German luxury sports car maker Porsche has announced that it is going to upgrade its main manufacturing facility in Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen, Germany, in preparation for the production of cutting-edge pure electric sports cars, hybrids, and those that will still be powered by an internal combustion engine.
The automaker has allotted $273 million for this plant upgrade.
Albrecht Reimold, member of the Executive Board for Production and Logistics at Porsche AG, emphasizes the significance of these measures, describing them as a pivotal milestone for the Zuffenhausen site. “The transformation aims to enhance efficiency, maintain the highest quality standards, and facilitate the mixed production of combustion-engine and electric sports cars, marking a new era in sports car production termed as the ‘smart factory’.”
“The conversion measures will enable increased efficiency with highest quality standards and mixed production of combustion engine and electric sports cars,” said Porsche production and logistics chief Albrecht Reimold in a statement.
The next generation of 718 pure electric models will be on the same assembly line as its gasoline-powered counterparts. This means that this line will now manufacture all variants of the 911, the 718 Boxster and the 718 Cayman.
Automated-guided vehicles
Drawing inspiration from the assembly process employed for the pure electric Taycan sports car, which is also produced in Zuffenhausen, Porsche plans to replace the conventional assembly line with Automated Guided Vehicles on the Flexi line for two-door sports cars. This shift is aimed at achieving a more adaptable production process, particularly valuable for the anticipated mixed production of vehicles featuring both combustion engines and electric powertrains on a single line.
Autonomous AGVs have been used since 2020 as Porsche decided against using fixed conveyor belts for final assembly to achieve the necessary flexibility. This choice has made it possible to adapt the operating cycles to actual needs — for example, stopping an AGV to perform certain automated tasks and then speeding it up to move on to the next processing station.
The Zuffenhausen engine production center will integrate the assembly of electric motors destined for the pure electric Porsche Macan, scheduled for production at the Leipzig site starting 2024.
Beyond advancements in electromobility, the Zuffenhausen production center is set to institute additional modifications including introduction of new assembly processes and dedicated stations for quality assurance. The production process now incorporates standardized quality assurance and approval points, complemented by the installation of a new light tunnel.
Also underway is the construction of a logistics warehouse for the body shop, initiated in 2022, opposite the Porsche Museum. Upon completion in 2025, this two-floor high-bay warehouse will supply the body shop for Taycan and sports car production with vehicle parts. Another high-bay warehouse is set to open in September 2023, catering to the entire assembly plant with diverse vehicle components.
There has been a new assembly plant for the V8 combustion engine of the Panamera and Cayenne model lines at the Zuffenhausen site since 2016. Assembly of the electric motors for the electric Macan is now also being integrated into this engine production center.
