Author: Daimler Official News

06.

April 2018

Stuttgart

Press Contact for this Press Release (3)

Katja Liesenfeld

Manager Global Business Communications
Sales & After Sales Mercedes-Benz Cars

katja.liesenfeld@daimler.com

Tel: +49 711 17-32972

Fax: +49 711 17-790-24594

Nora Sterzinger

Global Business Communications
Sales & After Sales Mercedes-Benz Cars

nora.sterzinger@daimler.com

Tel: +49 711 17-33806

Fax: +49 711 17-24847

Sofia Stauber

Head of Global Business Communications
Mercedes-Benz Cars

sofia.stauber@daimler.com

Tel: +49 711 17-40598

Fax: +49 711 17790-91184

In March, Mercedes-Benz sold more than 237,000 passenger cars for the first time in one single month (+3.9%). The strongest-selling quarter in the company’s history was achieved (594,304 units, +6.0%). China was the biggest growth driver in the first quarter with an increase of 17.2%. The GLC was the best-selling SUV in the first quarter with growth in unit sales of more than 33%. Stuttgart –Mercedes-Benz sold 237,307 cars this March, surpassing its sales record from the prior-year month by 3.9%. March was the strongest-selling month that the company has ever achieved and the past three months were the most successful quarter of all time with a total of 594,304 customers taking delivery of their car with the three-pointed star (+6.0%). Mercedes-Benz was the premium-market leader with the most registrations in March in countries including Great Britain, Germany, France, Italy, Russia, Switzerland, Sweden, Portugal, Japan, South Korea, Australia, Canada and Brazil.
“We once again emphasized our claim to leadership in the first quarter: With sales of more than 237,000 Mercedes-Benz vehicles in March, we achieved our strongest-selling month of all time and our best-ever quarter,” stated Britta Seeger, Member of the Board of Management of Daimler AG responsible for Mercedes-Benz Cars Marketing and Sales. “We started the spring season with our Mercedes-Benz dream cars worldwide: The new C-Class Cabriolet and Coupé were presented to the world public for the first time in New York and the new CLS has been available in Europe since March,” she continued.
Mercedes-Benz unit sales by region and market
In the Europe region alone, 109,252 cars with the star were sold last month, setting a new sales record for a month, and 238,131 units were sold in the first quarter (+2.1%). Germany was responsible for a large proportion of this success with a 5.2% increase in first-quarter sales to 74,262 units. In nearly all major European markets, Mercedes-Benz delivered more cars in the first three months of 2018 than in the prior-year period. New records were set for first-quarter unit sales in France, Spain, Belgium, Switzerland, Sweden, Poland and Portugal.
In the Asia-Pacific region, demand for cars with the star reached the new high of 88,976 units in March (+13.1%). Since the beginning of the year, 249,106 customers there were delighted to receive their new Mercedes-Benz (+13.5%) – more than ever before in the first quarter of a year. The biggest sales driver worldwide was China with a new record of 169,932 cars delivered from January to March (+17.2%). More than two thirds of all the cars sold there were also produced in China. New sales records were set in the first three months of this year also in South Korea, India and Malaysia. In Thailand as well, Mercedes-Benz sold more vehicles than in any previous first quarter. In order to satisfy the growing demand in that market, Daimler and its local partner Thonburi Automotive Assembly Plant (TAAP) will together invest more than 100 million euros in the production facility in Bangkok by 2020. This investment will go into the expansion of the existing automobile plant and into a battery production facility at the location to ensure the availability of the latest technology for electrified vehicles and “EQ Power” plug-in hybrids from Thailand.
In the NAFTA region, 33,986 customers received their new cars with the star in March (-2.7%) and 93,375 in the first quarter (-0.8%). The very high prior-year levels were therefore nearly matched. In the USA, Mercedes-Benz delivered a total of 78,474 cars in the first quarter (-0.8%). In the first quarter, Mercedes-Benz was the best-selling premium brand in the USA.
Mercedes-Benz unit sales by model
The SUVs from Mercedes-Benz constituted the most popular segment in the first quarter. In March, more than 80,000 units were sold for the first time in one single month (+13.9%). Also in the first quarter of this year they achieved a new sales record: A total of 211,636 customers chose an SUV with the three-pointed star (+12.5%). The current bestselling SUV from Mercedes-Benz, the GLC, achieved unit sales 33.4% higher than the number sold in the first quarter of last year. Sales of the GLC Coupé also set a new first-quarter record.
The new S-Class contributed to the company’s success with strong growth rates. In the first quarter, demand for the luxury saloon was 29.4% higher than in the prior-year period at 22,691 units. The Mercedes-Maybach S-Class Saloon posted record sales in March and the first quarter, although its model change is coming up soon. In the first quarter, more than one in eight S-Class Saloons sold was a Mercedes-Maybach.
Mercedes-Benz increased its sales of roadsters, coupés and convertibles to 42,788 units in the first three months of this year (+4.0%). Nothing now stands in the way of the dream car season: The S-Class Coupé and Cabriolet are available in the United States as of now. The CLS is in the showrooms in Europe. And a few days ago, the new C-Class Coupé and Cabriolet were presented at the New York International Auto Show. The completely renewed C-Class family has therefore now been presented and should continue contributing to the sales growth at Mercedes-Benz.
smart
The current generation of the smart fortwo has already been on the market for four years. Nonetheless, the 30,000 mark was passed for the third time in succession in the first quarter, with 30,726 units of the smart fortwo und forfour handed over to customers (-10.0%). The urban microcar posted double-digit growth and a new sales record in Germany. Its success in the domestic market is partially due to strong demand for the electric smart models. Today, every third e-car sold in Germany is a smart: Since July 2017, we have sold more of the electric smart models of the current generation than of the predecessor in the years 2013 and 2014 together. These cars have been marketed under the EQ product and technology brand since March.
News from sales and service
The new Mercedes-Benz US headquarters, in which approximately 100 million US dollars have been invested, was inaugurated in March. MBUSA has its headquarters as well as its sales and marketing organization for Mercedes-Benz Cars and Vans in Sandy Springs, about 22 kilometers (14 miles) outside Atlanta, with capacity for up to 1,000 people. More than 1,700 people work for MBUSA, with indirect employment to more than 25,000 at 381 dealerships nationwide.
Following the success of the first me Convention in Frankfurt last year, Mercedes-Benz and South by Southwest® (SXSW®) continue their partnership in 2018. In this context, the me Convention was a guest at SXSW in Austin, Texas in March. 10,000 visitors from more than 100 countries came to Palm Park to experience the me Convention spirit in Austin between 9 and 15 March. The me Convention offers an open and inspiring platform for creative people from various specializations and has a clear focus on dialogue, interaction, networking and entertainment. The next me Convention will be held in Stockholm from 4 to 6 September.
More information at me-convention.com.
Overview of sales by Mercedes-Benz Cars
March 2018
Change in %
Jan. – Mar. 2018
Change in %
Mercedes-Benz
237,307
+3.9
594,304
+6.0
smart
13,137
-13.8
30,726
-10.0
Mercedes-Benz Cars
250,444
+2.8
625,030
+5.1
Mercedes-Benz unit sales in the region/market
Europe
109,252
+0.0
238,131
+2.1
– thereof Germany
30,812
+1.3
74,262
+5.2
Asia-Pacific
88,976
+13.1
249,106
+13.5
– thereof China
58,471
+17.2
169,932
+17.2
NAFTA
33,986
-2.7
93,375
-0.8
– thereof USA
28,407
-2.4
78,474
-0.8

Download

Filter

Show thumbnails
Show list
Slideshow

Zoom

Preview

Details

Do you really want to delete the data record?

Please wait a moment …

Please wait a moment …

Please wait a moment …

Please wait a moment …

18A0286

15C448_346

17C831_008

17C903_41

Loading

15.

March 2018

Stuttgart

Press Contact for this Press Release (4)

Florian Martens

Head of Global Communications Commercial Vehicles

florian.martens@daimler.com

Tel: +49 711 17-41525

Fax: +49 711 17-52006

Andrea Eberhardt

Product Communications Mercedes-Benz Vans

andrea.eberhardt@daimler.com

Tel: +49 711 17-84020

Fax: +49 711 17-1779097330

Susanne Lenz

Head of Global Business Communications
Daimler Commercial Vehicles

susanne.k.lenz@daimler.com

Tel: +49 711 17-41526

Fax: .

Peter Smodej

Global Business Communications Mercedes-Benz Vans

peter.smodej@daimler.com

Tel: +49 711 17-41560

Fax: +49 711 17-79078088

2017 was most successful year so far with record unit sales, revenue and EBIT Significant growth in unit sales planned for 2018 Camper-van producer Hymer, a longstanding partner of Mercedes-Benz Vans, will be the biggest customer for the new Sprinter – supply contract signed for several thousand vehicles Intensive cooperation between Hymer and Mercedes-Benz Vans on development of new Sprinter opens up additional growth potential in camper-van segment With the adVANce strategic initiative, Mercedes-Benz Vans is changing from a pure vehicle producer into a provider of complete transport and mobility solutions Mercedes-Benz Vans continues to push forward with its electric strategy – first pilot projects with Hermes starting in Hamburg and Stuttgart New eVAN Ready app offers customers help in deciding on the electrification of their fleets Volker Mornhinweg, Head of Mercedes-Benz Vans: “The foundation of this success is our ‘Mercedes-Benz Vans goes global’ strategy. With it, we are securing our sustainable growth as well as systematically utilizing new business potential.” Stuttgart – Mercedes-Benz Vans once again achieved records for unit sales, revenue and EBIT in 2017. Daimler’s van division handed over a total of approximately 401,000 vans and multipurpose vehicles to its customers (2016: 359,100). This represents significant growth of 12 percent and means that the division has posted growth in unit sales for the past five years and has now had four consecutive record years. Mercedes-Benz Vans increased its revenue in 2017 to the new high of 13.2 billion euros (2016: 12.8 billion euros, plus three percent). Earnings (EBIT) of 1,181 million euros were also at a best-ever level (2016: €1,170 million euros). Despite high investment in the expansion and renewal of the product portfolio and new services, the return on sales of 9.0 percent was at the targeted level (2016: 9.1 percent).
Volker Mornhinweg, Head of Mercedes-Benz Vans: “The foundation of this success is our ‘Mercedes-Benz Vans goes global’ strategy. With it, we are securing our sustainable growth as well as systematically utilizing new business potential. We made significant investments in 2017 and will do the same also in 2018.”
At the beginning of last year, Mercedes-Benz Vans announced investments totaling more than two billion euros for the years 2017 and 2018. The main areas of investment include the new Mercedes-Benz Pickup X-Class, the new Sprinter large van and innovative complete system solutions in connection with the vehicles from Mercedes-Benz Vans.
Transformation into a provider of complete transport and mobility solutions
“We successfully entered the global growth segment of mid-size pickups with the market launch of our new X-Class in late 2017. Our next market launch will be of the new Sprinter in June. Our new flagship also marks a turning point, because the new Sprinter is our first fully connected total-system solution. With it, we are for the first time putting adVANce – our strategic future initiative – on the road. So Mercedes-Benz Vans is changing from a pure vehicle manufacturer into a provider of complete transport and mobility solutions for our customers,” continued Mornhinweg.
Significant growth in unit sales and revenue planned for 2018
Mercedes-Benz Vans plans for significant growth in unit sales and revenue in the year 2018. This will be driven for example by the new X-Class and the new Sprinter. Due to the continuation of high advance expenditure for the Sprinter model change, the production ramp-up of additional new models and negative exchange-rate effects, Mercedes-Benz Vans also anticipates a slight decrease in earnings.
New Sprinter conquers the camper-van market with front-wheel drive and tractor-head variants
With the new Sprinter, Mercedes-Benz Vans is consolidating its strong position in the growing market of camper vans. In Europe, a total of approximately 111,000 vehicles were registered in this segment in 2017, representing growth of 15 percent compared with the previous year. In Germany, approximately 41,000 camper vans were newly registered, an increase of 16 percent.
In order to participate even more in this development in the future, the new Sprinter is for the first time available also with front-wheel drive. The design of this variant yields an improved possible payload, opening up additional scope for bodybuilders. A lower floor makes getting in and out of the living and sleeping area of camper vans considerably more convenient. In addition, Mercedes‑Benz Vans now offers the new Sprinter also as a so-called tractor head, in which the powertrain, fuel tank and all other major components are located in front of or under the cab. This gives bodybuilders of high-quality and comfortable camper vans completely free rein to design the rear vehicle section.
“With the new Sprinter, we are naturally also keeping a close eye on our core business: The new tractor-head version of our bestseller opens up additional sales potential in the growth market of camper vans. I am therefore especially pleased that our longstanding partner Hymer will be the biggest customer for the new Sprinter,” added Mornhinweg.
Intensive collaboration with camper-van producer Hymer – agreement on a comprehensive supply relationship
The caravan and camper-van producer Hymer, which is based in Bad Waldsee in Baden-Württemberg, is likely to be the biggest customer for the new Sprinter. Mercedes-Benz Vans and Hymer have already concluded an agreement on the supply of a four-digit number of vehicles as the tractor-head variant in 2018. As of 2019, annual unit sales of the tractor-head version are expected to be in a high four-digit number. The first vehicles will be delivered to Hymer for the production of new camper vans in the coming weeks.
Mercedes-Benz Vans and Hymer cooperated intensively already in the development of the new tractor-head version. This allowed the vehicle’s specifications to be optimally adapted to the needs of bodybuilders in the camper-van segment.
Hymer was established in 1957 and is now Europe’s market leader in the premium segment for camper vans. Mercedes-Benz and Hymer have been collaborating for more than 40 years – the first Hymermobil was based on a Mercedes-Benz van. Hymer has trusted the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter as the basic vehicle for its camper vans since 1995.

New Sprinter makes the camper van into a smart home on wheels
The camper version is only one example of how digitization in the vehicle will open up new control possibilities for customers. In the future, the camper van can become a completely connected smart home on wheels – a genuine smart camper. The foundation for this intelligent connection of the basic vehicle and the camper body is a new interface module. This allows all camper functions to be controlled from one place – optionally via the infotainment system in the vehicle or via smartphone. In this way, Mercedes-Benz creates the possibility to connect vehicle and living space into a smart unit – something so far unique in the camper-van market.
Mercedes-Benz Vans continues to push forward with the electrification of its portfolio
With its adVANce future initiative, Mercedes-Benz Vans is changing from a producer of globally successful vans into a provider of complete system solutions for the transport of goods and persons – and is thus a pioneer in the industry. The van division is pursuing the goal of developing new business models and tailored solutions for various industries and their customers. A key component of adVANce is the electric strategy of Mercedes-Benz Vans. For example, orders have been taken for the eVito since November 2017 and deliveries will start in the second half of 2018. The electric version of the new Sprinter will follow in 2019. In parallel, the division offers its customers comprehensive advice on the electrification of their fleets, the required charging infrastructure and supplementary vehicle services.
One example of such full cooperation is the strategic partnership with Hermes, a logistics service provider. Pilot projects are currently starting in Hamburg and Stuttgart and will involve the first of 1,500 electric vans. The cooperation will then be extended to cover other urban areas.
New eVAN Ready app helps customers to decide
For van customers who are not yet convinced whether electric mobility is the right drive system for their business operations, Mercedes-Benz Vans now offers the eVAN Ready app. This free smartphone app records real routes driven by a user, analyzes the mobility patterns and compares them with numerous parameters of the eVito, and in the future also the eSprinter. This is important, because commercial users have widely differing user profiles. For example, a service technician responsible for an entire region has completely different range requirements from those of an urban parcel delivery driver, who operates on short routes that can be planned well in advance.
Speed and acceleration are therefore recorded by the new app as well as stops and long breaks. The app also records environmental parameters such as temperature and altitude profile. The vehicle’s range and the expected energy consumption can then be calculated. The analysis also takes into consideration the available charging points and calculates the additional charging and energy requirements. As an option, commercial customers can also include their typical loads and gross vehicle weights in the calculation. This results in a realistic and meaningful user profile.

Download

Filter

Show thumbnails
Show list
Slideshow

Zoom

Preview

Details

Do you really want to delete the data record?

Please wait a moment …

Please wait a moment …

Please wait a moment …

Please wait a moment …

18C235_001

18C235_002

18C235_003

18C235_005

18C235_004

18C235_006

Loading