Daimler to develop its ninth battery plant in Poland

23 January 2019

In order to increase its production of electric vehicles (EVs), Daimler has announced it will build a new battery factory in Poland.

The new site in Jawor will bring the company’s production network up to nine facilities. It will be around 100km from the German border and sit next to a state-of-the-art engine factory that is currently under construction.

′We will electrify the complete portfolio by 2022 and will be able to offer in each segment various electrified alternatives to our customers. This includes more than ten pure electric vehicles. We will produce batteries on our own, which we consider a significant success factor in the era of electric mobility. After the production of high-tech engines, we will establish additional future technology in Poland. The battery factory in Jawor is the second largest investment at this new Mercedes-Benz site,’ says Markus Schäfer, member of the divisional board of management of Mercedes-Benz Cars, production and supply chain.

Engine production in Jawor will start in 2019 and supply Mercedes-Benz car plants in Europe and around the world. With the construction of a battery factory on existing ground at the site, approximately 300 new jobs will be created. The battery assembly will feature cutting-edge technologies. The series production of batteries for vehicles in its technology brand EQ is planned for the beginning of the next decade.

′The engine plant and the new battery factory in Jawor are important parts of our global powertrain production network. With nine factories in our global battery production network, we are very well positioned. It became apparent that building an engine factory in Jawor has been a good decision. This success story will be continued with the battery factory. We are looking forward to strengthening the collaboration with the region and the Polish colleagues,’ says Frank Deiß, head of production powertrain Mercedes-Benz Cars.

Daimler is investing more than €1 billion in a global battery production network in order to supply its electrified vehicles, including its EQ range and trucks.

The company is concentrating on the key competence of the battery assembly. Cells are an essential component of the battery. Daimler is buying the cells on the world market and is instructing the suppliers to produce based on special specifications. In this way, the company is securing itself the best possible technology. With the purchase of battery cells for more than €20 billion, the company says it is establishing the preconditions for the consistent change towards an electrical future.

The news follows the announcement by Toyota and Panasonic that it will create a joint venture for the development and production of Prismatic batteries. Last year, Volkswagen (VW) signed a supply agreement with LG Chem for batteries to be used in its upcoming electric range as it looks towards its own in-house supply.