Star Assembly expands its production portfolio with electric drive units for new Mercedes-Benz models
New production scopes strengthen the plant’s role in the Mercedes-Benz production network and sustainable business strategy
Investment in new assembly line underpins the future-readiness of the plant
Sebeș. Star Assembly, a wholly owned subsidiary of Mercedes-Benz AG, expanded its production portfolio and officially started the assembly of electric drive units for the all-new, fully electric Mercedes-Benz GLC. (provisional figures: energy consumption combined: 14.9-18.8 kWh/100 km | CO2 emissions combined: 0 g/km | CO2 class: A). The new production scopes in the area of electric vehicle components strengthen the strategic role of the plant in the Mercedes-Benz global production network and business strategy. Sebeș is the second plant in the global production network to supply the Mercedes-Benz vehicle plants with electric drive units. The production site works closely with the German plant in Untertürkheim, the competence center for drive technologies responsible for producing the units for the new CLA and future models in the Top-End segment. With the assembly of electric drive units, Sebeș supplies key components to the production of the all-electric GLC, entering series production next year at the Mercedes-Benz plant in Bremen, Germany. Starting next year, Sebeș will also supply the Hungarian Mercedes-Benz plant in Kecskemét with electric drive units, where the new electric C-Class will roll off the production line. Romania’s Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan and further public officials visited the Star Assembly plant in Sebeș for the start of production ceremony.
“Producing the electric drive units for the new all-electric Mercedes-Benz GLC is an important milestone in the transformation of our plant and underlines the role of Sebeș in the global Mercedes-Benz production network. Investments in the new production scopes enhance the flexibility and thus strengthen its future-readiness. I am proud of the highly engaged and skilled team that will continue its success story with this new high-tech-products.”
Jörg Burzer, Member of the Board of Management of Mercedes-Benz Group AG,
responsible for Production, Quality and Supply Chain Management
“The investments of Mercedes-Benz mean technology transfer, access to markets, jobs and integration of Romanian industry into the European value chain, which lays the foundation for an economy that will generate healthy development for the future. When a company comes to a location, it’s not only about production itself. It also means supporting education and social responsibility. To be a competitive country means to have a qualified workforce. I want to thank and congratulate the team at Star Assembly Sebeș for their significant contribution.”
Ilie Bolojan, Prime Minister of Romania
“Today we took an important step into the future of mobility. This achievement is the result of extensive cooperation, team dedication, flexibility, and expertise. We are proud of our highly skilled workforce and grateful to the local community for their continued support. We also appreciate the authorities’ support for their role in this significant project. Together, these efforts position Sebeș as a vital hub in the global electrification strategy of Mercedes-Benz.”
Gheorghe Achim, CEO of Star Assembly & Star Transmission
Mercedes-Benz invested in a new facility, which spans over 30,000 square meters and integrates both assembly and logistics functions for electric drive unit production. This investment demonstrates the company’s clear commitment to its highly skilled local workforce, the further development of the Alba region, and Romania’s role in the high-tech automotive industry. The project also received approval for state aid support from the Romanian Government.
Digital and sustainable: High-Tech assembly of Electric Drive Units
The electric drive unit for the new GLC was developed in-house at Mercedes-Benz. A drive unit essentially consists of three subsystems: an electric motor, power electronics and the gear unit for power transmission. The assembly of these components into a complete system takes place at the Sebeș plant. The complete systems are supplied to the Bremen plant, where the GLC will enter series production next year.
The assembly of electric drive units is highly complex and requires numerous production steps. The assembly line covers around 15,000 square meters, extends around 1000 meters in length, and consists of more than 200 manual and automated processes. All operations at the new facility are staffed exclusively by employees reassigned from other areas of the Sebeș site. Their new roles are supported by an extensive qualification and retraining programme, ensuring sustainable employment and long-term workforce development.
The plant is fully integrated into MO360, the Mercedes-Benz digital production ecosystem, and relates to the production network thanks to the MO360 Data Platform. Among other things, this ensures the complete traceability of every component, including all production data.
Production of the Sebeș site follows a sustainable concept: As is the case with all of the Mercedes-Benz production network’s own locations, production in Sebeș operates in a net carbon-neutral manner and is powered by electricity from renewable sources. The installation of a photovoltaic system of up to 5 MW is currently under review. The new production hall for the electric drive unit is supplied by a heat pump system.
About Star Assembly
Star Assembly, a wholly owned subsidiary of Mercedes-Benz Group AG, is located in Sebeș, Romania, and forms a key part of the company’s global powertrain production network. Since its founding in 2013, the plant has specialized in the assembly of several types of transmissions and already took an important step toward e-mobility in 2020 with the start of hybrid unit production for the 8-speed dual-clutch transmission. With ongoing investments in innovation, digitalization, and workforce development, Star Assembly combines advanced manufacturing expertise with a highly skilled workforce to deliver components for the global Mercedes-Benz production network, and the addition of electric drive unit assembly further accelerates this transformation toward a fully electric future.
Contact:
Edward Taylor, +49 176 30941776, edward.taylor@mercedes-benz.com
Birgit Zaiser, +49 160 8614753, birgit.zaiser@mercedes-benz.com
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Mercedes-Benz AG at a glance
MercedesBenz AG is part of the MercedesBenz Group AG with a total of around 175,000 employees worldwide and is responsible for the global business of MercedesBenz Cars and MercedesBenz Vans. Ola Källenius is Chairman of the Board of Management of MercedesBenz AG. The company focuses on the development, production and sales of passenger cars, vans and vehicle-related services. Furthermore, the company aspires to be the leader in the fields of electric mobility and vehicle software. The product portfolio comprises the MercedesBenz brand with MercedesAMG, MercedesMaybach and GClass with their all-electric models as well as products of the smart brand. MercedesBenz AG is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of high-end passenger cars. In 2024 it sold around 2,4 million passenger cars and vans. In its two business segments, MercedesBenz AG is continually expanding its worldwide production network with more than 30 production sites on four continents, while gearing itself to meet the requirements of electric mobility. At the same time, the company is constructing and extending its global battery production network on three continents. As sustainability is the guiding principle of the MercedesBenz strategy and for the company itself, this means creating lasting value for all stakeholders: for customers, employees, investors, business partners and society as a whole. The basis for this is the sustainable business strategy of the MercedesBenz Group. The company thus takes responsibility for the economic, ecological and social effects of its business activities and looks at the entire value chain.