Tag: Edward Taylor

Mercedes-Benz Berlin Plant Boss to Join Tesla

November 11, 2020 / WIL BALDWIN

FRANKFURT (Reuters) – The head of the Berlin engine plant run by Mercedes-Benz has defected to rival Tesla <TSLA>, German union IG Metall said on Wednesday, calling on employees to protest over his departure.

IG Metall declined to name the head of the plant, which has been run by Rene Reif, one the most experienced manufacturing executives at Mercedes-Benz who helped expand manufacturing capacity for Daimler <DAI> in China.

Reif used to be head of engineering and manufacturing at Beijing Benz Automotive Co. Daimler’s Chinese joint venture, which has a manufacturing capacity of around 480,000 cars and started building the electric Mercedes-Benz EQC last year.

Tesla declined to comment on whether it had found a new manager for a Gigafactory being built on the outskirts of Berlin but the electric carmaker is on a global manufacturing expansion push, building or expanding new factories in Texas, Germany and China.

Last month, a source told Reuters that a Tesla manager who oversaw the construction of the electric carmaker’s Gruenheide plant, had left his position.

Daimler said on Wednesday that Reif, 57, the manager of its Mercedes-Benz Berlin plant, which makes powertrains, would go into early retirement at the end of the year, at his own request.

Mercedes-Benz Werk Berlin, Deutschland: Montage des Mercedes-Benz V6 Dieselmotor OM642 / Mercedes-Benz Berlin Plant, Germany: Assembly of the Mercedes-Benz V6 diesel engine OM642

German unions have lamented the fact that traditional carmakers are cutting investment into combustion engine technologies as regulators clamp down on emissions and as demand for vehicles is hit by the COVID-19 pandemic.

IG Metall said there would be a protest in front of the Mercedes factory on Thursday and called on Daimler to present solutions that would help to guarantee the future of the plant.

The union said Daimler managers had outlined cost savings plans and union officials fear the Berlin plant’s future is at risk.

Daimler said Clemenz Dobrawa, who currently heads up the Mercedes-Benz battery manufacturing plant in Kamenz, had taken over leadership of the Mercedes-Benz plants in Hamburg and Berlin earlier this month.

“Thanks to his activity as representative in Kamenz, he brings important know-how for the transformation toward electromobility,” Daimler said, adding the Berlin plant would be restructured to serve an ‘Electric First’ strategy.

(Reporting by Edward Taylor and Ilona Wissenbach. Editing by Jane Merriman)

VW Not Seeking Deal With Tesla – CEO Diess

September 7, 2020 / WIL BALDWIN

FRANKFURT, Sept 7 (Reuters) – Volkswagen’s Chief Executive Herbert Diess on Monday sought to quell speculation that the world’s largest carmaker, which is on a mass production push for electric cars, has plans to develop deeper ties with start-up rival Tesla.

Diess met with Tesla’s Chief Executive Elon Musk in Braunschweig, Germany, last week, and during his visit VW let Musk drive its new ID.3 electric car.

“Just to be clear: We just drove the ID.3 and had a chat – there is no deal/cooperation in the making,” Diess said in a post on Linkedin which included a video of the two executives driving the vehicle on an airfield.

“Thanks for the visit, Elon! Hope you like the video. It was great driving the ID.3 with you! You were just quite critical with the available torque at higher speed. I told you: “Yes, we are on the runway – but no need for take off – its not a sports car.”

For a link to the video click: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:6708741329091866625/?commentUrn=urn%3Ali%3Acomment%3A(ugcPost%3A6708652585454190592%2C6708741309508673536)

(Reporting by Edward Taylor; Editing by Susan Fenton)

German Carmakers to Resume Production as Lockdowns Ease

April 16, 2020 / WIL BALDWIN

FILE PHOTO: VW hosts photo workshop at Zwickau plant

FRANKFURT (Reuters) – German carmakers including Volkswagen <VOW.DE> and Mercedes-Benz <DAI.DE> will restart production at some German factories next week after the country eased restrictions designed to contain the coronavirus outbreak.

Chancellor Angela Merkel on Wednesday said that Germany has achieved a “fragile intermediate success” in its the fight against the coronavirus and that its emergence from lockdown would begin with the partial reopening of shops next week and schools from May 4.

Unlike Italy and Spain, Germany never banned car production, though factories came to a standstill after authorities restricted the movement of people and ordered the closure of car dealerships, hitting demand.

Volkswagen said it will start producing cars for its core brand in Zwickau, Germany, and in Bratislava, Slovakia, on April 20.

Plants in Russia, Spain, Portugal and the United States will ramp up production from April 27 onwards, joined by factories in South Africa, Argentina, Brazil and Mexico in May.

“With the decisions by the federal and state governments in Germany and the loosening of restrictions in other European states, conditions have been established for the gradual resumption of production,” Ralf Brandstaetter, Chief Operating Officer of the Volkswagen brand, said in a statement.

The carmaker has retooled production to ensure that workers keep 1.5 metres apart. Other measures include the staggering of shifts and lunch breaks, plus steps to change worker interaction in VW’s supply chain.

Bernd Osterloh, Chairman of the company’s Works Council, said: “In the light of the pandemic, we need to adapt our routines. One answer is our new agreement on health protection. With about 100 measures, we are keeping the risk of infection at Volkswagen as low as possible.”

In China, where a Volkswagen has already implemented health measures, 32 of the 33 plants have resumed production and no coronavirus infections among employees have been reported.

Mercedes-Benz parent Daimler said that its plants in Hamburg, Berlin and Untertuerkheim will resume production next week. Its Berlin plant makes engine-management systems for vehicles sold in China.

Production will initially start in a one-shift system, Daimler said, with plants in Sindelfingen and Bremen also making preparations to ramp up production.

(Reporting by Edward Taylor and Jan Schwartz; Editing by David Goodman)

Mercedes-Benz Berlin Plant Boss to Join Tesla

VW Not Seeking Deal With Tesla – CEO Diess

German Carmakers to Resume Production as Lockdowns Ease

Archives