Mercedes-Benz EV ramp up – opens new battery plant

Mercedes-Benz will produce the EQS SUV and EQE SUV in its plant in Alabama, as part of the company global push to produce all-electric vehicles at seven locations on three continents. The new battery factory in Bibb County will provide batteries for the new EQS SUV and the EQE SUV.

“The opening of our new battery plant in Alabama is a major milestone on our way to going all-electric. With our comprehensive approach including a local cell sourcing and recycling strategy, we underline the importance of the U.S., where Mercedes-Benz has been successful for decades. We’re proud to create new, future-proof jobs to build all-electric SUVs ‘Made in the USA' at a plant that is such an established part of our production family since 25 years,” says Ola Källenius, Chairman of the Board of Management of Mercedes-Benz Group AG, press release.

Since the 1990s, company has invested a total of more than USD 7 billion in Alabama. Of this amount USD 1 billion was invested into the battery plant, the logistics centers and to upgrade the production line to make EV’s. 

At the battery plant, high-performance lithium-ion batteries are assembled into a complete system on a production line around 984 feet long with more than 70 work stations. Using a fully digitalised production process, a variety of components are combined, including up to twelve cell modules and the EE compartment, for the intelligent integration of the power electronics. Up to 600 new jobs will be created in Bibb County, the company states in the press release.

With the new plant, Bibb County becomes part of the Mercedes-Benz global battery production network which stretches factories on three continents including in Kamenz, Germany; Beijing, China; Bangkok, Thailand; Jawor, Poland; and Stuttgart, Germany.