Mercedes-Benz Trucks to add Czech plant in European production shake-up

Mercedes-Benz Trucks is preparing a significant overhaul of its European manufacturing footprint, with plans to open a new assembly site in the Czech Republic while reshaping production roles at its existing plants in Germany and Türkiye.

The truck maker said the changes are aimed at improving efficiency, resilience and flexibility across its production network as model complexity continues to increase with the addition of zero-emission drivetrains and a growing number of product variants.

At the centre of the plan is a proposed new vehicle assembly and manufacturing plant in Cheb, in the Czech Republic, which is expected to come online towards the end of the decade, subject to approvals.

Mercedes-Benz Trucks said the site would complement rather than replace its existing operations, with the Wörth plant in Germany set to remain the lead and largest-volume site in the network.

Painted cab bodies for the new Cheb operation will be supplied from Wörth, underlining the German factory’s continuing strategic role in the group’s European truck production plans.

Achim Puchert, chief executive of Mercedes-Benz Trucks, said: “With our new assembly plant in Cheb, we are strengthening the competitiveness of our production network with a clear focus on cost optimisation and complexity management,” he said.

“This enables us to secure value creation and employment at the Wörth site and to continue investing there in the future.”

Mercedes-Benz Trucks said both Wörth and the future Cheb site are expected to build vehicles with diesel and alternative drivetrains, reflecting the dual-track production challenge now facing truck manufacturers as fleets transition at different speeds.

Wörth will remain central to complex builds and new model launches, some production currently handled there and at the Aksaray plant in Türkiye is expected to be reallocated to Cheb.

Jürgen Distl, head of operations at Mercedes-Benz Trucks, said:

“In reshaping our European production network, we are placing a clear focus on long-term perspectives,” he said.

“Wörth remains the heart and brain of our truck production. We are developing the site further so it can remain economically viable even under changing market conditions.

“The planned addition of a new site in Cheb gives us urgently needed breathing space in Wörth to continue flexibly producing trucks with diesel and zero-emission drivetrains there in the future.”

Mercedes-Benz Trucks said the Cheb facility is being designed with an annual production capacity of around 25,000 units and is expected to create more than 1,000 jobs across manufacturing, IT, maintenance and quality functions.