The Mercedes-Benz plant in Mannheim has officially opened the Battery Technology Centre, where next-generation batteries will be mass-produced and assembled.
Nearly a year after the topping-out ceremony, Daimler Trucks officially opened the Battery Technology Center (BTC) at the Mercedes-Benz plant in Mannheim on July 19th in the presence of Michael Kleiner, Director General of the Baden-Württemberg Ministry of Economics, Labor and Tourism, and Christian Specht, Mayor of Mannheim. Representing Daimler Trucks at the ceremony were Andreas Golbach, Member of the Board of Management for Daimler Trucks and responsible for Truck Technology, Jarith Pursun, Head of the Global Power Systems Division at Daimler Trucks, Andreas Moch, Site Manager Mercedes-Benz Mannheim Plant, Michael Salmen, Head of Production Planning for Batteries and BTC, Michael Brecht, Chairman of the General Works Council at Daimler Trucks, and Bruno Buschbacher, Chairman of the Works Council at the Mercedes-Benz Mannheim Plant.
Product and process development for Daimler Trucks’ battery-electric commercial vehicles takes place on an area of ​​more than 10,000 square meters. The BTC combines development and production. Experts build up their knowledge of batteries and their production processes here. For this purpose, two production areas are set up in the BTC, which at the topping-out ceremony was still called InnoLab Battery. On the one hand, test cells are produced here to build up process knowledge. Battery packs are then produced as prototypes for test benches and test vehicles. With the battery pack test line, the Mannheim site is also preparing for future series production, planned for the second half of the 2020s, as part of the introduction of the next generation of lithium-ion batteries at the plant.
Andreas Golbach:
The opening of our Battery Technology Centre marks an important step in the electrification of our product portfolio and a new milestone in the innovation history of the Mannheim plant.
“We have decided to take on the assembly of future battery generations ourselves, thus keeping an important added value in-house. In Europe, we are doing this at the Mercedes-Benz plant in Mannheim, further strengthening the future of that location.”
Executive Director Michael Kleiner:
Battery technology is advancing rapidly and is now a critical component in applications that demand the highest performance.
“Baden-Württemberg must seize the opportunity to become a global leader in battery technology. With innovative companies, world-class research facilities and a highly skilled workforce, our state has a solid foundation for success. The opening of the Battery Technology Center is an important step in making Baden-Württemberg a future-proof location and turning the current transformation into a success story.”
Yaris Porsche:
Our goal is to introduce new, value-added technologies to the Powersystems factory.
“The Battery Technology Center in Mannheim is laying an important foundation for future competences in battery technology within Daimler Trucks and is driving our company’s transformation. In parallel, our second technology center in Gaggenau and Kassel is working on the development of future electric drives and high-voltage components.”
Andreas Moch:
At the Battery Technology Center, our experts are building up their expertise in the production of battery cells and developing assembly concepts and systems for battery packs.
“We would then like to mass-produce these battery packs at the site later in the decade. As part of the transformation, the Mannheim site is therefore extremely well positioned. I would like to thank all those involved who have worked hard together on this project over the past many months.”
Mayor Christian Specht:
The opening of the Battery Technology Centre is a further element in the future of the Mercedes-Benz plant in Mannheim as a centre of expertise for battery technology and high-voltage systems for Daimler Trucks.
“The new center strengthens the future viability of the Mannheim site as the plant undergoes its transformation towards emission-free operation. It also represents an impressive demonstration of the innovative strength of the Mannheim site and makes an important contribution on the path to climate neutrality.”
Battery Technology Center Details
The existing building at number 18, built in 1952, is located in the centre of the factory and covers an area of ​​7,500 square metres. In recent months it has undergone extensive renovation work and a 3,000 square metre annex has been added.
More than 60 new machines and systems have been installed at the BTC, where it is possible to map the processes involved in the prototype production of battery cells and systems, such as coating techniques, welding processes, assembly and gluing processes.
The BTC is divided into two areas: In the Cell area, you will gain product and process knowledge for the production of battery cells. The facility provides the prerequisites for acquiring extensive knowledge of cell chemistry, for example offering the opportunity to try out different recipes in the production of battery pastes (also known as “slurries”).
This slurry is used to manufacture prototype battery cells, the smallest unit of a battery. Each cell goes through both clean room and dry room areas, as it is very important to protect sensitive materials from dust and moisture during manufacturing. In the cell area, both two different types of battery cells can be manufactured: pouch cells and prismatic cells. The cell area is used to build expertise in manufacturing processes and unit scaling.
Experience in assembling battery packs is being gained on a pilot line for battery pack production. The next largest units after the battery pack – battery modules – are produced from the cells and then battery packs are manufactured from these modules. In a few years’ time, the results of this line will be put into series production at the Mannheim plant.
Michael Salmen:
At the Battery Technology Center we pool our expertise and use prototypes to directly contribute to the development and maturation of future products.
“At the same time, development and production planning work closely together here and as a real team.”
BTC as a key element of the Mannheim site’s future
Bruno Buschbacher:
The Battery Technology Centre is a key strategic part of transforming our traditional engine plant into emission-free drives.
“On the one hand, we will continue to build engines in Mannheim, but at the same time, we are laying the foundations at BTC for the series production of future battery systems, which will secure jobs and the entire site. In our works council, we will work to ensure that this vision of the future is realised and designed in a socially responsible way, as we believe that this cannot be taken for granted.”
A total of around 100 employees work at BTC. A modern office concept with different working zones was chosen to give employees more space to be creative, productive and efficient.
The BTC building will have around 400 square metres of green space in front, spanning the entire vertical green wall element. In addition to an extensive green roof, the new building will also have a photovoltaic system, providing enough energy to power around 50 single-family homes.
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The Mercedes-Benz plant in Mannheim has officially opened its Battery Technology Center, where next-generation batteries will be mass-produced and assembled.