Mercedes-Benz campus: Stuttgart-Untertürkheim gears up for ‘Electric First’ future

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Mercedes-Benz is transforming its Drive Systems unit and its Stuttgart-Untertürkheim site for an “Electric First” future.

This is in the context of Ambition 2039 – the company’s path towards carbon neutrality. Thus, the luxury carmaker is underpinning its new strategy, presented in October 2020.

Following intensive negotiations, the management and works council of the Mercedes-Benz Untertürkheim plant in Germany arrived at an agreement to make an investment of a three-digit million euro amount to transform Untertürkheim.

The largest site in the company’s global powertrain production network, Untertürkheim will in future be known as the “Mercedes-Benz Drive Systems Campus”.

The facility will concentrate on research, development and production ramp-ups of drive systems. The pact strengthens Untertürkheim’s role as a development and qualification hub for drive technologies and further expands its already broad expertise in the field of e-mobility – through a campus for electric and electrified drive systems.

A new production unit for the small-series production of future battery cells, and a dedicated battery safety lab, will complement Mercedes-Benz’s existing research and development activities in the field of battery technology.

The firm works for a holistic approach which ranges from basic research and development to manufacturing of battery systems.

As far as series production is concerned, the facility will focus increasingly on electric drive components – battery and electric drive systems, while conventional engine, transmission and component production will gradually be phased out, which will effect employment profiles and scopes.

According to Markus Schäfer, Member of the Board of Management of Daimler AG and Mercedes-Benz AG; responsible for Daimler Group Research and Mercedes-Benz Cars COO: “Mercedes-Benz stringently moves forward on the path to CO2-neutrality. Taking a leading role in electric vehicles means further boosting our own research and development and achieving maximum progress with global tech partners.”

He added: “I am totally convinced that in development and production, optimal access to new technologies and global expertise as well as redirecting the use of capital to carbon neutral investments will be more crucial than ever in the future.”

Markus further said that this requires maximum flexibility and the consistent scrutiny of existing structures.

Transformational phase

The transformational phase toward CO2-neutrality also means far-reaching changes in particular to our drive system division, he said and added that targeting our Untertürkheim site on ‘Electric First’ with a dedicated campus for electric drive technologies means an important cornerstone for our Mercedes-EQ product initiative.

Mercedes-Benz Drive Systems Campus is a key development step regarding the sustainable transformation of the Untertürkheim site. Also, this requires substantial adjustments in its production program and processes.

(With inputs from Automotive Lead Research Team)

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