Photo: Mercedes-Benz
In the presence of Russia’s top man, Vladimir Putin, and several German government officials, Mercedes-Benz officially started production at the Moscovia facility nearly two years after the foundation stone was laid close the country’s capital, Moscow.
Covering 85 hectares in the Esipovo industrial estate, the plant spat out its first car this week, an E-Class sedan, marking the first time a three-pointed star car is being manufactured locally for the Russian market.
As all new facilities erected by the Germans, Moscovia too uses so-called 4.0 production technologies that include driverless transportation systems, automated carts and human-robot cooperation systems.
Paperless documentation, emission-free electric forklifts, heat recovery in the buildings and the use of water-soluble products in painting are meant to reduce the factory’s impact on the local environment.
Yet, work on the plant if not quite over. After an investment that will total EUR 250 million, new assembly lines will be added next to the ones for the E-Class, and will be in charge of making various types of SUVs for Russian customers.
When fully operational - and the word is soon- Moscovia will employ in excess of 1,000 people that are or will be trained at other existing Mercedes-Benz plants.
“Our investments in the new Mercedes-Benz plant in Russia are an important switch for our global production network to become even more flexible and to produce close to the market. In our new plant we’ll use the most modern technologies, too, and produce in Mercedes-Benz top quality," said in a statement Markus Schäfer, Mercedes executive in charge of production.
The decision to build an assembly facility in Russia was made taking into account the performances of the brand on the market. According to Mercedes, its cars have been the premiere choice for customers going for a premium vehicle, and more than doubled sales over the past ten years.
As all new facilities erected by the Germans, Moscovia too uses so-called 4.0 production technologies that include driverless transportation systems, automated carts and human-robot cooperation systems.
Paperless documentation, emission-free electric forklifts, heat recovery in the buildings and the use of water-soluble products in painting are meant to reduce the factory’s impact on the local environment.
Yet, work on the plant if not quite over. After an investment that will total EUR 250 million, new assembly lines will be added next to the ones for the E-Class, and will be in charge of making various types of SUVs for Russian customers.
When fully operational - and the word is soon- Moscovia will employ in excess of 1,000 people that are or will be trained at other existing Mercedes-Benz plants.
“Our investments in the new Mercedes-Benz plant in Russia are an important switch for our global production network to become even more flexible and to produce close to the market. In our new plant we’ll use the most modern technologies, too, and produce in Mercedes-Benz top quality," said in a statement Markus Schäfer, Mercedes executive in charge of production.
The decision to build an assembly facility in Russia was made taking into account the performances of the brand on the market. According to Mercedes, its cars have been the premiere choice for customers going for a premium vehicle, and more than doubled sales over the past ten years.
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