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Mercedes-Benz plant in Rastatt: Farewell to the last A-Class of the second generation

By | Published Saturday, 21 April 2012

Since the production started back in 2004, more than one million vehicles of the current A-Class model generation (W 169/BR 169) have come out the assembly line at the Mercedes-Benz plant in Rastatt. The final car of this series, an A 180 CDI in polar silver, has recently left the factory. The vehicle will arrive at a customer in France. "We are very proud of the success story of the A-Class we will continue to write with the next series. Preparations for the start of the new A-Class are already in full swing.", said Peter Wesp, head of the Mercedes-Benz plant in Rastatt.

The new A-Class

In March this year the new A-class celebrated the world premiere at the Geneva Motor Show. Up to 18 inches lower than the previous model, the new generation displays a sporty, confident character. As the world's first automobile manufacturer, Mercedes-Benz has completely integrated digital and phone communication and functionality in the telematics concept of the W 176 generation. The new petrol and diesel engines are now more fuel efficient and meet any power requirements. They can be combined with the new six-speed manual gearbox or with the optional automatic transmission with double clutch transmission 7G-DCT. The new A-Class is the first car in its segment to feature a standard radar-based collision warning system with ADAPTIVE BRAKE ASSIST, which decreases the chances of a collision. The first units will be delivered to clients beginning with September 2012.

About the Mercedes-Benz plant in Rastatt

The Rastatt plant was officially inaugurated in 1992, with the E-Class being the first model to be assembled there until 1996. From 1997 onwards, the facility was established as a production site for the new A-Class. Prior to 2004, when the second generation came into force, around 1.1 million compact Mercedes-Benz premium models were sold to clients all over the world. Moreover, the current A-Class series appealed to more than one million customers and, in addition, beginning with 2005, the B-Class was also introduced in the production portfolio of the Rastatt factory. This niche vehicle, marketed as a compact sports tourer, became instantly popular, with total sales exceeding 700,000 units. Therefore, the Rastatt plant is unanimously recognized as a competence center for the construction of compact cars from Mercedes-Benz.

Starting September 2011, the new B-Class (W 246) was introduced in the range. Currently, preparations are being made at Rastatt to welcome the new A-Class, which is celebrating the world premiere at the Geneva Motor Show in March 2012. The new generation of Mercedes-Benz premium compact cars further includes three more sporty, emotional models, including a coupe and an SUV. The five new models will be built in a comprehensive production network comprising the Rastatt plant and the new facility in Kecskemét, Hungary. Three of the five models will be assembled at Rastatt.
Credits: Daimler AG

Copyright © 2012, Mercedes-Benz-Blog. All rights reserved.

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Production milestone at the Mercedes-Benz plant in Sindelfingen: 500,000th E-Class sedan leaves the factory line

By | Published Tuesday, 3 April 2012

Less than three years after the start of production, the Mercedes-Benz plant in Sindelfingen achieves a high score: half a million E-Class sedans from the W 212 series rolled off the assembly line up to this moment. The anniversary vehicle is an E 350 4MATIC in Calcit White exterior paint finish and boasting an extensive equipment, which is bound to reach a customer from the USA. In addition to the standard safety package, the limousine also features the Active Lane Keeping Assist and Active Blind Spot Assist systems on board.

"The E-Class is the epitome of a luxury sedan: modern, fascinating and safe. These facts are continuously confirmed by our clients and the high acceptance in the market. I am particularly pleased that our anniversary vehicle goes to a satisfied customer from the United States, "said Dr. Willi Reiss, head of the Mercedes-Benz plant in Sindelfingen.


Since the launch in May 2009, the E-Class of the W 212 series appealed to public in terms of comfort, safety and design. An impressive collection of major national and international awards confirm the high popularity of this model. For example, the E-Class was voted as favourite car in Germany and thus received the ADAC Yellow Angel Award,  as well as the German Design Award for the styling philosophy it displays.


The E-Class has a long tradition in the portfolio of Mercedes-Benz. Since the first E-Class came out of the factory some sixty years ago, no less than eight different generations have been premiered during this period and more than ten million units have been sold to clients all around the world. This unique performance makes the E-Class the most successful business limousine of all time.


The Mercedes-Benz plant in Sindelfingen is world's largest manufacturing plant of Daimler AG. In the global production network of Mercedes-Benz Cars, the Sindelfingen plant has a special role as center of excellence for luxury-class passenger cars.

Credits: Daimler AG

Copyright © 2012, Mercedes-Benz-Blog. All rights reserved.

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Offensive in the Compact Segment Continues: Start of new Mercedes-Benz Plant in Hungary

By | Published Sunday, 1 April 2012

Daimler started production at its new passenger car plant in Kecskemét today. Passenger cars are now rolling off the assembly line in Hungary less than four years after the location decision was made in summer 2008. Dr. Dieter Zetsche, Chairman of the Board of Management of Daimler AG and Head of Mercedes-Benz Cars, Plant Manager Frank Klein and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán welcomed around 600 Hungarian and German guests at the opening ceremony.

At the press conference, Dr. Dieter Zetsche stressed the importance of the new location: “With the start of production in Kecskemét, the Mercedes-Benz offensive in the premium compact segment is shifting up a gear. With the production network of the Rastatt and Kecskemét plants, we now have the capacity to meet the demand from many existing – and new – customers in the premium compact segment.”

In this respect, Zetsche announced that another model series would also be coming to the new location – the 4-door coupé of the new generation of Mercedes-Benz compact cars. As part of the ongoing plant development, headcount is to be increased from around 2,500 to more than 3,000 by the end of this year.

Zetsche expressed his special thanks to Daimler’s Hungarian partners in the political, administrative and social areas: “They welcomed us like a friend and actively supported us through every stage of the plant development. Their tireless commitment was one of the main reasons for the positive outcome of this project, and will continue to be a key factor in the success of the Mercedes-Benz Kecskemét plant.”

Zetsche also praised the outstanding work of the Hungarian, German and international employees in developing the new plant: “This team has provided the perfect example of how we will expand our passenger car production capacity in the years ahead. We are thus laying the foundations for implementing our Mercedes-Benz 2020 growth strategy.”

Frank Klein, Managing Director of Mercedes-Benz Manufacturing Hungary Kft., said: “We are making history today: less than four years after the location decision was made, ‘Mercedes-Benz Made in Hungary’ has become a reality. From now on, we can show that we are a key pillar of the Mercedes-Benz production network. Our intensive preparations have enabled us to produce the established Mercedes-Benz quality right from the very first vehicle.”

The first vehicle from the plant is to be auctioned off. The proceeds will be donated to the Hungarian aid organization Nemzetközi Gyermekment ő Szolgálat (International Children’s Safety Service).

Additional capacity for B-Class production

The first product in the new generation of Mercedes-Benz compact cars, the B-Class is now built at the new plant. It went into production at the plant in Rastatt, Germany back in September 2011. With this increased production capacity, it is now possible to fully address the overwhelming customer response: Mercedes-Benz has already received more than 100,000 orders for the B-Class since its launch in November 2011.

Efficient production in the Rastatt-Kecskemét network

In total, Daimler has invested €1.4 billion in production of the new generation of Mercedes-Benz cars: €800 million for construction of the Kecskemét plant and €600 million for expansion of the Rastatt plant.

The joint production of the B-Class in Rastatt and in Kecskemét enables flexible and optimum management of both plants’ capacity utilization. This volume flexibility is a key factor of the economic efficiency of the production network. In addition, the joint architecture of the new generation of compact cars ensures complete type flexibility in production: in principle, all models at the location can be produced on the same assembly line, in all variants of the product range and in any sequence.

The production network also includes the efficient logistical link between the two plants, which are part of the Daimler Rail Net network. The recently opened east-west rail link supplements the existing north-south links between the powertrain and vehicle plants in Germany. In particular, body parts, engines, transmission systems and other components are delivered from the German locations to Kecskemét by rail. From 2013, most of the completed vehicles will also be transported by rail in the opposite direction. Overall, when completed, this will save up to 60,000 tons of CO2 per year.

Perfect planning and green production from the outset

The plant in Kecskemét was the first passenger car production plant in the Group to be entirely digitally planned and to receive three-dimensional backup. This was an essential requirement for the perfectly-timed workflows and adherence to all deadlines and cost targets.

State-of-the-art, environmentally sound technology is used at the plant. For instance, the paint shop is one of the most modern and resource-friendly facilities of its kind with its innovative dry separation method. The overall energy concept is particularly geared towards efficiency, e.g. the ventilation system of the production shops with heat recovery, the use of highly efficient strip-lighting systems for illumination and the use of two district heating plants to supply electricity and heat.

The most attractive employer in the region

The plant is the most attractive employer in the region, especially since employee training is a top priority. All new employees undergo intensive training programs, which are available at the in-house training center in Kecskemét and at the German locations, particularly at the Rastatt plant. This thorough, high-grade training is the key success factor in producing top-quality vehicles to Mercedes-Benz standards at the location from the outset.

Innovative dual training in Hungary, strategic partnerships in the area of education

The Mercedes-Benz Kecskemét plant is also covering future requirements for qualified staff through strategic partnerships in the area of education. In particular, the plant is breaking new ground by offering high-grade dual vocational training based on the German model, which is being delivered in conjunction with Kecskemét City Council and the Chamber of Industry and Commerce of the county of Bács-Kiskun. The first 34 trainees started their courses in 2011, and the next intake of 36 trainees will start their training in September 2012.

In the tertiary education sector, the Mercedes-Benz plant and Kecskemét University of Applied Sciences have joined forces to enable practically-oriented, dual university education. The first students in this new training format will commence their studies in September 2012. With this offering, the partners are aiming to make the University for Applied Sciences the number one centre in Hungary for training of extremely well-qualified specialists for the automobile industry.

Hungarian companies benefit from the project

The Hungarian economy has benefited significantly from the choice of location. For instance, over 90% of the order volume for construction of the plant was placed with Hungarian companies. Operation of the plant also provides wide-ranging opportunities for Hungarian partners, for example service providers and craftsmen. Regarding the production materials for the new generation of Mercedes-Benz compact cars, 17 Hungary-based suppliers have been awarded a substantial order volume worth running into nine figures of euros.

Credits: Daimler AG

Copyright © 2012, Mercedes-Benz-Blog. All rights reserved.

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Mercedes-Benz consistently implements its 2020 growth strategy

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Daimler AG sees Mercedes-Benz well on its way to achieving the goals of its 2020 growth strategy and reclaiming the number one position in the premium segment by the end of the decade.

Dr. Dieter Zetsche, Chairman of the Board of Management of Daimler AG and Head of Mercedes-Benz Cars, stated to investors and analysts at the opening of the new plant in Kecskemét, Hungary: “Mercedes-Benz is consistently implementing its growth strategy. We have a fighting spirit in the entire organization to become the leading manufacturer of premium automobiles once again also in terms of unit sales. We are aware of the challenges and we will master them.”

Following the successful year 2011, in which the division posted new records for unit sales, revenue and earnings, the year 2012 has also started well. Mercedes-Benz Cars is expected to report the best unit sales it has ever achieved in a first quarter.

With its Mercedes-Benz 2020 growth strategy, the Mercedes-Benz Cars division intends to occupy the number one position in the premium segment not only in terms of brand, products and profitability, but also of unit sales. Zetsche left no doubt that all efforts are being made to achieve those four goals, with the support of a large number of activities. 

With regards to the Mercedes-Benz brand, Daimler is further strengthening its core brand values of fascination, perfection and responsibility to broaden the customer base and address younger customers. This will be facilitated by the five new models of the new-generation compact car, and also by highly emotive vehicles such as the CLS Shooting Brake.

With products, the automobile portfolio is being rejuvenated and a third product offensive has been started with 10 new derivatives for which no predecessor models exist to be launched by the year 2015. For example, the luxury segment will be enlarged by expanding the S-Class range from three to six models with highly profitable derivatives.

The planned activities also include further reductions in fuel consumption and CO2 emissions. “We are convinced that ‘cool’ and ‘green’ can peacefully coexist in our garages,” said Zetsche. Mercedes-Benz Cars will be able to reduce the average CO2 emissions of its automobiles sold in the European Union from today’s 150 grams per kilometer to 125 g/km by the year 2016. The new A-Class will start with emissions of 99 g/km.

In order to further increase unit sales, the automobile portfolio will be successively expanded and geographical presence will be broadened by expanding sales structures and production capacities, especially in the NAFTA region and in China.

There will be a positive impact on the progress to the top of the premium segment from the fact that the automotive industry continues to be a growth industry. According to forecasts, worldwide car sales will increase from 60 million units in 2011 to 100 million units in 2020. China is already the world’s biggest market in terms of unit sales and will remain so in 2020, but the country’s car market will have doubled by then. China therefore remains a cornerstone of Mercedes-Benz Cars’ growth strategy. The second-most important sales market, the United States, is projected to have an annual average growth rate in the premium segment of 5.6%. And India will advance to become the world’s third-largest car market by 2020.

Irrespective of this development, a clear target has been set of “achieving above-average growth in those markets and of further improving our competitive position,” stated Zetsche. In this context, he affirmed the medium-term target for unit sales of Mercedes-Benz: sales of more than 1.5 million vehicles in 2014 and more than 1.6 million in 2015 (2011: 1,279,100). Zetsche pointed out that the emphasis was on the word “more.”

Mercedes-Benz Cars will further improve its profitability by means of project-related cooperation such as with Renault/Nissan, as well as through savings achieved from the module and platform strategies and improved efficiency in the value chain. At the same time, the enhanced flexibility of the international production network will make it possible to react faster to fluctuations in demand.

Due to savings from the module strategy and further efficiency actions, the division will be able to compensate for the cost burden anticipated in the automotive industry from rising raw-material prices and investments to reduce CO2 emissions, thus safeguarding its profitability targets. “At Mercedes-Benz Cars, we are approaching our targeted return on sales of 10 percent, which we want to achieve on a sustained basis as of 2013 – on the assumption that our business environment will remain stable,” emphasized Zetsche.

How the Mercedes-Benz 2020 growth strategy works in practice can first be seen in the compact-car segment. The new plant in Kecskemét is a state-of-the-art factory for Mercedes-Benz Cars; it will produce cars in conjunction with the plant in Rastatt and will make a key contribution to economy through volume flexibility.

Profitability in the compact-car segment will be additionally improved compared with the predecessor generation by producing a significantly higher volume of five different cars from the same architecture instead of two, and by spreading the production network over three plants (Rastatt, Kecskemét and Beijing).

On the occasion of the opening of the new plant for the production of the new B-Class, Daimler had invited investors and analysts to attend a division day in Kecskemét in Hungary.
Credits: Daimler AG

Copyright © 2012, Mercedes-Benz-Blog. All rights reserved.

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Production Milestone: The Mercedes-Benz plant in Rastatt produces 3-millionth vehicle

By | Published Friday, 2 March 2012

The Mercedes-Benz plant in Rastatt celebrates a new milestone: the 3,000,000th vehicle, B 200 BlueEFFICIENCY of the new generation in Jupiter red paint finish, rolled off the production line this week. This special model will reach a customer from Wuppertal. Peter Wesp, head of the Mercedes-Benz Rastatt plant, added on this occasion: "This production milestone is a milestone in our success story. As a center of excellence for compact vehicles, we are an elementary part of the Mercedes-Benz production network."


The Rastatt plant was officially inaugurated in 1992, with the E-Class being the first model to be assembled there until 1996. From 1997 onwards, the facility was established as a production site for the new A-Class. Prior to 2004, when the second generation came into force, around 1.1 million compact Mercedes-Benz premium models were sold to clients all over the world. Moreover, the current A-Class series appealed to more than one million customers and, in addition, beginning with 2005, the B-Class was also introduced in the production portfolio of the Rastatt factory. This niche vehicle, marketed as a compact sports tourer, became instantly popular, with total sales exceeding 700,000 units. Therefore, the Rastatt plant is unanimously recognized as a competence center for the construction of compact cars from Mercedes-Benz.

The new generation of compact class models

Starting September 2011, the new B-Class (W 246) was introduced in the range. Currently, preparations are being made at Rastatt to welcome the new A-Class, which is celebrating the world premiere at the Geneva Motor Show in March 2012. The new generation of Mercedes-Benz premium compact cars further includes three more sporty, emotional models, including a coupe and an SUV. The five new models will be built in a comprehensive production network comprising the Rastatt plant and the new facility in Kecskemét, Hungary. Three of the five models will be assembled at Rastatt.

The Mercedes-Benz plant in Rastatt employs over 6,100 people. In 2011, a total of 177,572 vehicles rolled off the assembly line.
Credits: Daimler AG

Copyright © 2012, Mercedes-Benz-Blog. All rights reserved.

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Historic jubilee at the Bremen plant: Six millionth Mercedes-Benz model rolls off the assembly line

By | Published Monday, 14 November 2011

Automobile production at the Mercedes-Benz Bremen facility began back in 1978, the first model built here being a T-Modell (wagon) version of the E-Class W 123 series. After a prestigious history of 33 years, the 6,000,000th vehicle rolled off the assembly line at the beginning of November. The milestone model is a GLK 220 CDI BlueEFFICIENCY in Calcit White exterior paint finish. Alongside the GLK range, Mercedes-Benz also produces the C-Class Limousine, T-Modell & Coupe, the E-Class Coupe & Cabriolet, the new SLK and the current generation SL (R 230) at Bremen. The plant is the largest private employer in the northwestern region of Germany, with 12,700 workers. In 2010, an impressive 257,000 Mercedes-Benz cars came out of the factory. In 2011, the staff was extended with the creation of 350 new jobs. Moreover, the reputed J.D. Power institute awarded the Bremen facility the title of Best European Vehicle Production Factory for the high level of product quality.


Source: Daimler AG

Copyright © 2011, Mercedes-Benz-Blog. All rights reserved.

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Start of series production for the new Actros at the Mercedes-Benz plant in Wörth

By | Published Saturday, 1 October 2011


Today the Mercedes-Benz plant in Wörth started series production of the new Actros. To mark the event, Daimler CEO Dr. Dieter Zetsche sat behind the wheel as the first unit of the new truck rolled off the assembly line. The vehicle was built at the company’s largest truck assembly plant. The new Actros was redeveloped from scratch, and already meets the strict Euro VI emissions limits. Compared to the previous Actros, the new model consumes six to seven percent less fuel in the Euro V variant, and three to four percent less fuel in the Euro VI variant. The vehicle is the result of more than ten years of hard work, over 20 million test driving kilometers, and more than €2 billion spent on development and production technology.


Since a production launch on this scale occurs only about every 15 years in the commercial vehicle industry, the plant and its workforce began to prepare for the event years ago.
“With Daimler Trucks we want to grow much faster than the market as a whole and sell more than 500,000 trucks in 2013”, said Daimler CEO Dr. Dieter Zetsche and Head of Mercedes-Benz Cars in Wörth. “The new Mercedes-Benz Actros sets the benchmark among its competitors; it is our most important truck of the decade.”

Flexibility at the Mercedes-Benz plant Wörth

The Wörth plant produces each truck exactly in line with customer specifications. These results in a great variety of trucks so that, statistically speaking, no two vehicles produced in a single year are the same. What’s unusual about production in Wörth is that all three of the Mercedes-Benz model series (Actros, Axor, and Atego) are made here on the same assembly line. They will be joined by the new Actros, which will be integrated into the existing series production process and be assembled on the same production lines as the other current model series.

High quality from the Mercedes-Benz Wörth plant

More than €2 billion was spent on developing the new truck and preparing the Wörth plant and its equipment for the production launch. The company built an automated warehouse for small parts, which forms the basis for a new logistics concept. It has also established the Development and Research Center, a test track for new generations of trucks, which brings the development and production areas even closer together. The employees received extensive training that familiarized them with the new Actros’ system environment.

“Our plant will remain the home of the Actros,” says Yaris Pürsün, Head of Mercedes-Benz Wörth plant. “We have thoroughly prepared ourselves for the production launch of the new Actros. To us quality made in Wörth means best quality from the very first new Actros, in terms of trucks you can trust.”

Mercedes-Benz has around 12,000 employees at its Wörth plant. The first Mercedes-Benz Actros rolled off the production line in 1996, and it is now the brand’s best-selling model series, along with the Mercedes-Benz Atego and the Mercedes-Benz Axor. More than 700,000 Actros trucks have left the plant to date, and the truck accounts for two-thirds of the Wörth plant’s annual output.






Source: Daimler AG

Copyright © 2011, Mercedes-Benz-Blog. All rights reserved.

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Production of the new Mercedes-Benz B-Class starts at the Rastatt facility

By | Published Tuesday, 27 September 2011


Shortly after the world premiere at the Frankfurt Motor Show, serial production of the new B-Class commenced at the Mercedes-Benz Rastatt factory and the first unit of the W 246 series has already rolled off the construction line. The assembly of the second generation of this successful MPV poses many challenges, as for the first time in history, it combines several premieres: a full lineup of new and efficient gasoline and diesel engines, a new 6-speed manual transmission and a new 7-speed automatic transmission and numerous state-of-the-art assistance systems and communication technologies that were once available only on cars from higher classes. In order to adapt the Rastatt plant for the arrival of the new compact-sized models, Mercedes-Benz has invested up to 600 million euros and increased the personnel up to 400 trained workers.


Copyright © 2011, Mercedes-Benz-Blog. All rights reserved.

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A new landmark for Mercedes-Benz: 100,000th C-Class Limousine built at the Sindelfingen plant

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Last week, the workers at the Mercedes-Benz Sindelfingen facility proudly celebrated the advent of the 100,000th C-Class Limousine since the production of the new-generation model started in March this year. The milestone vehicle is a C 250 BlueEFFICIENCY in AVANTGARDE trim and Silvermetallic exterior paint finish. For an added touch of dynamism, the model is equipped with the popular AMG Sports Package and the exquisite panorama retractable all-glass roof. The 100,000th C-Class Limousine assembled at Sindelfingen has also been on display at the Mercedes-Benz stand at the IAA Frankfurt 2011.


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