[April 6，2023，Beijing] The all-new locally-produced EQE pure electric SUV has officially rolled off the production line at BBAC’s Shunyi Plant, expanding BBAC’s portfolio of all-electric vehicles to five. As a leader in electrification among locally-produced premium brands, BBAC continues to consolidate its strength and competitive advantage in both electrification and digitalization, progressing along a new journey of high-quality development.

Digital Power Driving the Upgrade of Intelligent Manufacturing

The entire production system of BBAC is designed around the concept of "digital, flexible, efficient and sustainable". As the leader in BBAC's comprehensive high-end manufacturing capabilities, Shunyi Plant incorporates principles of intelligent manufacturing from the planning stage onward, allowing for fully digitized, intelligent and flexible production, supporting the rapid and continuous iterative upgrade of intelligent manufacturing at the forefront of cutting-edge technology and changes in market demand.

Digitalization serves as the key cornerstone for smart factories such as the Shunyi Plant as well as providing a guarantee of high-quality production. Applying the digital ecosystem Mercedes-Benz Cars Operations 360 (MO360), the Shunyi Plant integrates a wide range of innovative technologies and intelligent systems, including the Iportal online monitoring system, specific software applications as well as pick by light system, greatly improving the efficiency and transparency of production and supply chain management while at the same time ensuring the high-quality production of the all-new locally-produced EQE pure electric SUV.

Flexible production enables BBAC to fully meet the diverse needs of the market in a timely manner. At the Shunyi Plant, the degree of flexibility has been further upgraded through a variety of approaches, including PFM, allowing the Body Shop of the Shunyi Plant to intelligently control the production flow and produce a variety of vehicles including the all-new locally-produced EQE pure electric SUV, realizing intelligent and flexible order-based lean production. The plant’s Assembly Shop adopts a highly flexible “station island” system allowing the workshop assembly line to be compatible with different models, enabling the free switching between electric vehicles and fuel vehicles, front drive vehicles and rear drive vehicles.

While adopting a flexible production mode, the Shunyi Plant also incorporates a wide range of intelligent manufacturing equipment throughout the four workshops, to provide quality assurance for the all-new locally-produced EQE pure electric SUV. The Body Shop is equipped with nearly 1,200 robots and features an automation rate of over 98%. These intelligent robots work together to efficiently and accurately complete a variety of advanced connection processes for the body of the all-new EQE pure electric SUV.

Green Development Injects New Momentum for Progress

Green and low-carbon principles also run through the entire production process of the all-new locally-produced EQE pure electric SUV. By adopting photovoltaic technology, paperless production, dry painting technology, EMS, BMS, green logistics and other green measures, BBAC has realized the efficient use of energy and zero discharge of industrial wastewater and hazardous solid waste, vigorously promoting sustainability throughout the whole process from manufacturing and supply to product use and recycling.

As one of the milestones of BBAC's accelerated "Electric Only" strategy, the all-new locally-produced EQE pure electric SUV demonstrates BBAC's determination and capability to move towards carbon neutrality. Currently, BBAC is expanding the scale of photovoltaic power generation and has one of the largest photovoltaic projects in the Mercedes-Benz global production network. By 2025, photovoltaic power generation is set to meet about 20% of the production energy demand of BBAC, reaching a capacity of 90 MWp, adding green energy to BBAC's carbon-neutral factory.

Furthermore, BBAC is further exploring the intelligent and eco-friendly development of its supply chain. At present, BBAC is committed to accelerating the application of green, low-carbon steel, seeking to reduce carbon emissions across the whole industry chain and production cycle, join hands with suppliers to set up a localized green steel supply chain, create a unique "BBAC method", and co-build a green and low-carbon industrial development approach.

Talent Development Unlocks Broader Capabilities

BBAC's talent assets are one of the keys to the launch of the all-new locally-produced EQE pure electric SUV. As a company with more than 13,000 Chinese and foreign employees, BBAC has been continually strengthening its investment in talent introduction and training for nearly 18 years, aiming to provide excellent career development and training opportunities for its employees and build a high-level, complex, innovative and international talent team.

In order to implement the “Electric Only” strategy of BBAC at a faster pace, the company has carried out extensive professional production skills training for the electric vehicle and power battery business. By integrating resource allocation, accurately matching talent, and conducting technical exchanges in benchmarking industries, BBAC has realized the improvement of talent management and technology, setting the company on the path towards its goal of comprehensive electrification.

As the first model to be put into production in 2023, the all-new locally-produced EQE pure electric SUV has kicked off BBAC’s high-quality development for the whole year. Moving forward, BBAC will continue to deepen the application of its "digital, flexible, efficient and sustainable" smart manufacturing concept, accelerate the strategic transformation of electrification and digitalization as well as the achievement of carbon neutrality, and continue to create a desirable "Modern Luxury" for Chinese customers, while making greater contributions to the strategic objectives of both shareholders and the economic development of Beijing.