Daimler officially started B-class production at its new passenger car plant in Kecskemet, Hungary, less than four years after the location decision was made in summer 2008.
Daimler chairman and Mercedes-Benz Cars unit chief Dieter Zetsche said: “With the start of production in Kecskemet, the offensive in the premium compact segment is shifting up a gear. With the production network of the Rastatt and Kecskemet plants, we now have the capacity to meet the demand from many existing – and new – customers in the segment.”
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Zetsche said the four-door coupe version of the new generation of compact cars would also be built in Hungary where the workforce will rise from around 2,500 now over 3,000 by the end of 2012.
B-Class production began at the main plant in Rastatt, Germany last September. Daimler said the second plant would allow it to meet “overwhelming” demand – over 100,000 orders since launch in November.
Daimler spent EUR800 building Kecskemet and EUR600m expanding Rastatt for the redesigned model.
Joint production enables flexible and optimum management of both plants’ capacity utilisation, the automaker said. The shared architecture of the new generation of compact cars ensures complete type flexibility in production: all models at the location can be produced on the same assembly line, in all variants of the product range and in any sequence.
The production network also a logistical link between the two plants which are part of the Daimler Rail Net network. The recently opened east-west rail link supplements the existing north-south links between the powertrain and vehicle plants in Germany.
Body parts, engines, transmissions and other components are delivered from the German locations to Kecskemet by rail. From 2013, most of the completed vehicles will also be transported by rail in the opposite direction. Overall, when completed, this will save up to 60,000 tons of CO2 per year.
The plant in Kecskemet was the first Daimler passenger car plant to be entirely digitally planned and to receive three-dimensional backup. This was an essential requirement for timed workflows and adherence to all deadlines and cost targets.
For the B-class, 17 Hungary-based suppliers have been awarded a substantial order volume worth nine figures of euros.
