Mercedes' New Factory Looks Straight From A Sci-Fi Movie

A new car factory is not the most exciting topic to talk about, but when Mercedes promises it will have the "most modern automobile production halls in the world," it immediately gets our undivided attention. Already previewed some months ago, Factory 56 is making the headlines once again courtesy of a nearly six-minute-long virtual tour showing all the magic that will take place at the state-of-the-art factory in Sindelfingen, Germany.

The 220,000-square-meter (54.36-acre) plant will be tasked to put together the next-generation S-Class as well as high-end fully electric EQ models, and eventually, self-driving cars. Powered entirely by CO₂-neutral energy, the factory will run a pilot program for 5G-mobile phone technology and basically everything will be interlinked. In the assembly hall, digital devices will completely replace physical documents to create a paperless environment.

To get an idea of how advanced Factory 56 is going to be, even the once basic screwdriver will have built-in Wi-Fi functionality and will use the fast connection to automatically adjust torque based on the data received. Still not impressed? There will be a total of 300 driverless transport systems serving as automated shopping carts to provide the necessary materials shipped to a designated pick up zone.

As the video explains, Mercedes  relies on automation only where it's economically useful, adding that no system or machine is as flexible as a human being. While Factory 56 is being built to optimize the production process as much as possible, customers will also benefit from its highly advanced and modular configuration by being able to make last-minute changes to their car configurations.

Factory 56 will be up and running in 2020 and is going to feature a photovoltaic system mounted on the building's roof to provide electricity not just for the daily operations, but also to feed the charging stations.