Mercedes-Benz has named Axel Ediger as the new Head of Production and Site of its van plant in Düsseldorf, effective 1 September 2026. The experienced production manager takes over from Claudia Malkus, who moves to lead powertrain production for Mercedes-Benz in Stuttgart from 1 October. The Düsseldorf plant builds the Sprinter and electric eSprinter and is preparing for models based on the new Mercedes-Benz Van Architecture.
Mercedes-Benz is changing the leadership of its Düsseldorf van plant. Axel Ediger, currently Head of Assembly Production Planning in Sindelfingen, will take over as Head of Production and Site of the Mercedes-Benz plant in Düsseldorf on 1 September 2026. He succeeds Claudia Malkus, who will take charge of powertrain production for Mercedes-Benz in Stuttgart from 1 October 2026.
An international production career
Ediger is a long-serving Mercedes-Benz manager. According to the company, he joined the group in 1993 in technical service at the Sindelfingen plant. After several roles in factory planning and assembly there, he moved to Thailand in 2011 to head the Completely-Knocked-Down (CKD) plant in Bangkok. He later returned to Sindelfingen as assembly manager for the Mercedes-AMG GT, the Mercedes-Benz S-Class Cabriolet and Coupé and special vehicles.
In 2016 the graduate engineer relocated to Beijing, China, where his responsibilities included producing the MFA model range and the C-Class. He came back to Sindelfingen in 2021, first leading the assembly operations there, notably the ramp-up of Factory 56. Since 2023 he has been responsible for worldwide assembly production planning.
What the company says
“With Axel Ediger, an internationally experienced production manager is taking over the leadership of our plant in Düsseldorf. With his comprehensive expertise, he will continue the site’s successful development and, together with the committed team on the ground, further drive the plant’s transformation and future viability. This includes, among other things, the smooth start of production of vehicles based on the new Mercedes-Benz Van Architecture.”
The words are those of Elke Pusskeiler, Head of Mercedes-Benz Vans Global Operations, who also credited Malkus with shaping the site and preparing it for the future.
The Düsseldorf plant
The Düsseldorf site is a key location for Mercedes-Benz Vans. The manufacturer says around 5,500 employees build the closed body variants of the Sprinter and eSprinter across a production area of roughly 325,000 square metres, making it one of the largest industrial employers and training providers in the region. The plant has produced the eSprinter since 2019 and the new generation of the eSprinter since 2023.
What it means
The appointment lands as Mercedes-Benz Vans shifts towards its new Van Architecture, which will underpin models such as the electric Mercedes-Benz VLE. Ensuring a smooth production start for those vehicles is named as a central task for the incoming site head, underlining Düsseldorf’s role in the brand’s commercial-vehicle electrification plans.
Ediger takes up the role on 1 September 2026.
Facts: Mercedes-Benz Düsseldorf plant
- New site head: Axel Ediger, from 1 September 2026
- Predecessor: Claudia Malkus (to Powertrain Production, Stuttgart, from 1 October 2026)
- Employees: around 5,500
- Production area: around 325,000 m²
- Models built: Sprinter and eSprinter (closed variants)
- eSprinter production since 2019; new generation since 2023
Source: media.mercedes-benz.com