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Leinfelden-Echterdingen/Mannheim – Around a year after the topping-out ceremony, Daimler Truck officially opened the Battery Technology Center (BTC) at the Mercedes-Benz plant in Mannheim on July 19 in the presence of Michael Kleiner, DirectorGeneral at the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Labour and Tourism of Baden-Württemberg, and the Mayor of the City of Mannheim, Christian Specht. Andreas Gorbach, Member of the Board of Management of Daimler Truck and responsible for Truck Technology, Yariş Pürsün, Head of Global Powersystems Operation Daimler Truck, Andreas Moch, Site Manager Mercedes-Benz Plant Mannheim, Michael Salmen, Head of Production Planning Battery and BTC, Michael Brecht, Chairman of the General Works Council of Daimler Truck, and Bruno Buschbacher, Chairman of the Works Council Mercedes-Benz Plant Mannheim, attended the event on behalf of Daimler Truck.
Daimler Truck's product and process development for battery electric commercial vehicles is carried out on an area of over 10,000 square meters: the BTC combines development with production. Experts build up knowledge about batteries and their production processes here. To this end, two production areas will be created in the BTC, which was still called InnoLab Battery at the topping-out ceremony. On the one hand, cells will be produced here on a pilot basis in order to build up process knowledge. Secondly, battery packs will be manufactured as prototypes for test benches and test vehicles. With the pilot line for battery packs, the Mannheim site is preparing for future series production, which is planned for the second half of the decade as part of the introduction of the next generation of lithium-ion batteries at the plant.
Andreas Gorbach: “The opening of our Battery Technology Center is an important step in terms of electrifying our product portfolio – and yet another milestone in the history of innovation at the Mannheim plant. We have decided to take care of the assembly of the future battery generation ourselves and thus keep important added value in-house. In and for Europe, we will do this at the Mercedes-Benz plant in Mannheim and thereby further strengthen the future of the location.”
Director-General Michael Kleiner: „Battery technology is advancing rapidly and is now a crucial component in applications with the highest performance requirements. Baden-Württemberg must seize the opportunity to become a global leader in battery technology. Our state boasts innovative companies, world-class research facilities, and a highly skilled workforce, giving us a strong foundation to succeed. The opening of the Battery Technology Centre is a crucial step in making Baden-Württemberg a future-proof location and turning the current transformation into a success story.”
Yariş Pürsün: "Our aim is to implement new technologies with high added value in our Powersystems plants. With the Battery Technology Center, the Mannheim site is laying an important foundation for the future competence of our own battery technology within Daimler Truck and is driving forward the transformation of our company. In parallel, a second Technology Center at our Gaggenau and Kassel sites is working on future electric drives and high-voltage components."
Andreas Moch: "At the Battery Technology Center, our specialists are working on building up expertise in the production of battery cells and developing assembly concepts and systems for battery packs. We then want to serially produce these battery packs at the site in the second half of the decade. As part of the transformation, the Mannheim site is therefore very well positioned. I would like to thank everyone involved, who have been working hard together on this project for many months."
Mayor Christian Specht: "The opening of the Battery Technology Center is a further element for the future of the Mercedes-Benz plant in Mannheim as a competence center for battery technologies and high-voltage systems at Daimler Truck. In the midst of the plant's transformation towards emission-free drives, the new center strengthens the future viability of the Mannheim site. It also impressively demonstrates the innovative strength of the Mannheim site and makes an important contribution on the road to climate neutrality. Read more
Source: DAIMLER TRUCKS
