In production since June 2013, the W222 is getting on a bit despite the mid-cycle refresh that brought the M256 inline-six engine to the range. Come 2020, Mercedes-Benz will take the veil off the seventh generation of the S-Class, which will be produced at a state-of-the-art plant in Sindelfingen.
Described as “the blueprint for all our future vehicle assembly,”Factory 56 is located 20 kilometers away from the Daimler AG headquarters in Stuttgart. The production plant has an area of about 30 soccer fields, and construction began on February 20th, 2018.
Once it is up and running in 2020, Factory 56 will produce “upper- and luxury-class cars with combustion engines, hybrid drives and purely electric-battery drives, as well as self-driving cars.” Ulrike Graze, the manager responsible for the upcoming plant, also confirmed the W223 would be produced here along with “the first electric vehicle from the EQ product and technology brand.”
The EQC is the culprit in question, sporting a similar profile to the GLC-Class but featuring two electric motors instead of internal combustion and 4Matic all-wheel drive. In the first instance, production of the EQC will take place in Bremen, Germany and China on behalf of Beijing Benz Automotive Co.
Much more flexible and efficient than current production facilities operated by Daimler AG, Factory 56 has driverless transport systems instead of traditional assembly lines. The benefit of this solution boils down to the effortless change from assembly operation to cycle operation.
5G technology is used by the machines and systems in Factory 56 to communicate with one another, and selected operations rely on the Internet of Things according to the German automaker. Bringing the point home, the assembly hall is completely paperless as the employees work with monitors and Personal Digital Assistants.
"Despite state-of-the-art technology and innovative Industry 4.0, in 'Factory 56' the focus is as always on people. Our employees' expertise, flexibility, and high level of motivation are the keys to our success, and that applies to periods of transformation and digitalization,” said Markus Schafer, member of the divisional board in charge of production and supply chain.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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