It is a message that is unusual in vehicle construction these days. The production capacities in Europe are not sufficient for the bus manufacturer Daimler Buses, which is why the Baden-Württemberg company, which belongs to the truck manufacturer Daimler Truck, has now sought and found a manufacturer. The Turkish commercial vehicle specialist Otokar produces from September 2026 to the city bus Mercedes-Benz Conecto. “We are currently seeing a beautiful market development and can expand our capacities and produce more vehicles with the cooperation,” said Daimler Buses chief Oberwörder on Thursday after the contract was signed in conversation with the F.A.Z.The Conecto for urban business with a diesel drive, which the manufacturer sells primarily in Eastern Europe, North Africa and Turkey. Most transport companies use the bus, which is available as a solo bus with three doors or as a joint bus with four doors, mostly in line traffic. “The demand is currently high in all segments- both for city buses as well as for travel and overland buses,” explains Oberwörder. “We have finally grown out of the burglaries in the pandemic.” Otokar produces the Conecto in a factory in Sakarya and thus relieves the Daimler Buses production in Hoşdere, which is located in the European part of Istanbul and about an hour and a half of Sakarya. Because the work in Hoşdere produces both low -floor buses for the city as well as high -floor buses for overland trips and trips, the now concluded agreement relieves the entire Daimler Buses production network. “In this way we get air into our entire system, because certain buses can then be produced in Hoşdere and relieve other European works,” explains Oberwört. Because the company also saves expensive weekend and special shifts in existing works in this way, European production overall becomes cheaper. It is agreed that the cooperation runs until 2029 and includes a minimum delivery of 1400 buses. If the demand increases further, according to Daimer Buses, the contractor can also deliver larger quantities. The company’s headquarters is in Turkey. In addition, Otokar is represented with subsidiaries in France, Italy, Romania, the United Arab Emirates and Kazakhstan as well as with a branch in Germany. The vehicles are exported to more than 50 countries worldwide. “We have extensive experience in bus production and have been successfully building high-quality buses for more than 60 years. For us, the partnership is now a significant step to further expand our production,” said Otokar boss Aykut Özündie Koç group, in addition to commercial vehicles and cars, also produces household appliances and consumer electronics, in the food industry, in the energy sector, in tourism and in tourism and active in the construction sector and offers financial services. Vehbi Koç founded the company after he initially took over his father’s general store in 1926. The main shares are still among members of the Koç family, who are one of the richest of Turkey and the critics of the politics of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Not only optimistically because of the agreement made, but also with regard to the business prospects for the coming months. In the first six months, the bus manufacturer increased its sales by eight percent to around 13,200 buses and the return on sales by 2.5 percentage points to 9.7 percent. “The persistently high demand for our products shows that buses are becoming even more important in society,” says Oberwörder. “This will continue to us this year.”
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