RASTATT, Germany: The Mercedes-Benz plant in Rastatt has started production of the new CLA with a flexible powertrain approach.
Several German Mercedes-Benz sites supply the Rastatt plant, where the new electric CLA will initially roll off the production line.
Following the gradual ramp-up, Beijing Benz Automotive Co., Ltd (BBAC) will also build the CLA, including the batteries and electric drive units, for the Chinese market.
Production at the Rastatt plant is fundamentally drive-flexible - hybrid and fully electric vehicles roll off the same production line as vehicles with conventional drive systems.
The ramp-up of the CLA in Rastatt was preceded by the extensive remodelling of an existing assembly hall in record time.
Furthermore, the Mercedes-Benz Operating System (MB.OS) is being used for the first time in series production of the new CLA.
This chip-to-cloud architecture enables the vehicle software to be transferred via a central Mercedes-Benz Intelligent Cloud server instead of via various hardware modules.
Rastatt thus serves as a blueprint for the global roll-out of MB.OS in all Mercedes-Benz vehicle plants.
The high-voltage batteries for the new CLA come from Mercedes-Benz subsidiary Accumotive in Kamenz, Saxony.
The Mercedes-Benz plant in Rastatt started production in 1992.
With around 6,000 employees, it is the largest employer in the region.
The A-Class and B-Class as well as the compact SUV GLA and the all-electric Mercedes-Benz EQA are built at the Rastatt plant.
With combustion engines, plug-in hybrids and electric vehicles, Rastatt production covers the entire range of modern drive technologies.
The high-voltage batteries for the new CLA come from the Mercedes-Benz subsidiary Accumotive in Kamenz, Saxony.
Local battery production is a key success factor for the Mercedes-Benz strategy.
The Kuppenheim plant, around 10km away, has been supplying the Rastatt plant with bodyshell components, structural and body parts since 2009, now also for the new electric CLA.
Last year, the Mercedes-Benz battery recycling factory, the first with mechanical-hydrometallurgical technology in Europe, opened on the site.
