It’s an iconic move. Mercedes-Benz has been producing at its main plant in Untertürkheim for almost 120 years. Stories of Gottlieb Daimler can be found everywhere on the site, some buildings are listed buildings, the factory guide tells traditional anecdotes about the Allies from the post-war period. The plant has 16,000 employees and is picturesquely situated in the narrow Neckar valley between the river and the vineyards, partly in Stuttgart and partly in Esslinger districts. At this historic location, Mercedes CEO Ola Källenius, Prime Minister Winfried Kretschmann (Greens) and Stuttgart’s Lord Mayor Frank Nopper (CDU) laid the foundation stone for an eCampus on Tuesday. Mercedes wants to develop battery technology here in the future and investigate how the electric car batteries behave in accidents, explains site manager Frank Deiß. Starting next year, battery cells are to be produced in small series.
This was preceded by long negotiations with the works council, which has traditionally supported the location, as well as activities in the battery cell area, which have not always been successful in the past. Batteries for Mercedes electric cars are now being produced at the Untertürkheim plant, but not yet battery cells. good