Mercedes-Benz to build battery assembly plant in Poland
As part of its upcoming electrification offensive, Mercedes-Benz is building a battery factory in the Polish town of Jawor, near Germany. This is to expand the Group’s global battery production network to nine factories at seven locations on three continents.
Jawor is located around 100 km from the German border. Mercedes-Benz is currently building an engine factory there, which will produce four-cylinder engines for hybrid vehicles and conventionally powered passenger cars starting this year.
According to new information, a battery assembly factory will also be built on the existing site, where series production of batteries for the Group’s EQ vehicles is to start at the beginning of the next decade. According to Mercedes-Benz, both the engine and battery factories will be supplied with CO2-neutral energy. While the first plant will employ around 1,000 people, the latter will employ a further 300.
Daimler is known to be investing more than one billion euros in the battery production network being created under the umbrella of Mercedes-Benz Cars. This currently consists of eight (planned) factories at six locations: Battery production in Kamenz, Germany has been running since 2012, and a second battery factory is being built there, which is scheduled to start operation in spring 2019. In addition, two battery factories are planned at the German Untertürkheim plant (in the Brühl and Hedelfingen sections) and a further plant in Sindelfingen, also in Germany.
Overseas battery production is currently under construction in Beijing (China), Tuscaloosa (USA) and Bangkok (Thailand). Jawor in Poland has now become the ninth location.
The move comes as Mercedes-Benz Cars intends to electrify its entire portfolio from 2022 and offer various electrified alternatives in each segment – including more than ten purely electric cars. The Stuttgart-based company assembles the batteries itself. Daimler purchases the cells from different suppliers, among others, from CATL who will be manufacturing batteries in Germany.
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