Germany – The structural work and erection of steel girders for the new 10,000 sq.m facility will be completed by the end of the year. By the start of 2016, the two-storey plant will include a state-of-the-art assembly line with logistics areas and engine testing technology. The workforce will number 4,000 individuals.
The ‘Porsche Werk 4’ site, which covers 28 hectares, is being converted at a cost of €80m ($100m). The project has been commended by the German Association for Sustainable Construction, the first time that Porsche has undergone certification by DGNB; the OEM is one of only three companies to receive such accreditation for their industrial sites. Porsche achieved Gold status, including top scores for ecological, economic, technical and process quality, plus an above-average rating for workplace design.
According to Oliver Blume, member of the executive board for Production and Logistics at Porsche, the expansion of engine manufacturing capacity at Zuffenhausen could lead to improved synergies within the Volkswagen Group.
In total, Porsche is investing over €300m at its Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen headquarters through to 2016, and has doubled its land ownership to encompass more than 600,000 sq.m. In addition to the new engine facility, the OEM is converting gearbox production buildings into central vehicle workshops. A training centre is also being constructed.
In Germany as a whole, Porsche is investing more than €1 billion in construction projects, including: €95m for a new drive systems test centre at Weissach; €500m for full production of the Panamera at Leipzig; and €25m for the future assembly of Cayenne components at the multi-brand site Osnabrück.
