Tag Archives: Mercedes-Benz

News

Electric Power, Romanian Muscle: Inside Mercedes’ New EV Heart Factory

By the time you’ve finished your morning espresso, a brand-new Mercedes-Benz electric drive unit will already be whirring its way down a kilometer-long assembly line in a small Romanian town called Sebeş. It’s not exactly Stuttgart or Sindelfingen — but make no mistake, this place is quietly becoming one of the powerhouses of Mercedes’ electric future.

Star Assembly, Mercedes-Benz’s wholly owned Romanian arm, has just flicked the switch on production of electric drive units for the next all-electric Mercedes-Benz GLC. In plain English: Romania is now officially part of the EV big league.

This isn’t some back-room bolt-on job, either. The Sebeş site is now the second plant in the global Mercedes network to supply electric drive units to its vehicle factories — a job it shares with the legendary Untertürkheim plant in Germany, the mothership of Mercedes drive tech.

A Decade of Gears, Now a Jolt of Voltage

Star Assembly’s been part of the three-pointed star family since 2013, mostly churning out gearboxes for all sorts of Mercs. In 2020, it took a first sip of the electric Kool-Aid by adding hybrid units for the 8-speed dual-clutch transmission. But now, things have gone fully electric — and fully serious.

Mercedes has sunk a major investment into Sebeş: over 30,000 square metres of shiny new facilities where robots and humans work side by side to build electric drive units with surgical precision. The assembly line alone stretches about 1,000 metres, dotted with more than 200 processes — some manual, most automated, all very German in their efficiency.

Jörg Burzer, Mercedes-Benz’s production boss, calls the project “an important milestone in the transformation of our plant.” Translation: Sebeş just became a vital artery in Mercedes’ transition from piston power to pixel-perfect electrification.

From Transmissions to Transformation

This isn’t just corporate speak. For Romania, the move means more than a few shiny motors. As Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan put it during the launch ceremony, Mercedes’ investment brings “technology transfer, access to markets and integration of Romanian industry into the European value chain.” In other words — it’s a massive vote of confidence in Romania’s industrial chops.

And of course, it’s green. The Sebeş site runs on 100 percent renewable electricity, operating in a carbon-neutral fashion — just like the rest of Mercedes’ in-house production network. It’s proof that sustainability doesn’t have to mean small-scale or slow.

The Bigger Picture

Mercedes’ electric ambitions are sprawling across the continent — from Germany to Hungary to now Romania — each site a piece of a puzzle that spells “less CO₂, more volts.” The Sebeş plant, with its newfound electric focus, might not make headlines like a new AMG or concept car, but make no mistake: this is where the future of the brand quietly takes shape.

It’s not glamorous, it’s not loud, but in its quiet, humming precision, it’s everything Mercedes wants to be in the EV age — efficient, connected, and just a little bit brilliant.

Source: Mercedes-Benz

News

Mercedes-Benz Merges Luxury and Esports: The League of Legends CLA Art Piece Debuts for Worlds 2025

Mercedes-Benz has never shied away from blending culture with craftsmanship, but its latest creation pushes that boundary into the digital realm. To celebrate the start of the 2025 League of Legends World Championship, the German automaker has unveiled something truly unexpected: the League of Legends Mercedes-Benz CLA Art Piece — a one-of-a-kind fusion of gaming culture, art, and automotive design.

This bespoke creation isn’t destined for the road but rather for the imagination. Born from a collaboration with Riot Games, the publisher of League of Legends, the CLA Art Piece stands as a sculptural tribute to both the game’s competitive spirit and Mercedes-Benz’s design philosophy. It’s part of the brand’s ‘Class of Creators’ series — a lineup of five exclusive art cars designed in collaboration with visionary artists, designers, and creative minds, all reinterpreting the new CLA as their canvas.

A Trophy on Wheels

Drawing inspiration from the redesigned Summoner’s Cup — the holy grail of professional League of Legends — this art piece shimmers with a silver-chrome finish, blue sapphire accents, and gold trim highlights, mirroring the trophy’s intricate craftsmanship. The detailing is nothing short of spectacular: the CLA’s chassis is engraved with the names of every World Championship-winning team from 2011 to 2024, immortalizing over a decade of esports history in metal.

It’s more than a car. It’s a rolling monument to competition, creativity, and community — a symbol of the passion that drives millions of fans to tune in each year.

Where Esports Meets Automotive Art

Mercedes-Benz’s partnership with Riot Games isn’t new, but this year’s collaboration takes the relationship to another level. As the official automotive partner of the League of Legends World Championship, Mercedes continues to use its design language to connect with younger, digitally native audiences — ones that grew up cheering for champions like T1 and DRX as much as they did for AMG engines.

The League of Legends World Championship 2025 runs from October 14 to November 9, across Beijing, Shanghai, and Chengdu — a tri-city tour de force that mirrors the global reach of both the game and the Mercedes-Benz brand.

More Than a Showpiece

Though this CLA won’t see the autobahn anytime soon, it embodies a vision of what’s possible when gaming culture meets luxury craftsmanship. Every curve and contour tells a story — of innovation, fandom, and the shared pursuit of excellence, whether behind the wheel or on the virtual battlefield.

In an era where the lines between digital and physical are blurring faster than ever, the League of Legends CLA Art Piece stands as proof that performance and passion can take many forms — even one forged from chrome, gold, and pure imagination.

Source: Mercedes-Benz

News

Mercedes-Benz Q3 2025: Top-End Momentum, Electric Acceleration, and China Headwinds

Mercedes-Benz Group AG entered the home stretch of 2025 balancing two realities: a shifting global market and a product portfolio firing on nearly all cylinders. The Stuttgart-based luxury automaker reported third-quarter sales of 525,300 vehicles, including both cars and vans—a figure slightly lower year-over-year but strategically poised for growth as the company kicks off the largest product launch campaign in its history.

Electric Growth Amid Market Pressure

Electric mobility continues to be Mercedes-Benz’s fastest-growing frontier. Battery-electric vehicle (BEV) sales climbed 22% quarter-on-quarter and 9% year-over-year, totaling more than 51,000 units across cars and vans. The uptick was powered largely by the European debut of the electric CLA, a compact four-door coupe signaling the brand’s next-gen design and tech language.

“The excellent feedback for the electric CLA and growing demand for our Top-End vehicles underline our strong product momentum,” said Mathias Geisen, Member of the Board of Management for Marketing & Sales. “Our new products are setting the stage for further sales growth.”

Mercedes is leveraging that momentum as it rolls into a historic launch cycle that began at IAA Mobility 2025 in Munich, introducing the theme “Welcome Home.” Upcoming debuts—like the electric GLC, CLA Shooting Brake, and the future electric C-Class—are designed to broaden the EV portfolio while maintaining the brand’s hallmark of luxury refinement.

Top-End Vehicles Drive Brand Strength

If there’s one corner of Mercedes’ lineup that’s unshakable, it’s the Top-End segment—home to the S-Class, Maybach, AMG, and G-Class. Sales here rose 5% from Q2 and 10% year-over-year to 67,800 units, representing a healthy 15.4% of total car sales.

The S-Class alone accounted for 28,300 units, with one in three being a Mercedes-Maybach—a clear sign of continued demand for ultra-luxury mobility in key markets like China and the Middle East. AMG and G-Class models followed suit, with +6% and +31% quarterly growth, respectively.

Regional Shifts: Europe Steady, China Challenging

Mercedes-Benz’s European operations posted modest but stable growth, up 2% overall, driven by standout performances in Spain (+5%), Poland (+20%), and Germany (+3%). Meanwhile, South America (+45%) and the Gulf States (+33%) helped offset softness in Asia.

The biggest drag came from China, where sales fell 11% in Q3 amid a turbulent market environment and shifting tariff policies. Despite that, Top-End sales in China grew 13% year-over-year, reaffirming Mercedes’ dominant share in the million-RMB-plus luxury bracket.

In the United States, stock levels were intentionally managed to cushion tariff exposure. Still, customer deliveries rose 6% year-to-date, and retail demand remains strong, particularly for SUVs and high-performance models.

Mercedes-Benz Vans: Quiet Strength and Digital Innovation

While cars often steal the spotlight, Mercedes-Benz Vans had a solid quarter, delivering 83,800 units globally. Europe accounted for a growing portion of electric vans, now 14% of van sales, signaling strong traction for the eVito and eSprinter lineups.

The Van Uptime Monitor, a new digital service offering real-time diagnostics and operational data, launched across major European markets and was met with enthusiastic reception from fleet operators. “Our commitment to EVs and premium digital services is resonating with customers,” said Sagree Sardien, Head of Vans Sales & Marketing.

Year-to-date, van sales totaled 260,200 units, with 20,200 electric vans, up a staggering 61% compared to 2024. The midsize Vito, celebrating its 30th anniversary, continues to demonstrate why it’s a backbone of Mercedes’ commercial success story.

The Road Ahead

Despite headwinds in China and trade-related pressures, Mercedes-Benz is positioning itself for a strong finish to 2025. The brand’s focus on electrification, digital experience, and high-margin Top-End products paints a clear trajectory: fewer compromises, more exclusivity, and a steady march toward its all-electric future.

With the electric GLC on the horizon and the G-Class Cabriolet preparing to join the lineup, Mercedes-Benz’s next act looks less like a reset and more like a confident evolution—where luxury meets innovation, and the star continues to shine bright across every segment it touches.

Source: Mercedes-Benz