Series production of the new E-Class Coupé has started at the Mercedes-Benz plant in Bremen. This latest addition to the successful E-Class family follows the Saloon, the Estate and the All Terrain off-road variant, which have been rolling off the assembly line at the Sindelfingen plant since last year. A long-wheelbase version of the new E-Class is built for the Chinese market at the company’s plant in Beijing.
Technically based on the Saloon, the sporty and exclusive Coupé marks a next step in the evolution of the Mercedes-Benz design language. At the same time, it offers the intelligence of the E‑C lass family with full smartphone integration, Widescreen Cockpit and the latest driver assistance systems with the option of, among other things, partially automated driving. Powerful engines with low exhaust emissions and comfortable suspensions with selective damping provide the guarantee of a sporty and agile driving experience. The Coupé is already available to order and will be on its way to customers from spring 2017.
Integration into ongoing series production
The new E-Class Coupé is produced at the Bremen plant as part of a flexible system alongside the C-Class Coupé and C-Class Cabriolet. The team was able to integrate a further start-up into the running series production in a very short space of time, while the plant is working to full capacity.
The Bremen plant currently produces ten different models, and thus the highest number of variants of any plant within the Mercedes-Benz Cars production network. By the end of the decade, the list of vehicles “Made in Bremen” will encompass the full range of intelligent drive systems – from the classic combustion engine and plug-in hybrids through to fuel cell and electric vehicles.
Extensive features thanks to highly flexible production
The new E-Class Coupé is available with a wide range of features, requiring an intelligent production system. During the development phase, the feasibility of the various steps of the production process was tested through a virtual assembly. A start-up team from Bremen contributed to optimise the efficiency and ergonomics of the production process with their experience and know-how they gained with previous model series.
The production of vehicles to customers’ individual specifications is underpinned throughout the assembly process by an intelligent logistics concept. Driverless transport systems deliver baskets containing the precise components and parts required for the individual vehicle to the production line, where they are fitted without the need for intermediate buffering. The high level of variance means that virtually every vehicle is unique.
A further factor contributing to the successful series integration of the E-Class Coupé was the close cooperation between Bremen and Sindelfingen. During the start-up phase, the Bremen team had recourse to the experience gained by their colleagues in Sindelfingen with the new E-Class model series, for example with regard to introducing new testing procedures for the complex electronic systems in the Coupé.
