On November 17, the one millionth vehicle rolled off the production line at Beijing Benz Automotive Co (BBAC).

This joint venture between Daimler and BAIC has been in place for over ten years and undertook tremendous development over the last decade. “This occasion is a milestone for our successful partnership with BAIC and another solid proof of our ‘Made in China, for China’ commitment,” said Hubertus Troska, Member of the Board of Management of Daimler AG, responsible for Daimler Greater China. “BBAC is key to the long-term and sustainable development of the Mercedes-Benz brand in China, and we will continue developing it into one of the most pioneering manufacturing sites in Daimler’s global production network.” 

Xu Heyi, chairman of BAIC Group and its subsidiary BAIC Motor, said: “It marks not only a breakthrough in scale for BBAC, but also the realisation of a qualitative leap in the systemic development of quality, craftsmanship, technology and procurement."

China: Mercedes’ biggest market

In 2015, China became the biggest sales market for Mercedes-Benz passenger cars. That is a key reason local production volumes are continually rising. “The offline of the one millionth vehicle is both a recognition and incentive for us. This production milestone shows how much experience and expertise our local specialists have now built up. The fact that our vehicles are received so favorably by Chinese customers is the best praise for our colleagues at the plant,” said Peter Schabert, President and CEO of BBAC.

The milestone vehicle is an E-Class. In 2005, the E-Class was the first Mercedes-Benz vehicle to be manufactured locally, and the first ‘Made in China, for China’ long wheelbase version of the E-Class started production in 2010. In June 2016, the third generation of the locally produced E-Class rolled off the production line at BBAC and the new long wheelbase version is expected to become a growth driver for Mercedes-Benz in China. With more than 13 million E-Class Saloons and Estates delivered to customers worldwide, the E-Class is the highest volume Mercedes-Benz model of all time. In the first 10 months of this year more were sold in China than in any other market.