Porsche is investing approximately €250 million to carry out a major reconstruction and expansion of its production facility in Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen, Germany, for a sustainable future. The Porsche 718 electric sports car is slated for production on the existing assembly line for the two-door sports cars that currently use the boxer engine.
Albrecht Riemold, Director of Production and Logistics at Porsche AG, stated, “This year’s extensive expansion of the Zuffenhausen plant, the heart of Porsche, marks an important milestone in history as we celebrate the 75th anniversary of Porsche sports cars and the 60th anniversary of the 911. This expansion will increase efficiency, uphold high quality standards, and enable mixed production of combustion and electric sports cars.” He emphasized that the Zuffenhausen plant, as a smart factory, will pave the way for a new chapter in sports car production.
This construction for improved production processes will see numerous production systems upgraded. The latest automated guided vehicle system, introduced in the previous Taycan production facility, will also be implemented in the two-door sports car production process, enhancing productivity and flexibility. There will be expansions of quality testing benches and logistics areas for vehicle assembly, as well as the addition of high-bay racks to boost overall productivity. The electric powertrain assembly for the Macan electric vehicle will also be integrated into the existing engine plant.
Porsche has expanded the area for the two-door sports car production line to incorporate newly added production stages. Future production processes will replace the existing assembly line with a “flexi-line,” using the latest generation of automated guided vehicle systems, similar to those used for the fully electric Taycan. The goal is to diversify production and enable the simultaneous assembly of vehicles with combustion engines and electric powertrains on a single line.
Porsche has refined quality management for sports car assembly within the production process. New assembly processes will include a newly established quality assurance station. Standardized quality assurance and approval criteria will be integrated into the production process in line with the initial quality approach. Individual inspections will begin along the assembly line once the assembly process is completed. Various processes have been implemented for optimal vehicle inspection, and a new light tunnel has also been installed.
With the recent renewal, the assembly finish now offers a clearer process system and upgraded testing procedures. Sound testing benches have been adjusted to meet the requirements for electric vehicles, and completely redesigned testing benches for leak and vehicle appearance inspections have been established.
Porsche, headquartered in Stuttgart, has been expanding its logistics area within the body shop since 2022 and has added a new building on the site of the former Porsche Center opposite the Porsche Museum.
Once completed in 2025, the expanded high-bay racks, comprising two or more stories, will supply vehicle components to the body shop for Taycan and sports car production. Additionally, new high-bay racks introduced in September 2023 are already supplying various vehicle components to the entire assembly facility. The fully automated parts warehouse has a storage capacity of 35,000m3, accommodating 40,650 pallets and containers.
Since 2016, a new assembly plant has been established at the Zuffenhausen factory for V8 engines for the Panamera and Cayenne. The electric motor process for the new all-electric Macan will be integrated into this engine production center. Production of the new Porsche Macan is set to begin in 2024 at the Leipzig plant.
Lee Sang-jin daedusj@autodiary.kr