German automotive giant Mercedes-Benz‘s $280 million plant in Russia’s Podmoskovye will be inaugurated by President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday, Gid55 reported.
The 85-hectare plant is located in the Esipovo Industrial Park, about 40 kilometers north of Moscow, and is equipped with Industry 4.0 technologies and full flexible assembly technology that will enable the production of a large number of vehicles on a single assembly line, Mercedes-Benz says. The plant will cover all production stages, from the paint shop to the final assembly.
The company will manufacture cars from its E-series, as well as SUVs at the Russian facility. According to analyst Nikita Krichevsky, the cars produced at the new plant should be cheaper for the Russian market.
“For myself, I’m waiting for the price reduction, although knowledgeable people in the Mercedes system say that the price will be identical to German counterparts. But I do not believe them and continue to hope, after all, assembly in the immediate vicinity of the consumer significantly reduces the cost of the process and affects the final cost,” Krichevsky said.
The new Mercedes plant was built by Turkish construction company ESTA Construction.
Mercedes-Benz Russia CEO Axel Bense said they have put so much effort into building this plant for about two years. “This is an international project carried out in cooperation with ESTA Construction, one of the important actors in the sector,” he said.
“I would like to say that I am very happy for their support and that we see them as a reliable partner. I believe this will be a long-lasting partnership that will continue not only in Russia but also in different parts of the world,” Bense added.
The plant, which stands out as Mercedes-Benz/Daimler’s largest investment and first automobile factory in Russia, was named after Sirius, the brightest star visible from any part of Earth, the company said.
