Start of production at Mercedes-Benz plant in Sindelfingen: The first new E-Class rolls off the line

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On the first day of March, the first new E-Class 2013 generation rolled off the production line at the Mercedes-Benz plant in Sindelfingen. Since the assembly of this model series has begun at Sindelfingen about 60 years ago, the E-Class has been widely recognized as the benchmark in its segment. With over 13 million units sold up to date, it easily is the most successful business limousine in history.

"The start of production for our new E-Class represents a milestone in our growth strategy. With the E-Class we set new standards in the luxury class, to optimally meet our customers' demands," said Dr. Wolfgang Bernhard, member of Daimler AG management board in charge with production and procurement for Mercedes-Benz Cars & Mercedes-Benz Vans. "In just 45 minutes, we made the transition from the previous generation to the new E-Class - that is the benchmark."

With the new E-Class, the changeover time between the past and the new model series was significantly reduced - only 45 minutes to ensure that about 2,000 new parts are seamlessly integrated into the new production process. This was made possible by an excellent collaboration between development, planning, logistics and production departments. The entire process chain is located at Sindelfingen and is fully geared to the requirements of the new E-Class: from the pressing plant in charge with the production of the new body panels to assembly and paint finish. In this specific way, the typical Mercedes-Benz top build quality is ensured right from the start.

Dr. Willi Reiss, Head of the Mercedes-Benz plant in Sindelfingen commented: "What our team has done with the launch of the E-Class is great. Only shortly after the release of the new CLS Shooting Brake, we succeeded again in providing a new Sindelfingen top product on the wheels. For this achievement, I wish to thank all the employees involved."

The most visible changes are present on the new front end. The new Elegance and Avantgarde variants are now even more striking and distinguishable. One of the major advantages customers of the new E-Class have is the versatile production process that allows numerous customization options. This means that, throughout the entire life cycle of the model, there will not be any completely identical vehicles. In addition to the new E-Class sedan, the assembly of the the E-Class wagon, E-Class hybrid variants and also the CLS and the CLS Shooting Brake takes place on the same line. Over 500 of some 1,500 jobs were changing the framework conditions for the installation of the new vehicle parts. In total, around 3,400 people were intensively prepared and trained for a period over ten months in advance to the 1st March 2013, the date of transition between the two E-Class model generations.

The new E-Class

With the new E-Class, Mercedes-Benz is not only setting a new standard in the luxury class, but it is also revolutionizing the entire segment. With new and efficient engines, new assistance systems and a new design philosophy, Mercedes-Benz reaffirms its leading position. Both the sedan and the station wagon celebrate world premiere of eleven new or enhanced assistance systems. They combine comfort and safety. The new E-Class also takes a significant step forward in terms of efficiency and ecology with the new powerful BlueDIRECT four-cylinder petrol engines with direct fuel injection. The strong technical package is also reflected in the design. With its new styling, the new E-Class brings efficiency, intelligence and emotion under the same roof.

The Mercedes-Benz plant in Sindelfingen

The Mercedes-Benz plant in Sindelfingen is the world's largest production facility of Daimler AG and the competence center for passenger cars in the upper and luxury class of the global production network of Mercedes-Benz Cars division. In recent years, the staff of more than 22,000 employees has assembled over 420,000 combined units of the C-Class, E-Class, S-Class, CL, CLS Coupé, CLS Shooting Brake and SLS AMG​​.

Credits: Daimler AG

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