500 million euros. That’s the amount that the German group Daimler has announced to invest, Friday, May 18, in its French factory in Hambach (Moselle). This investment will aim to adapt the site to the production of the first brand model Mercedes, alongside Smart already manufactured on site. It should be a compact electric vehicle.
Investments should include, for example, the establishment of a “new body shop”, “expansion of assembly facilities” and “adaptation of infrastructure”, written Daimler in a statement. However, no information was provided on the evolution of employment on the site, which currently employs 800 people.
Develop the electric
“The Hambach site has years of expertise in the manufacture of all-electric vehicles and we want to take advantage of this enormous expertise and prepare the factory for the production of a Mercedes-Benz,” said Annette Winkler. Smart charge. An attribution made possible by the efforts made by the French site to improve its competitiveness, including a transition to 39 hours and adjustments on wages.
In total, “the Hambach Smart plant will become part of our global compact car production network, with the main factory located in Rastatt, Germany. GermanyMercedes-Benz production manager Markus Schäfer said: The current Mercedes compact models, Class A and GLA, are manufactured in Rastatt, Kecskemét (Hungary), Beijing and Aguascalientes (Mexico) last year. the star brand has sold 420,000 cars based on this platform.
But, faced with the decline of diesel, the group has embarked, like most of its competitors, in the field of electricity. By 2022, the premium manufacturer has planned to launch more than ten electric vehicles under the Mercedes-Benz brand, and put on an investment of several billion in the electrification of its range.
Julie Thoin-Bousquié with Reuters