Mercedes-Benz puts batteries on a green track with DB Cargo.

The center for battery logistics is the linchpin of the climate neutral logistics concept regarding the battery systems of the new Mercedes-Benz model EQE. Starting this year, DB Cargo will transport these systems in a CO₂ neutral manner from the Mercedes-Benz plant in Hedelfingen, Stuttgart, a distance of some 650 km to Bremen and deliver them to the assembly line of the Mercedes-Benz plant there, as demand requires and in an equally CO₂ neutral way. The logistics center enables DB Cargo to maneuver trains alongside the assembly halls to unload them. The lithium-ion batteries are temporarily stored in a trailer yard and a battery hall and are prepared for delivery to the assembly line. Electric tractors are used to handle the loads.

The transformation of the automotive industry to electric mobility is having an impact on all production processes. Supply and delivery paths via rail are taking on a whole new role, with the transport of lithium-ion batteries entailing special requirements. Preparing components for assembly on the production line also brings new tasks for rail logistics provider DB Cargo. In this context, DB’s logistics must be reliably adapted to suit the automotive industry’s production cycle, with rail, logistics and the assembly line all being in sync with one another. The direct rail connections that many Mercedes-Benz plants boast have been the backbone of climate-friendly automotive logistics for years.

Mercedes-Benz relies entirely on climate neutral rail logistics. DB eco plus is the name of the service that allows the premium manufacturer's logistics chains to be organized in a fully CO₂neutral manner. This applies to the delivery of all vehicle parts by rail to the Mercedes-Benz plants and also to the shipping of brand-new vehicles.