EQ Session IV: EQC production: Manufacturing an electric car – the Mercedes way

Global car production network

• The global Mercedes-Benz car production network includes more than 30 plants, three of which are currently under construction. The network is based on the product architectures of front-wheel drive (compact cars) and rear-wheel drive vehicles (for example the S-Class, E-Class, and C-Class), as well as on SUV and sports car architectures. In addition, there is a powertrain production compound (engines, transmissions, axles and components).
• Each of these production compounds is grouped around a lead plant that serves as a center of competence for the ramp-up of new products, technology and quality assurance. They are set up as a “ breathing” production network in which production capacity can be transferred from one plant to another within the compound.
• The EV models will be integrated on the same production line as the models with conventional drivetrains. The production can adapt to market demand flexibly – be it for combustion engines, hybrids or fully electric vehicles.
• Since the e-drive platform of the EQC (combined power consumption: 22.2 kWh/100 km; combined CO₂ emissions: 0 g/km, provisional figures)* shares important reference points with combustion-engine cars, it can be built on the same line as the C-Class sedan and station wagon, the GLC and the GLC coupé.

The heart of the vehicle

• While the combustion engine is the heart of the conventional powertrain, the battery is the heart of the EQC and the EQ models that will follow. That is why it is produced by Mercedes-Benz itself. Through the ACCUMOTIVE subsidiary, the manufacturer already has extensive experience in this field and access to the flexible and efficient production of lithium-ion batteries.
• Battery production started in Kamenz as early as 2012. This includes batteries for electric vehicles, as well as for plug-in and mild hybrids.
• Most of the company’s battery plants will be located close to one of the car factories, but they can also export to other regions. This, too, makes production more flexible. Mercedes-Benz is investing more than one billion euros in its global battery production network, which will consist of eight factories: there will be five sites in Europe, two in Asia, and one in the U.S.

EQ vehicle production

• As for car production, six of the plants on three different continents can already integrate EQ models into their production lineup:
  • Bremen, Rastatt and Sindelfingen in Germany,
  • Hambach in France,
  • Tuscaloosa in the United States,
  • and Beijing in China.
• The first plant to produce the new EQC is in Bremen, Germany.
• Bremen is the lead plant for the C-Class and the GLC as well as the competence center for the production of the EQC. As such, it will be the backbone of global EQC production. This means that the Bremen plant will control production as well as quality and supplier management for the EQC worldwide. It also supports smooth ramp-ups at the other plants by training their employees, for example.
• The second plant to produce the EQC will be the Beijing location in 2019. This makes a lot of sense, as China is currently the biggest market for electric vehicles.

Digital. Electric. Human-centered production

• The typical “wedding“ scene in the automotive production process is truly innovative with the EQC: at the battery-joining center in Bremen, the EQC undergoes a second “marriage” following the installation of the two electric powerpacks in the bodyshell.
• The body is suspended from a C-carrier and deposited on a frame. Support arms raise the battery to the vehicle’s floor from below. An employee monitors the automatic bolting in place. The EQCs are recognized as electric models with the help of data tags attached to the body, and equipped with a battery accordingly.
• All Mercedes-Benz plants are connected. For example, as the lead plant for the C-Class, the GLC and soon also for the EQC, the Bremen plant can access data from all other locations of the production network. If necessary, it can connect to systems and robots remotely or install programs and test them prior to commissioning. As a result, the manufacturer can adopt improvements at all plants that reflect best practice.
• Good working conditions for employees are crucial to Mercedes-Benz: with the increasing complexity in the portfolio, the flexibility and creativity of people will only increase in importance in the future.

“Factory 56”

• In Sindelfingen, the “Factory 56” will be one of the most modern car assemblies in the world. This is where Mercedes-Benz will build upper- and luxury-class cars and electric vehicles as well as robo-taxis. “Factory 56” combines three trend-setting features: it is consistently digital and flexible – and it brings the term “green production” to life. Production will start with pre-series at the end of 2019. The “Factory 56” principles will be transferred to other assemblies around the globe.
• In the future, there will be “full-flex plants”, starting with Kecskemét in Hungary. This means that all parts of the plant – from the press shop to assembly – can be optimally coordinated. In addition to the fully flexible production of vehicles with front- or rear-wheel drives, other types of cars, such as vehicles with electric drives, can also be produced on the same line.
• The sustainable production of EQ vehicles is an important factor. Water, waste and energy consumption are reduced during production. The new battery plant in Kamenz, for example, has been designed as a carbon-neutral factory. The production facilities’ energy supply comes from a combined heat and power plant, and a photovoltaic plant that can be used with stationary battery storage units. By 2022, all production facilities in Germany will be carbon neutral. In Europe, Mercedes-Benz is also well on track.

*Figures for power consumption and CO₂ emissions are provisional and were determined by the German Technical Service corporation. The range figures are also provisional. EC type approval and conformity certification with official figures are not yet available. There may be differences between the stated figures and the official figures.