Car | Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz - Sindelfingen celebrates high-end manufacturing with 22 millionth vehicle
| 2023-02-09 |     |
Sindelfingen - The 22 millionth Mercedes-Benz vehicle, a EQS 580 4MATIC in MANUFAKTUR hyacinth red metallic [WLTP: combined electrical consumption: 21.3 – 17.7 kWh/100 km; combined CO2 emissions: 0 g/km] [1] rolled off the production line at Factory 56 in Sindelfingen, Germany. This flagship electric vehicle marks the most recent chapter in production of luxury vehicles at the Mercedes-Benz plant, which opened in 1915 and emerged as a centre of excellence for producing high-end vehicles ever since records began in 1946. The 22 million milestone is the culmination of a phase of steady growth for Sindelfingen, following the resumption of passenger car production in 1946.
In addition to the EQS, all variants of the Mercedes-Benz S-Class, including the hybrid, as well as the Mercedes-Maybach S-Class, come off the production line at Factory 56. The E-Class, GLC, CLS, S- Class Guard and Mercedes-AMG GT 4-door models are also built in Sindelfingen. New models and drive variants are quickly integrated into the running line - proof of the high flexibility and efficiency of Factory 56. In 2022, deliveries of the S-Class rose to over 90,000 units, an increase of 5% over the previous year. In addition, EQS was able to win new customers for the top-end segment. In 2022, 19,200 vehicles of this model were delivered to customers, driven by strong demand in the US.
"I congratulate my colleagues in Sindelfingen on the impressive production anniversary of 22 million vehicles. Flexible, digital, efficient and sustainable: Sindelfingen is and remains our centre of excellence for luxury class vehicles in the global production network. Sindelfingen has an impressive history, while at the same time being ideally positioned for the future: The lead plant in the Top-End luxury segment will produce models using the electric AMG.EA platform from 2025 onwards." Jörg Burzer, Member of the Board of Management of Mercedes-Benz Group AG, Production and Supply Chain Management.
Mercedes-Benz Sindelfingen plant in operation since 1915
The Mercedes-Benz Sindelfingen plant has been in operation since 1915 and, with a history stretching back more than a century, is the competence centre for the production of luxury and luxury-class vehicles in the global production network. The site employs approximately 35,000 people and combines all areas related to vehicle production, as well as planning areas and central purchasing and supplier management. Sindelfingen is also home to Group Research, Development and Design of Mercedes-Benz Group AG.
"22 million vehicles produced, that's 22 million wishes fulfilled - an impressive figure that we can be truly proud of. This pride and dedication is embodied by our colleagues who give their best for Mercedes-Benz every day. They deserve my very special thanks. They have guaranteed the success of our site for 108 years. With our agreements on the Sindelfingen 2030+ vision, we have laid the foundation for ensuring that dream cars from Sindelfingen will continue to be shipped all over the world in the future. The arrival of new technologies and products at our site is the key to securing the future and thus safeguarding employment." Ergun Lümali, Chairman of the General Works Council of Mercedes-Benz Group AG and Chairman of the Works Council of the Mercedes-Benz Sindelfingen Plant.
"The workforce at the Sindelfingen plant can be justifiably proud of this production anniversary. My thanks go to our highly qualified colleagues who work here day after day, highly motivated, with great commitment and heart and soul, to produce the world's most desirable automobiles. Particularly since the start of car manufacturing there in 1919, the site has successfully reinvented itself time and again - each time with state-of-the-art production technology as well as design and development services." Michael Bauer, Site Manager and Head of Production at the Mercedes-Benz Sindelfingen plant.
"Sindelfingen is one of the most traditional vehicle plants of our brand. The 'Sindelfingen bodies' of the 1920s are also legendary. They stand for a golden age of Mercedes-Benz top-of-the-range automobiles with individual bodies for the highest demands from a single source. These highlights are an important part of our heritage." Marcus Breitschwerdt, Head of Mercedes-Benz Heritage.
Sustainability in production
Mercedes-Benz has been producing CO2-neutrally in all of its own plants worldwide since 2022. The electricity comes exclusively from renewable energies. In addition, the company aims to increase the generation of renewable energy at its sites. Factory 56 in Sindelfingen is committed to more sustainable and resource-saving production: there is a photovoltaic system on the roof that supplies the hall with self-generated green electricity. Over 12,000 modules generate around 5,000 kWp of power. This can cover around 30 per cent of Factory 56's electricity needs annually. By the end of 2024, investments will be made in a further expansion of photovoltaics at the entire site. The Sindelfingen site is also focusing on a steady reduction in water consumption and waste.
Production milestones at the traditional Sindelfingen site
The history of automobile production at the Sindelfingen site of Daimler-Motor-Gesellschaft (DMG) begins in 1919. It was originally founded in 1915 as an aircraft factory. The first model produced here is the Mercedes-Knight 16/45 hp. In the 1920s and 1930s, Sindelfingen was synonymous with particularly exclusive bodies for sporty Mercedes-Benz luxury vehicles - the "Sindelfingen bodies". In the same era, body construction was converted to large-scale production and modern assembly line production was introduced at the plant in the 1930s. The rapid rise of Sindelfingen then began in the 1950s. By way of comparison: in 1966 alone, twice as many vehicles were built here as in the entire period from 1946 to 1952. In addition to production, other areas play an important role in Sindelfingen. These include safety development, among other things with the start of systematic crash tests in 1959. Design and aerodynamics development are also based here.
The Mercedes-Benz Classic vehicle: Mercedes 15/70/100 hp Open Touring Car (1924)
The Mercedes 15/70/100 hp luxury car with six-cylinder engine and supercharger was presented by Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft at the German Motor Show in Berlin in December 1924. It is built under the direction of Ferdinand Porsche, who heads the company's design office from 1923 to 1928. Together with the Mercedes 24/100/140 hp, which was developed in parallel, the Mercedes 15/70/100 hp heralded a new era in the construction of top-class luxury automobiles.