Mercedes-Benz creates new division for drive systems

Mercedes-Benz has announced the creation of a new unit – Mercedes-Benz Drive Systems – grouping all drive system competencies across the group within the company.

The move is part of the company’s transformation towards CO₂-neutral mobility and digitalisation. It will help create synergy effects and drive the transformation forward even more rapidly and more efficiently. For the first time, the new Mercedes-Benz Drive Systems unit combines all trades from the areas of development, production, as well as related areas and cross-sectional functions, quality management, planning and procurement under one roof. As an internal system supplier, it is responsible for engines and transmissions, batteries and electric drives, and also the associated hardware and software.

“The drive system is one of the central components of our vehicles and strongly determines the typical Mercedes-Benz driving character – whether it is purely electric, hybrid or conventional. With the new Mercedes-Benz Drive Systems unit, we will create synergy effects and drive forward the greatest challenge on the road to CO₂-free mobility, namely the transformation of our drive systems, even more rapidly and more efficiently. With the new organisational unit, we can continue to develop our production and development areas future oriented and in a competitive manner while at the same time produce as efficiently and economically as possible. I am convinced that this focus will support us in our ambitious goal of being able to offer our customers a complete CO₂-free product range in under 20 years. Thanks to the overall responsibility for the entire added value - from the battery cell to the drive system – and the optimised cross-functions, we feel well equipped with Frank Deib and his team at the forefront. Together, we will successfully master the upcoming transformation and the changes associated with it,” said Markus Schäfer, Member of the Board of Management of Daimler AG and Mercedes-Benz AG, responsible for Daimler Group Research and COO of
Mercedes-Benz Cars.

Frank Deib, chairman of the new Mercedes-Benz Drive Systems and simultaneously head of production powertrain as well as responsible for the Untertürkheim plant, will head the new Mercedes-Benz Drive Systems and take on the position of Chairman of the corresponding Executive Board. In this function, he directly reports to Markus Schafer. Torsten Eder as Head of Powertrain Development and Andreas Friedrich, as of August 1, 2020 Head of eDrive Development, are also part of the Executive Board.

One-stop shop
Commenting on the decision,Deib said: “For the first time, the new Mercedes-Benz Drive Systems unit combines all drive systems and disciplines relevant to drive systems from the fields of development and production under one roof within Mercedes-Benz AG. As an internal system supplier, it is responsible for engines and transmissions, batteries and electric drives, and also the associated hardware and software. As such, all drive types from Mercedes-Benz will be integrated in one unit – strongly aligned in terms of disciplines and products, and with a high degree of individual business responsibility. At the same time, through the reorganisation we will create key synergies across the entire process chain related to drive systems and thus increase economic efficiency in the medium-term.”

Getting future-ready
On the road to CO2-free mobility, Mercedes-Benz is pursuing a technologically neutral drive system strategy with an intelligent mix of state-of-the-art combustion engines incl. 48-volt technology, plug-in hybrids and all-electric vehicles. The goal is to meet the different requirements and market scenarios around the world through an attractive mix of drive types and thus always be able to offer customers the appropriate vehicle.

By the end of the year, five all-electric passenger car models and more than 20 plug-in hybrid variants are expected to be on the market.