Ο τρίτος μήνας του έτους για την Mercedes-Benz ήταν ο καλύτερος στην ιστορία της, αφού πούλησε 158.523 (+13,3%), ενώ από την αρχή του έτους έχουν πουληθεί 374.276 αυτοκίνητα (+15,2%).
Από τις 158.523 πωλήσεις του Μαρτίου, τα 76.587 (+7,6%) πουλήθηκαν στην Ευρώπη, με τις 25.544 (+1,0%) στην Γερμανία. Στην Αμερική οι πωλήσεις αυξήθηκαν κατά 11,2% (27.401), ενώ στην Κίνα οι πωλήσεις παρουσίασαν αύξηση 34% (24.937 πωλήσεις). Τα 43.389 αυτοκίνητα του Μαρτίου ήταν A-, B-, CLA- και GLA-Class (+26.4%), ενώ από την αρχή του έτους έχουν πουληθεί 62.169 E-Class (+38%). 24.144 S-Class βρήκαν νέο ιδιοκτήτη τους πρώτους τρεις μήνες του έτους, ενώ 81.397 αυτοκίνητα (+5,4%) ήταν SUV.
Στις σχετικές ειδήσεις η Mercedes-Benz εξετάζει το ενδεχόμενο να δημιουργήσει ένα νέο εργοστάσιο παραγωγής αυτοκινήτων της στη Ρωσία, σε μια προσπάθεια να διευρύνει την παγκόσμια παραγωγική ικανότητα της, έτσι ώστε να κατασκευάζει περισσότερα οχήματα κοντά στις αγορές όπου πωλούνται.
Τέλος, όπως έκανε σήμερα γνωστό η Γερμανική εταιρία, θα επεκτείνει το εργοστάσιό της στη Ρουμανία, επενδύοντας σε αυτό 300 εκατ. ευρώ, ώστε από το 2016 να κατασκευάζει το αυτόματο 9-τάχυτο 9G-TRONIC κιβώτιο ταχυτήτων.
[Πηγή: Mercedes-Benz, Bloomberg]
[learn_more caption=”Δελτίο Τύπου”]
Mercedes-Benz posts best-selling month ever
- Mercedes-Benz sold more vehicles than ever before in March (158,523 units; +13.3%).
- Double-digit growth rates in every month since the beginning of the year
- Ola Källenius: “We are continuing the success story of the record year 2013 with additional new products. We have been posting double-digit growth rates for sales in every month since the beginning of the year.”
- Market leadership in Germany and Japan, among others; growth in all regions
- Strong growth rates with E- and S-Class, successful start of C-Class and GLA
Stuttgart – Mercedes-Benz posted the best-selling month in the company’s history in March and has handed over 158,523 vehicles to customers (+13.3%). With sales of 374,276 cars since the beginning of the year, the company has also posted the strongest first quarter to date (+15.2%).
“We are continuing the success story of the record year 2013 with additional new products and have posted the best-ever first-quarter sales in the company’s history”, said Ola Källenius, Member of the Divisional Board Mercedes-Benz Cars responsible for Marketing & Sales. “We have been posting double-digit growth rates for sales in every month since the beginning of the year. We expect added impetus from the new C-Class and the compact SUV GLA, which have been taking over the roads of Europe in the last few weeks.”
The company sold 76,587 vehicles in Europe in March (+7.6%). The main growth driver was the UK (+19.8%). On the German domestic market Mercedes-Benz was again the most registered premium brand in Germany with sales of 25,544 units (+1.0%).
In the USA, Mercedes-Benz has delivered 27,401 vehicles to customers (+11.2%) with record-high sales numbers in its biggest sales market both in March and for the entire first quarter, and particularly high growth rates for the S-Class.
The growth rates achieved by Mercedes-Benz in March were especially high in the Asian markets: In China (incl. Hong Kong), the company is continuing the sustained growth trend of recent months with sales of 24,937 vehicles (+34.0%). The E-Class long version from local production was in particularly high demand.
Mercedes-Benz posted new sales records in Japan as well: Since the beginning of the year, the brand with the star has delivered 17,807 units (+50.3%) and thus continues to be the most registered premium brand in Japan.
The compacts with the star are going forward with their positive development: In March, Mercedes-Benz sold 43,389 vehicles of the A-, B-, CLA- and GLA-Class (+26.4%). The compact SUV, GLA, which has been available at European dealers since mid-March, is winning new customers. The new C-Class also came on the market in March. The two models have proved to be crowd pullers: Alone during the weekend of their premiere, European dealers’ showrooms welcomed 500,000 visitors who tried out the new models in more than 22,000 test drives.
In the first quarter, Mercedes-Benz handed over 62,169 E-Class sedans and estate to customers worldwide (+38.0%). A fourth of the sedans are ordered as a long version. The E-Class coupe and convertible are posting double-digit growth rates at the start of spring.
Sales of the Mercedes-Benz S-Class totalled 24,144 units in the first quarter, or twice the units sold in the previous year’s period. The strong growth is also supported by the high demand in China, where Mercedes-Benz is selling every fourth S-Class.
The demand for the brand’s SUV is also unbroken: Customer deliveries came to 33,690 units in March alone (+9.6%), and a total of 81,397 vehicles were sold since the beginning of the year (+5.4%).
Since January 23,432 customers worldwide have opted for a smart fortwo (PY: 25,632 units). The compact two-seater is very popular mainly in big cities and is therefore also used for the station-independent car sharing service car2go. Since mid-March, 300 white and blue smart fortwo cars are ready and waiting for spur-of-the-minute rentals in Rome as well. car2go is thus now represented in 26 cities in Europe and North America.
Overview of sales by Mercedes-Benz Cars
| March 2014 |
Change in % |
Per March 2014 |
Change |
|
| Mercedes-Benz |
158,523 |
+13.3 |
374,276 |
+15.2 |
| smart |
9,555 |
-9.1 |
23,432 |
-8.6 |
| Mercedes-Benz Cars |
168,078 |
+11.7 |
397,708 |
+13.5 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Mercedes-Benz Sales in the Markets |
|
|
|
|
| Europe |
76,587 |
+7.6 |
161,389 |
+7.5 |
| – thereof Germany |
25,544 |
+1.0 |
56,002 |
+5.4 |
| NAFTA |
31,493 |
+9.0 |
81,853 |
+4.7 |
| – thereof USA |
27,401 |
+11.2 |
72,614 |
+5.0 |
| Asia/Pacific |
45,943 |
+30.9 |
118,604 |
+41.7 |
| – thereof Japan |
8,690 |
+39.5 |
17,807 |
+50.3 |
| – thereof China |
24,937 |
+34.0 |
67,058 |
+47.6 |
Expansion of the Mercedes-Benz Production Network: Ground-breaking Ceremony in Romania
- Additional capacities in transmission assembly from 2016
- Investments of more than EUR 300 million
- Around 500 jobs to be newly created in Sebes
- Markus Schäfer: “The additional assembly capacities in Sebes supplement our production operations at the Mercedes-Benz Untertürkheim plant optimally. They also are an important contributing factor in the economics and the flexibility of our international production network of Mercedes-Benz.”
Stuttgart/Sebes – An important milestone at Daimler and the Romanian subsidiary Star Transmission was celebrated today attended by numerous guests: the ceremonial ground-breaking for a new assembly plant in Sebes was laid in the presence of Romanian Prime Minister Victor Ponta and representatives from both companies. Starting in 2016 the new Mercedes-Benz 9G-TRONIC nine-speed automatic transmission will be assembled here.
Markus Schäfer, Divisional Board Member Mercedes-Benz Cars, Production and Supply Chain Management, said: “The additional assembly capacities in Sebes supplement our production operations at the Mercedes-Benz Untertürkheim plant optimally. They also are an important contributing factor in the economics and the flexibility of our international production network of Mercedes-Benz. With this set-up we will successfully satisfy the continuing increase in demand for automatic transmissions.”
Victor Ponta, Prime Minister of Romania: “The expansion of the Sebes location and the connected further investments of Daimler underline that we are on a good way in Romania and have created an attractive investment climate. With this, we aim to further extend our position as an important automotive manufacturing location in Europe and to create further new jobs.”
“In Mercedes-Benz’ global production network for passenger cars the Untertürkheim engine and transmission plant serves as a center of competence,” said Peter Schabert, Head of Production Powertrain and Head of the Mercedes-Benz Untertürkheim plant. “From here the experienced production team has shared its know-how with the Romanian employees as part of a special qualification program over the course of several months. The great teamwork in the international powertrain team strengthens our competitiveness on a sustainable basis.”
Automatic transmissions from Mercedes-Benz are manufactured in the flexible production network of the Mercedes-Benz Untertürkheim plant and Star Transmission. The 9G-TRONIC transmission has been produced and assembled at the Untertürkheim parent plant since last year and starting in 2016 this automatic transmission will also be assembled at the Sebes location. Investments in Sebes total more than EUR 300 million, and the capacity expansion at the Romanian plant will create 500 new jobs.
About Star Transmission SRL
The Daimler subsidiary Star Transmission was founded in 2001. Since then, gearwheels, shafts as well as machined components for engines, transmissions and steering systems are being produced at the Cugir location. Moreover, the technology center which contains a production of prototypes and a training center is located here. The Sebes location started the assembly of 5-speed automatic transmissions in 2013. The start of the assembly of 7G-DCT
dual-clutch transmissions in Sebes this year provides additional capacities beyond the manufacturing operations previously concentrated exclusively in Stuttgart. Currently the company employs a total workforce of more than 1,200 people.
With support from the Romanian government Star Transmission is one of the first Romanian companies to offer a dual education system modeled after the German state of Baden-Wuerttemberg. The goal of the dual education system is to offer young people in the Alba region a good career outlook while at the same time ensuring the development of young talents for Star Transmission. Since September 2013 the plant has been training young people in technical professions, such as electrical mechanics or model founder, for example.
To further optimize the working conditions for its more than 1,200 employees, Star Transmission has been offering a health program since late 2013. A doctor’s office on the plant premises provides free medical check-ups and advice on ergonomics for the employees. In addition, once a week the employees can get consults from specialists, among them cardiologists, dermatologists and professional nutritionists.
About the Mercedes-Benz Cars Powertrain production network
The powertrain production network comprises several locations in Germany, and is being expanded with international production sites as part of the Mercedes-Benz 2020 growth strategy and the associated increasing production of Mercedes-Benz vehicles in proximity to markets and customers. The central location is the Mercedes-Benz Untertürkheim plant, which manufactures engines, transmissions and axles at a total of six sub-plants. The
Mercedes-Benz Berlin plant manufactures engines and powertrain components, the Mercedes-Benz Hamburg plant produces axles and various other components. The subsidiary MDC Power manufactures engines in Kölleda, Thuringia.
Among the international locations the Romanian subsidiary Star Transmission is responsible for producing engine and transmission parts as well as for the assembly of automatic transmissions. In China, the production of engines for supplying the local Mercedes-Benz cars and vans manufacturing operations started at the Beijing location (BBAC – joint venture between Daimler and Chinese partner BAIC) in 2013. In the US, Daimler and Nissan will start up the joint production of four-cylinder petrol engines based on a
Mercedes-Benz design at the Nissan plant in Decherd, Tennessee, in 2014 as part of a strategic cooperation between Daimler and the Renault/Nissan alliance. Among others, the engines are destined for the future production of the C-Class at the Mercedes-Benz plant in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
About the nine-speed 9G-TRONIC automatic transmission from Mercedes-Benz
The world’s first nine-speed automatic transmission with torque converter for premium vehicles impresses with outstanding comfort and barely perceptible gear changes. In the Mercedes-Benz E 350 BlueTEC, which is available in Saloon and Estate models and comes equipped with the new 9G-TRONIC as standard, the 185 kW (252 hp) V6 diesel engine has an average NEDC fuel consumption of 5.3 litres of diesel per 100 kilometers (Estate: 5.5 l/100 km), corresponding to CO2 emissions of 138 g/km (Estate: 144 g/km). As a result, the new models with 9G-TRONIC undercut their predecessors in terms of both consumption and CO2 emissions.
[/learn_more]
Expansion of the Mercedes-Benz Production Network: Ground-breaking Ceremony in Romania
• Additional capacities in transmission assembly from 2016
• Investments of more than EUR 300 million
• Around 500 jobs to be newly created in Sebes
• Markus Schäfer: “The additional assembly capacities in Sebes supplement our production operations at the Mercedes-Benz Untertürkheim plant optimally. They also are an important contributing factor in the economics and the flexibility of our international production network of Mercedes-Benz.”
Stuttgart/Sebes – An important milestone at Daimler and the Romanian subsidiary Star Transmission was celebrated today attended by numerous guests: the ceremonial ground-breaking for a new assembly plant in Sebes was laid in the presence of Romanian Prime Minister Victor Ponta and representatives from both companies. Starting in 2016 the new Mercedes-Benz 9G-TRONIC nine-speed automatic transmission will be assembled here.
Markus Schäfer, Divisional Board Member Mercedes-Benz Cars, Production and Supply Chain Management, said: “The additional assembly capacities in Sebes supplement our production operations at the Mercedes-Benz Untertürkheim plant optimally. They also are an important contributing factor in the economics and the flexibility of our international production network of Mercedes-Benz. With this set-up we will successfully satisfy the continuing increase in demand for automatic transmissions.”
Victor Ponta, Prime Minister of Romania: “The expansion of the Sebes location and the connected further investments of Daimler underline that we are on a good way in Romania and have created an attractive investment climate. With this, we aim to further extend our position as an important automotive manufacturing location in Europe and to create further new jobs.”
“In Mercedes-Benz’ global production network for passenger cars the Untertürkheim engine and transmission plant serves as a center of competence,” said Peter Schabert, Head of Production Powertrain and Head of the Mercedes-Benz Untertürkheim plant. “From here the experienced production team has shared its know-how with the Romanian employees as part of a special qualification program over the course of several months. The great teamwork in the international powertrain team strengthens our competitiveness on a sustainable basis.”
Automatic transmissions from Mercedes-Benz are manufactured in the flexible production network of the Mercedes-Benz Untertürkheim plant and Star Transmission. The 9G-TRONIC transmission has been produced and assembled at the Untertürkheim parent plant since last year and starting in 2016 this automatic transmission will also be assembled at the Sebes location. Investments in Sebes total more than EUR 300 million, and the capacity expansion at the Romanian plant will create 500 new jobs.
About Star Transmission SRL
The Daimler subsidiary Star Transmission was founded in 2001. Since then, gearwheels, shafts as well as machined components for engines, transmissions and steering systems are being produced at the Cugir location. Moreover, the technology center which contains a production of prototypes and a training center is located here. The Sebes location started the assembly of 5-speed automatic transmissions in 2013. The start of the assembly of 7G-DCT
dual-clutch transmissions in Sebes this year provides additional capacities beyond the manufacturing operations previously concentrated exclusively in Stuttgart. Currently the company employs a total workforce of more than 1,200 people.
With support from the Romanian government Star Transmission is one of the first Romanian companies to offer a dual education system modeled after the German state of Baden-Wuerttemberg. The goal of the dual education system is to offer young people in the Alba region a good career outlook while at the same time ensuring the development of young talents for Star Transmission. Since September 2013 the plant has been training young people in technical professions, such as electrical mechanics or model founder, for example.
To further optimize the working conditions for its more than 1,200 employees, Star Transmission has been offering a health program since late 2013. A doctor’s office on the plant premises provides free medical check-ups and advice on ergonomics for the employees. In addition, once a week the employees can get consults from specialists, among them cardiologists, dermatologists and professional nutritionists.
About the Mercedes-Benz Cars Powertrain production network
The powertrain production network comprises several locations in Germany, and is being expanded with international production sites as part of the Mercedes-Benz 2020 growth strategy and the associated increasing production of Mercedes-Benz vehicles in proximity to markets and customers. The central location is the Mercedes-Benz Untertürkheim plant, which manufactures engines, transmissions and axles at a total of six sub-plants. The
Mercedes-Benz Berlin plant manufactures engines and powertrain components, the Mercedes-Benz Hamburg plant produces axles and various other components. The subsidiary MDC Power manufactures engines in Kölleda, Thuringia.
Among the international locations the Romanian subsidiary Star Transmission is responsible for producing engine and transmission parts as well as for the assembly of automatic transmissions. In China, the production of engines for supplying the local Mercedes-Benz cars and vans manufacturing operations started at the Beijing location (BBAC – joint venture between Daimler and Chinese partner BAIC) in 2013. In the US, Daimler and Nissan will start up the joint production of four-cylinder petrol engines based on a
Mercedes-Benz design at the Nissan plant in Decherd, Tennessee, in 2014 as part of a strategic cooperation between Daimler and the Renault/Nissan alliance. Among others, the engines are destined for the future production of the C-Class at the Mercedes-Benz plant in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
About the nine-speed 9G-TRONIC automatic transmission from Mercedes-Benz
The world’s first nine-speed automatic transmission with torque converter for premium vehicles impresses with outstanding comfort and barely perceptible gear changes. In the Mercedes-Benz E 350 BlueTEC, which is available in Saloon and Estate models and comes equipped with the new 9G-TRONIC as standard, the 185 kW (252 hp) V6 diesel engine has an average NEDC fuel consumption of 5.3 litres of diesel per 100 kilometers (Estate: 5.5 l/100 km), corresponding to CO2 emissions of 138 g/km (Estate: 144 g/km). As a result, the new models with 9G-TRONIC undercut their predecessors in terms of both consumption and CO2 emissions.