December 3 was a red-letter day for Mercedes-Benz as the 20-millionth vehicle left the production line at the Mercedes-Benz plant in Sindelfingen.
04 Dec 2015 | 4967 Views | By Autocar Pro News Desk
December 3 was a red-letter day for Mercedes-Benz as the 20-millionth vehicle left the production line at the Mercedes-Benz plant in Sindelfingen. The jubilee car, an S 500 Plug-In Hybrid, was received by Dr. Dieter Zetsche, Chairman of the Board of Management of Daimler AG and Head of Mercedes-Benz Cars, ...
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December 3 was a red-letter day for Mercedes-Benz as the 20-millionth vehicle left the production line at the Mercedes-Benz plant in Sindelfingen. The jubilee car, an S 500 Plug-In Hybrid, was received by Dr. Dieter Zetsche, Chairman of the Board of Management of Daimler AG and Head of Mercedes-Benz Cars, and by Markus Schäfer, Member of the Divisional Board of Management of Mercedes-Benz Cars, Production and Supply Chain Management.
“The 20-million cars from the Mercedes-Benz plant in Sindelfingen would stretch two and a half times around the world. For Mercedes-Benz, this jubilee is an historic number. Each of these 20 million vehicles stands for a satisfied Mercedes-Benz customer – that is a great evidence of the trust placed in our brand. At the same time, it obliges us to continue in the same way and to not reduce our efforts,” stated Zetsche.
In the global production network of Mercedes-Benz Cars, the Sindelfingen plant is the competence centre for upper range and luxury-class vehicles. The plant celebrates its 100th anniversary this year. After an eventful history, which began in 1915 with the production of airplanes and airplane engines and continued with the production of vehicle bodies, Mercedes-Benz started to manufacture complete cars in Sindelfingen in 1946. The current S-Class and its predecessors have been built at the Sindelfingen plant since the Mercedes-Benz 220 was launched in the spring of 1951. The S-Class sedan is the world’s bestselling luxury sedan.
“We are confident that we will produce the next 20 million cars a lot faster. By 2020, we will invest a total of 1.5 billion euros in an ultramodern and flexible production facility here in Sindelfingen. This will allow us to offer our customers even more options for individualization and to safeguard our top quality,” said Schäfer. “Our focus continues to be on our workforce – we are reducing the degree of automation. At the same time, we are applying modern robots that work hand in hand with our employees without a protective fence, and which assist them with strenuous tasks.”
In the future, fans and Mercedes-Benz employees will have the opportunity to shape the ongoing history of the jubilee car: The obsidian black S 500 e will be used for special occasions.
Growing hybrid portfolio
The S 500 e has certified fuel consumption of 2.8 litres per 100 kilometres (65 grams of CO2 per kilometer). Systematic hybridization is a fixed element of the powertrain strategy of Mercedes-Benz. Plug-In Hybrid drive will be the successful technology for at least the next decade. Hybrid vehicles account for a growing share of the total unit sales of Mercedes-Benz. In 2017, there will be 10 Plug-In Hybrid models on the market. At present, five Plug-In Hybrids are available: The S 500 e was launched in late September 2014, followed in March 2015 by the C 350 e as a sedan or a station wagon. These are now supplemented by the new SUV models: the GLE 500 e 4MATIC and the GLC 350 e 4MATIC.
The Mercedes-Benz plant in Sindelfingen
The Mercedes-Benz plant in Sindelfingen employs approximately 26,000 people. Last year, 367,313 cars of the Mercedes-Benz C-, E-, S-Class and the CLS, the CLS Shooting Brake, the SLS AMG and the Mercedes-AMG GT rolled off the production lines. Over 250 vehicles are handed over every day at the Sindelfingen Mercedes-Benz Customer Center alone.