Mercedes-Benz will make investments billions of euros to modernize its vegetation in China, Germany and Hungary over the approaching years, Automobilwoche, a sister publication of Automotive Information Europe, reported, citing Jörg Burzer, the automaker’s manufacturing chief.
“We’re investing a three-digit million quantity per plant for the run up,” Burzer informed AMW in an interview, including that these investments will primarily be on the vegetation in Beijing; Rastatt, Germany; and Kecskemet, Hungary.
The automaker will begin work on the Rastatt plant over the summer time and can produce the primary mannequin on the brand new compact car platform MMA beginning in 2024.
The brand new structure is designed for electrical drives however may accommodate a combustion powertrain.
The variety of compact fashions produced on the German manufacturing facility will probably be lower to 4 from seven, Burzer stated.
Mercedes can even make investments a low single-digit billion euro sum in modernizing the paint outlets in Rastatt and fellow German vegetation Sindelfingen and Bremen.
The report stated the modernization goals to chop power and water consumption on the manufacturing facility and scale back its reliance on pure fuel.
As Sindelfingen is the oldest of the vegetation, its paint store will probably be modernized first, making it prepared for 2 new sports activities automotive fashions based mostly on the automaker’s AMG.EA electrical platform.
A midsize mannequin based mostly on a 3rd all-electric structure, MB.EA, can also be deliberate for Kecskemet, Burzer stated.
Mercedes can also be contemplating increasing its U.S. plant in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, the place it may profit from authorities subsidies below the Inflation Discount Act, Automobilwoche stated.
“We’re taking a look at what occurs with the IRA. The framework circumstances worldwide are all the time altering, and we have now to react to that if obligatory,” Burzer stated.
Mercedes is at the moment getting ready its international manufacturing community for its subsequent era of full-electric automobiles on new platforms.
The lineup in Europe and China is basically decided, however it’s nonetheless unclear what is going to occur to vegetation in South Africa and Mexico.
South Africa is at capability with the C-Class, Burzer stated, whereas the GLB SUV is coming off the manufacturing line in Mexico.
Mercedes has stated it will likely be able to go all-electric by the top of the last decade, the place market circumstances permit.