November 2009
This week, Daimler AG started production of the smart fortwo electric drive at the smart plant in Hambach, France.
In a joint partnership with the City of Austin, Daimler is launching its groundbreaking car2go pilot project in North America today. The innovative mobility concept makes city driving as easy as using a mobile phone.
The exceptional feature of this latest-generation fuel cell hybrid bus is its outstanding environmental compatibility. The bus emits absolutely no pollutants while in motion, and it’s also virtually silent, making it ideal for use in highly congested inner cities and metropolitan areas.
Mercedes-Benz will enter the Formula 1 World Championship with its own team, beginning with the 2010 season, and Daimler AG and McLaren Group will change their form of cooperation with effect as of 13 November 2009.
In October, global sales were up at Mercedes-Benz for the first time this year. Mercedes-Benz was able to increase sales significantly in October by seven percent to 88,400 units (October 2008: 82,500.
More than a quarter of a million readers took part, and voted the new Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG the world's best super sports car by a wide margin.
October 2009
After returning to profitability in the third quarter of 2009, Daimler AG (stock-exchange abbreviation DAI) anticipates positive EBIT from its ongoing business also in the fourth quarter. However, general economic developments and their effects on dealerships and suppliers could lead to an impact on fourth-quarter earnings.
Mercedes-Benz is further expanding its center of excellence for compact vehicles by enlarging its Rastatt plant with an investment of 600 million euros.
Stuttgart - Daimler AG (stock-exchange abbreviation DAI) today presented its preliminary figures for the third quarter of 2009.
Group revenue amounted to €19.3 billion, while Group EBIT including adjustments and special items at Freightliner and Fuso amounted to €470 million; the industrial business generated a free cash flow of €2.3 billion in the first nine months of this year (Q3 2009: €2.0 billion).
The foundation stone for a new Mercedes-Benz passenger vehicle plant in Kecskemét, Hungary was laid in an official ceremony held earlier today. Compact vehicles from the follow-up generation to the current A- and B-Class will be produced in Kecskemét from 2012.
The European bus and coach jury at this year's international bus and coach fair, "Busworld Kortrijk", has crowned the Mercedes-Benz Travego, currently available since the beginning of 2009 in its third generation, "Coach of the Year 2010". The trophy was awarded by Stuart Jones, president of the Coach of the Year jury, to Michael Göpfarth, manager of the Mercedes-Benz Bus and Coach Unit of EvoBus GmbH, on 15 October.
Daimler AG today announced that it selected the smart plant in Hambach, France, as the location for future series production of the smart fortwo electric drive. As of 2012, the highly innovative electric vehicle, equipped with the most modern lithium-ion-battery, will roll off the assembly line in large-scale production and will be offered to customers through the smart sales network. The announcement was made on the occasion of an official visit of French President Nicolas Sarkozy at the Hambach plant.
In September, Mercedes-Benz Cars sold 114,300 (September 2008: 122,200) Mercedes-Benz, AMG, smart, and Maybach brand vehicles worldwide (minus seven percent). Mercedes-Benz delivered 104,900 (September 2008: 110,700) passenger vehicles to customers (minus five percent). The smart brand sold 9,400 (September 2008: 11,500) units (minus 18 percent). With these results in September, Mercedes-Benz Cars recorded the highest sales total in any month this year.
Daimler Financial Services AG, headquartered in Berlin, is expanding its global presence to include the Middle East growth region. Toward this end, the company announced the official opening of Mercedes-Benz Finance Middle East and Mercedes-Benz Leasing Middle East on October 7, 2009 at a press conference in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
Daimler Trucks and Kamaz are making progress in the implementation of joint projects. The basis of the projects is the strategic partnership that Daimler Trucks established with Kamaz, Russian Technologies, and the investment bank Troika Dialog in December 2008. In connection with this partnership, Daimler acquired a 10 percent stake in Kamaz.
September 2009
Daimler has received the F-Cell Award for innovative use of fuel cell technology in the Mercedes-Benz Citaro FuelCELL Hybrid urban bus. Two employees accepted the award on behalf of Daimler last Monday during the F-Cell Conference in Stuttgart. “We are very delighted about this award as it once again highlights our innovative skill as the world’s largest bus manufacturer and also helps take us a big step toward our goal of zero-emission driving,” said Hartmut Schick, Head of Daimler Buses. “The award confirms that we also are the technology leader in the area of alternative drive technologies.”
Daimler AG has delivered the 10,000th Mercedes-Benz truck equipped with the Active Brake Assist feature for emergency braking.
Effective October 1, 2009, Peter Alexander Trettin (50) will take over the position of Head of Sales Central/Eastern Europe, Africa & Asia.
The EU Commission has presented Daimler AG with an eSafety Award in the "Industry & Technology" category. The prize was awarded for the company’s longstanding commitment and pioneering role in the introduction of vehicle technologies designed to improve traffic safety. Zoran Stancic, deputy director general of the EU-commission, presented the award to Prof. Dr. Jörg Breuer, senior manager for Active Safety at Daimler AG.
Daimler Buses has once again won two contracts, and as a result it will deliver a total of 425 buses to the Netherlands by December. The biggest contract from the Netherlands to date is for 350 Mercedes-Benz urban and intercity buses, which were ordered by Qbuzz, a private bus operator with headquarters in Amersfoort. The second major contract is for 75 natural gas-powered Mercedes-Benz urban buses, which were ordered by Connexxion, the Netherlands’ largest public transport company, with headquarters in Hilversum.
Stuttgart - Dr. Joachim Schmidt (61), currently Head of Sales Central/Eastern Europe, Africa & Asia, will take over the position of Head of Sales and Marketing at Mercedes-Benz Cars, including responsibility for sales companies around the world, as of October 1, 2009. He will replace Dr. Klaus Maier, who has decided not to extend his contract for personal reasons.
In the 1920's and 1930's Maybach, together with Mercedes-Benz, already represented the pinnacle of German and international automotive engineering. Maybach has been continuing this tradition since 2002. Firstly Maybach unveiled the 57 and 62 models, followed in 2005 by the high-performance 57 S and in 2006 by the Maybach 62 S – at that time, the world's most powerful series-produced chauffeur-driven saloon. The Landaulet joined the Maybach family in 2008. And this year, the model range is being expanded once again by the addition of the Maybach Zeppelin, which now spearheads the Maybach brand’s luxury saloon line-up.
smart is welcoming the autumn with a particularly stylish special model that
is characterised by high quality equipment, fine materials and an unusual appearance. The new smart fortwo edition highstyle features exclusive paintwork in trendy chocolate brown metallic and elegant 12-spoke 15" alloy wheels. The exclusive interior of the special model boasts a harmonious mix of fabric and leather.
From mid November 2009 the new smart fortwo electric drive will
roll off the production line at the smart factory in Hambach, France. Unlike its predecessor, the electrically driven smart fortwo of the second generation is fitted with an innovative and highly efficient lithium-ion battery. It is housed in a space-saving position between the axles, which means that space is not compromised in any way in the intelligent two-seater vehicle. A 30 kW electric motor is fitted at the rear. This provides for good acceleration and high agility with 120 Newton metres of torque that are immediately available.
The Maybach brand is bringing out the Maybach Zeppelin to spearhead its luxury saloon model range. The newcomer represents the absolute zenith in the high-end luxury saloon segment. This makes it a worthy successor to the legendary Maybach Zeppelin, which was revered worldwide as the ultimate in high-class automotive engineering in the 1930s.
Leading industrial companies signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in Berlin with the participation of the German Minister of Transport, Wolfgang Tiefensee.
As last year, two of the internationally coveted “ÖkoGlobe” (EcoGlobe) environmental awards went to Daimler AG in 2009. Once again the jury thereby honoured the world’s oldest automobile manufacturer for its pioneering, innovative and environmentally friendly concepts and developments in the mobility sector. The award-winners were presented with prizes initiated by the artist HA Schult. Daimler AG received the environmental award together with Evonik Industries AG for their cooperation covering research, development and production of lithium-ion batteries in Germany. In addition the project car2go, which Daimler has already put successfully into operation in Ulm, was honoured with the “ÖkoGlobe” award. This completely new mobility concept currently provides smart fortwo cars within the town of Ulmthat can be immediately rented at low cost by anybody - around the clock. The two “ÖkoGlobe 2009” awards are in recognition of Daimler’s efforts and commitment to sustainable mobility. Yesterday the awards were officially received in Cologneby Prof. Herbert Kohler, Vice President Group Research and Advanced Engineering for e-drive & Future Mobility as well as Chief Environment Officer of Daimler AG.
Shortly after the successful market launch of the S 400 HYBRID, currently the most fuel-efficient luxury-segment saloon with a petrol engine, Mercedes-Benz will be presenting the first “three-litre car” in the premium class - the Vision S 500 Plug-in HYBRID - at the 63rd IAA in Frankfurt.
Today, Daimler AG announced that the leading vehicle manufacturers in fuel cell technology - Daimler AG, Ford Motor Company, General Motors Corporation/Opel, Honda Motor Co., Ltd., Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors Corporation, the alliance Renault SA and Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. and Toyota Motor Corporation - gave a joint statement to the development and market introduction of electric vehicles with fuel cells with a Letter of Understanding (LoU). These companies have built up remarkable know-how in fuel cell technology and thus, the signing marks a major step towards the serial production of such locally emission-free vehicles.
E-Class sedan defends market leadership worldwide — Mercedes-Benz presents new E-Class station wagon at IAA --- S-Class posts substantial sales increase in Western Europe --- Mercedes-Benz Cars once again sets new sales record in China
Last week, Daimler Buses North America announced that sales for the Orion VII diesel-electric hybrid bus had surpassed 3,000 units. In other words, Daimler Buses has sold more hybrid drives than any other manufacturer in the world. The announcement was made in Oriskany, where the Orion VII hybrid buses are manufactured. Over 2,200 of the Orion VII hybrid buses are already in service, with an additional 850 firm orders on the books from cities such as New York City, Seattle, Houston, and Ottawa, as well as from Puerto Rico.
Last week, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced that Daimler Trucks North America (DTNA) will participate in the Clean Cities program for the production and sale of more than 600 trucks equipped with hybrid and natural-gas drive systems. DTNA will participate in at least seven program awards representing $32.9 million (approx. €23 million) in funding to be applied toward the purchase and support of 638 hybrid and alternative fuel vehicles by several leading national fleet operators.
The near-series Mercedes-Benz Concept BlueZERO E-CELL PLUS electric car combines environment-friendly electric mobility in the city with unrestricted suitability for long-distance driving.
Mercedes-Benz USA Records Strongest Sales Month so far in 2009 and Reports August Sales of 17,112 --- smart USA Continues to Improve Monthly Sales in 2009 and Records 1,622 Sales in August
August 2009
The evidence is now clear: drivers of Mercedes vehicles are safer on the road than drivers of other car brands. This is the result of a study of Mercedes accident research based on official, anonymous data samples from the Federal Office of Statistics. Having looked at 18,748 accidents resulting in personal injury during the period from 2003 to 2007, the study found that the risk of being seriously or fatally injured as the driver of a E‑Class, is 10.4 percent lower than for comparable vehicles of other brands.
Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corporation (MFTBC) and Nissan Diesel Motor Co., Ltd. (Nissan Diesel) today announced that the companies have signed a letter of intent (LOI) to explore expansion of their relationship regarding the bus business, including the possibility of establishing a joint venture company in the bus business.
Mercedes-Benz is launching its first series-produced fuel cell car on the road: the B Class F-CELL. The environmentally friendly electric car has a performance similar to 2,0-litre petrol car and is fully suited for everyday driving. The zero-emission drive system consumes the equivalent of 3.3 litres of diesel per 100 kilometres in the NEDC (New European Driving Cicle). Production of the B Class F-CELL will commence in late 2009 with a small lot. The first of around 200 vehicles will be delivered to customers in Europe and the USA at the beginning of next year.
From mid November 2009 the new smart fortwo electric drive will roll off the production line at the smart factory in Hambach, France. Unlike its predecessor, the electrically driven smart fortwo of the second generation is fitted with an innovative and highly efficient lithium-ion battery.
Daimler Buses has been awarded a major contract to deliver 125 Mercedes-Benz feeder buses for the Gautrain Rapid Link project in South Africa. The Gautrain railway line will connect Johannesburg to Pretoria and Johannesburg's Oliver Tambo International Airport via Sandton. The project combines the railway line with a feeder bus service to allow commuters in Gauteng province to reach the train stations quickly. The first phase of construction is due for completion in 2010. The delivery of the Mercedes-Benz buses is expected to be completed by mid-2010.
Daimler Buses North America recently received orders for more than 300 transit buses, motorcoaches, and shuttle buses. The biggest contract was awarded by the mass transit company King County Metro in Seattle, which ordered 93 of the extremely environmentally friendly Orion VII diesel-electric hybrid buses for delivery in 2010.
In July, Mercedes-Benz Cars sold 93,900 Mercedes-Benz, AMG, smart, and Maybach brand vehicles worldwide (July 2008: 105,100; minus 11 percent). The Mercedes-Benz brand delivered a total of 83,500 vehicles to customers in July (July 2008: 92,700; minus ten percent).
Mercedes-Benz is expanding its current family of E-Class vehicles by adding another traditionally successful model to the lineup: the new Estate. The new model will be released for sale in Europe on August 5 and hit showrooms on November 21.
Daimler AG (stock exchange abbreviation DAI) today reported sales for the Mercedes-Benz Cars division in the U.S. (Mercedes-Benz and smart combined) of 17,646 units, a decline of 24 percent compared to July 2008. All sales figures in this release are on an unadjusted basis unless otherwise noted.
Daimler Trucks is celebrating the one-year anniversary of the Global Hybrid Center (GHC) in Kawasaki. The GHC is the worldwide competence center for hybrid drive technology and its development. It was opened on August 1, 2008. Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corporation (MFTBC) celebrated the anniversary today at the GHC, which is housed in the R&D facilities in Kawasaki, Japan. MFTBC is an integral part of the Daimler Trucks division of Daimler AG and one of the leading commercial vehicle manufacturers in Asia.
July 2009
Mercedes-Benz has the most satisfied customers in the premium segment: In the Service Satisfaction category of the latest J.D. Power and Associates 2009 Germany VOSS Study, the brand with the star ranks highest among the premium brands. The J.D. Power survey evaluates overall vehicle ownership satisfaction in the categories of Vehicle Quality, Vehicle Appeal, Vehicle Ownership Costs and Service Satisfaction.
EBIT of minus €1,005 million (Q1 2009: minus €1,426 million) --- EBIT includes special factors of minus €604 million for Chrysler and Daimler Trucks --- EBIT from continuing operations of minus €401 million (Q1 2009: minus €1,421 million) --- Industrial free cash flow increases to plus €1.4 billion due to active inventory reductions --- Net loss of €1,062 million (Q1 2009: net loss of €1,286 million) --- Operating profitability expected to improve gradually in the course of the year
Daimler’s businesses continue to grow in China. The company’s regional headquarters, Daimler Northeast Asia (DNEA) is managing record passenger car sales and vehicle financing, while continuing to expand joint venture activities.
The new E-Class has gotten off to a very successful start, with more than 40,000 units delivered to customers since the market introduction in spring 2009. Mercedes-Benz expects sales of the new E-Class to receive a further boost in the coming months from the vehicle’s introduction in key markets including the U.S. and China and the launch of the new station wagon in fall 2009. The station wagon will celebrate its world premiere at this year's IAA in September.
Mercedes-Benz and smart drivers are particularly satisfied,
according to the latest J. D. Power APEAL survey about the best vehicle
concept. In this exhaustive customer survey the Mercedes-Benz S-Class was awarded the highest number of overall points for the third time running, and is therefore not only the best car in its segment, but at the same time
also in the entire US market.
Daimler Trucks North America (DTNA) has introduced another natural gas-powered truck, the Freightliner Business Class M2 112 NG. In the mid of July, the first five tractors were delivered to various licensed motor carriers for utilization in drayage fleets in the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles.
Mercedes-AMG is paving the way ahead: with the new SLS AMG with electric drive, the performance brand within Mercedes-Benz Cars is developing an exciting super sports car with zero-emission high-tech drive. This model sees Mercedes-Benz and AMG displaying their expertise in the development of alternative drive solutions for high-performance super sports cars, delivering further proof of their pioneering status in this market segment.
US president Barack Obama has signed a law for a scrappage incentive for old cars based on the European model, which draws the attention of car buyers to the smart fortwo. In future, Americans who trade their old car for the two-seater with its exemplary environmental credentials will receive the maximum premium from the state.
The Daimler mobility concept, that was launched at the end of March in Ulm with 200 smart fortwo cdis for the public, has started very successfully. A good three months after the public pilot phase started, on Wednesday, July 8th the 10,000th car2go customer was welcomed in the car2go shop. This means that more than 10 percent of all holders of a driver's license in Ulm have already registered with car2go. Due to the great success and the high level of interest, expansion of the area of operation is being prepared to the neighboring town of Neu-Ulm.
Daimler is currently hosting 23 students from the Arab economic region in Stuttgart. Wilfried Porth, Member of Daimler’s Board of Management for Human Resources and Labor Relations Director, and Assem O. Kabesh, Head of the Young Arab Leaders (YAL) organization, are hosting the young people tomorrow (Friday, July 10) in the context of an exchange program entitled “Arab European Internship Exchange.” The program offers the students the possibility to gain occupational experience in a different culture at Daimler and to establish contacts with the company’s executives during a three-month internship.
The Mercedes-Benz plants in East London/South Africa and Bremen/Germany are building high quality cars. That’s the result of a recently published study conducted by the U.S. based market research institute J.D. Power and Associates. On July 13, 2009, Rainer Schmueckle, Chief Operating Officer Mercedes-Benz Cars, received the J. D. Power Gold Plant Quality Award for Mercedes-Benz’ East London Plant and the J. D. Power Silver Plant Quality Award for the company’s Bremen Plant from Jacob George, Vice President, Automotive Product Solutions, J.D.Power and Associates.
Daimler AG (stock-exchange abbreviation DAI) and its new major shareholder Aabar Investments PJSC (Aabar), of Abu Dhabi, have started their first joint strategic project with the sale by Daimler of 40 percent of its equity interest in Tesla Motors Inc. to Aabar. This investment allows Daimler and Aabar to leverage their shared interest in the development of low-CO2 drive systems.
Sales decline cut by more than half compared to May --- Vehicle inventories at the end of the second quarter below original target level --- Mercedes-Benz once again sets new record for sales in China
June 2009
Mercedes-Benz commercial vehicles from Daimler AG have once again made it to the top in five out of ten categories in the ETM publishing house’s readers’ poll to find “The best commercial vehicles of 2009”. This year was the 13th time the vote has been held. Nearly 9,000 expert participants in the survey of readers cast their votes in this year’s poll in which there were 167 candidates representing brands from a total of ten different countries.
On the site of the OMV service station at Stuttgart Airport, OMV in cooperation with Linde AG and Daimler AG will be opening Baden-Württemberg’s first publicly accessible hydrogen filling station on June 17, 2009. This successful cooperation between the participating companies is subsidized by the State of Baden-Württemberg. The project is centered on the use of hydrogen as an environment-friendly energy medium.
Daimler AG will be presenting the latest safety systems for commercial vehicles at the International Technical Conference on the Enhanced Safety of Vehicles (ESV). The ESV Conference is the world’s largest forum for vehicle-related safety. Enhanced safety versions of a truck, coach, and van will be exhibited at the Stuttgart exhibition center from June 15 to 18 at the event. In conjunction with its presentation of new passenger cars, and in particular the S-Class ESF 2009 (ESF = German abbreviation for Experimental Safety Vehicle), the company is once again underscoring its commitment to being the leading supplier of safe and reliable vehicles in all segments.
In May, Mercedes-Benz Cars delivered 97,300 Mercedes-Benz, AMG, smart, and Maybach brand vehicles (May 2008: 111,100) to customers worldwide (minus 12 percent). The Mercedes-Benz brand sold 86,300 passenger vehicles worldwide (minus 12 percent) in May (May 2008: 98,100 units). Despite the fact that many markets are still in a difficult situation, Mercedes-Benz succeeded in markedly improving sales compared to the previous month (April 2009: 80,700).
Today, Daimler AG and Continental will jointly receive the prestigious Professor Ferdinand Porsche Prize. This honor, bestowed by Vienna Technical University, is in recognition of the first application of the lithium-ion battery, the best electrical storage technology available today, to high-volume car production. In the jury's opinion, the series production launch of the battery in the Mercedes-Benz S 400 HYBRID represents a breakthrough for this new energy storage unit in the automotive sector.
