The year 2020 was a stress test for almost every company from almost every industry. We continued to pursue our business goals, even in the adverse circumstances of a pandemic.

The year debuted with the series production start of the 8-gear 8G-DCT hybrid transmission. Less than a year after the official start of production of the 8G-DCT transmission, Mercedes-Benz’s plug-in hybrid portfolio is expanded with the new 8G-DCT hybrid plug-in transmission, which we are proud to assemble here in Sebes.

The 8G-DCT hybrid is an important milestone on the road to zero-emissions driving. Mercedes‑Benz Cars is pushing ahead with the development of its plug-in hybrids under the EQ Power label. Since 2019, 6 models within the compact car family, A 250 e, A 250 e Saloon, CLA 250 e Coupé, CLA 250 e Shooting Brake, B 250 e and now GLA 250 e models are now using a hybrid power unit with the 8G-DCT dual-clutch transmission. The 8G-DCT hybrid transmission carries on the high performance with all the necessary hybrid functions for the next generation plug-in hybrid powertrain. In addition to its purely electric driving, the plug-in hybrid transmission allows the performance of all hybrid functions such as electric driving, boosting and energy recovery.

“The long-term commitment of Mercedes-Benz with regard to the development of the Romanian locations of Sebeș and Cugir represents a powerful declaration of the belief in our highly qualified and engaged team and its outstanding work. We are proud to be part of this milestone in the transformation of the powertrain production and to be able to contribute to shaping the future of mobility”, says Klaus Eichhorn.

On 15 May, Prime Minister Ludovic Orban visited the Star Assembly production unit, along with Mrs. Raluca Turcan, Deputy Prime Minister, Mr. Lucian Bode, Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communications, Mr. Virgil Popescu, Minister of Economy, Energy and Business, Mr. Ion Ştefan, Minister of Public Works, Development and Administration and Mr. Ionel Ciucă, Minister of National Defence, as well as representatives of public authorities in the county. After a period of interruption of activity caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Mercedes-Benz production units in Sebes and Cugir gradually resumed their production activity starting from April 21. On this occasion, the Prime Minister visited the assembly line of the eight-speed dual-clutch gearbox, the newest product in the Mercedes-Benz transmission portfolio.

In addition to the business objectives achieved, the company did not disregard its responsibility towards society. In line with the philosophy of our companies to strike the perfect balance between growth and responsibility towards the community, Star Assembly sponsored in 2020 the total amount of 600,000 euros to the hospitals in Sebes and Cugir, thus supporting the steady development of medical quality and standards. In addition to the support towards the hospitals, due to the unprecedented disruptions caused by the coronavirus outbreak, the company has actively engaged its CSR strategy by stepping up to battle COVID-19. To date, more than 300.000 euros were donated to hospitals in the counties of Alba, Sibiu, Hunedoara as well as the Red Cross towards coronavirus relief.

Following a joint campaign with our partners from the Red Cross of Alba County, due to the current situation, we readjusted the concept of our traditional internal Shoebox campaign. In the form of humanitarian a support consisting in Christmas packages, the Red Cross delivered packages to children from families with social problems in the area of Sebes and Cugir, as well as the communes in their immediate vicinity.