehicles. That is why the company and employee representatives have agreed on the significant expansion of the production capacities for electric drive units. According to the agreement, the previously planned capacities will be doubled.

In the target scenario, one million electric drive units can be produced. The brand is preparing to go fully electric by the decade’s end, wherever market conditions allow.

‘Electric Only’

The Stuttgart-Untertürkheim plant is already responsible for producing batteries and axles for plug-in hybrids and fully electric Mercedes EQ models. From 2024, the ramp-up will begin at the Untertürkheim location.

Jörg Burzer, Member of the Board of Management of Mercedes-Benz Group AG, responsible for Production and Supply Chain Management: “Untertürkheim will continue to drive Mercedes-Benz in the truest sense of the word, also in the electric era.”

Future-oriented

Frank Deiß, Plant Manager: “With highly efficient drive units and batteries, we are making the Untertürkheim plant fit for the future. In the future, we will be able to supply e-drives for one million Mercedes-EQ vehicles to our vehicle plants.”

The electric drive unit for the new models is being developed in-house at Mercedes-Benz. Construction of the new assembly lines on the site of the Untertürkheim plant, as well as the Bad Cannstatt plant, will begin next year.

Drive portfolio

The business unit ‘Mercedes-Benz Drive Systems’ is responsible for the entire drive portfolio of the Group. It bundles all drive-related activities in the areas of development, procurement, controlling, human resources, and production under one roof.

The Mercedes-Benz Untertürkheim plant is the largest location in the global Mercedes-Benz powertrain production network and has several plant annexes in the Neckar valley. With approximately 16 000 employees, the plant currently produces engines, batteries, axles, transmissions, and components. Untertürkheim is also the location of the Mercedes-Benz Group AG headquarters.