After poor sales figures in the third quarter and a profit warning last September, Mercedes sales have stabilized somewhat again in the last quarter of 2024. However, the development between October and December did not compensate for the bad nine months since January. The Baden-Württemberg manufacturer sold 520,100 cars in the past three months, three percent more than in the previous quarter and one percent more compared to the previous year, as the company announced on Friday. In total, Mercedes sold 1,983,400 cars in 2024, a decrease of three percent compared to the previous year. “We ended the year with a strong final quarter, particularly through sales of top-end vehicles,” said Mercedes -Head of Sales Britta Seeger. According to the company, the S-Class and G-Class as well as Mercedes-AMG vehicles were particularly in demand between October and December. Sales rose by 34 percent compared to the previous quarter, meaning the manufacturer sold a total of 281,500 vehicles in 2024. Compared to the previous year, this means a decrease of 14 percent. Mercedes attributes the decline to the difficult market conditions in China, the model change and weaker demand for electric vehicles. C- and E-Class sales are stable. Sales also fell in the entry-level segment, which primarily includes the A and B-Class, in 2024 by 14 percent to 534,000 vehicles, while sales of the C and E Class remained stable. Sales there rose by six percent to 308,400 cars. The electric car business suffered a significant setback: the company only sold 185,100 fully electric cars, which is 23 percent less than a year ago. However, in order to be able to comply with the carbon dioxide limits in Europe this year, car manufacturers are dependent on high sales of electric cars. More on the subject In China, the largest car market in the world and the most important single market for the company, Mercedes continues to stall. Sales stagnated between October and December compared to the previous quarter at 171,400 cars. In total, the manufacturer sold 683,600 vehicles in the People’s Republic throughout the year – seven percent less than in 2023. Mercedes boss Ola Källenius is optimistic despite the weak numbers and points to the models that will be on the market in the next few months and years will be available. “We will continue to consistently strengthen our portfolio. With the new CLA, we are launching the largest product offensive in the history of our company this year,” said Källenius. In the van division, sales fell by nine percent to 405,600 vehicles, partly because demand for mobile homes is declining again after the Corona boom.
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