After record sales in January, Mercedes-Benz reached new heights in February, to which all regions have contributed, as well . The brand with the star delivered a total of 95,647 units to customers. With an increase of 20.3%, February was the highest-growth month since January 2011. Since the beginning of 2012 sales have risen by 12.6% to 182,568 passenger cars. The company also saw more sales in the Mercedes-Benz Cars division than ever before in the month of February, handing over a total of 104,073 Mercedes-Benz, smart and Maybach brand vehicles (+20.3%) to their new owners. The sales increase in the last two months amounted to 12.9% (198,599 units).
Dr. Joachim Schmidt, Executive Vice President Sales and Marketing, Mercedes-Benz Cars: “In February we have further improved the good result of the previous month and again had a record month with a sales increase of 20.3%. Thus, we are well on track to achieve our objective of a new sales record in the first quarter. Particularly well is the development of the new B-Class, which again met excellent customer response in February. Since market launch we have already recorded 100,000 orders. Further momentum will also be gained from the new model series in the coming months.”
Mercedes-Benz enjoyed a strong February with record unit sales in China (incl. Hong Kong). A total of 19,205 customers (+57.5%) in the “Middle Kingdom” opted for a new car with a star. Mercedes-Benz also posted a new sales record (+30.1%) in Russia in February. Particularly dynamic was the growth in Taiwan (+24.9%) and Japan (+31.4%).
In the US, Mercedes-Benz continued its excellent performance of recent months in February. With 18,080 vehicles delivered, unit sales rose by 16.9%. Thus, Mercedes-Benz sold more vehicles than ever before in this period. Also in the rest of the NAFTA countries Mercedes-Benz is on a success track. New sales records were set both in Canada (2,158 units; +18.4%) and Mexico (533 units; +22.8%) in February.
The February performance was also excellent in the Middle East region, with a 17.9% rise in unit sales.
As in January, Mercedes-Benz continued its double-digit sales growth on its domestic market in February with a total of 17,993 customers in Germany choosing a car with a star (+21.6%). Thus, the brand is still the leading premium automaker on its biggest market. With sales growth of 9.3% and unit sales of 19,668 vehicles, Mercedes-Benz also sported a winning performance in Western Europe (excluding Germany) in February. Especially in France (+36.9%) and Switzerland (+46.2%) the Stuttgart car manufacturer saw excellent growth rates. Thus, the brand’s sales in Switzerland have been at a record high since the beginning of the year. Mercedes-Benz also posted a positive trend in the UK (+12.6%).
The new B-Class was especially popular among model series in February with a 8.2% sales increase to 9,902 units. Sales of the C-Class sedan together with the C-Class estate amounted to 22,881 models (+15.2%) in February. The SLK also posted an extremely positive performance in February, more than tripling its unit sales. In the same month, the E-Class sedan and its estate stepped up their sales by 22.0% (19,011 units). The February development of the S-Class was outstanding as well: With a total of 9,482 units (+89.4%), almost twice as many models of the brand’s flagship as in the same month last year were handed over to customers. Thus, the S-Class achieved record sales in February as well as since the beginning of the year.
After the record year 2011, Mercedes-Benz SUV sales are also developing excellently in 2012. Sales were at a record high in February (16,679 units; +3.0%) and since the start of the year (34,856 units; +2.2%). The G-Class climbed by 33.1%, while GL sales rose by 9.2% and the M-Class by 20.5%. Considering that the M-Class is not even fully available on all markets yet due to its gradual launch.
The smart fortwo continued its brilliant start into the year in February. With 8,426 vehicles sold, unit sales again saw double-digit growth (+19.9%). The two-seater continues to attract a great deal of attention, especially among Chinese customers who bought with1,459 units twice as many (+103.2%) vehicles as in February 2011. The smart fortwo was also very popular in the US (+58.9%), in France (+44.3%), and in Italy (+18.5%). The same is true for Germany, where February sales surged by 13.2% to 2,122 units.
Overview of Sales by Mercedes-Benz Cars
Credits: Daimler AG
Copyright © 2012, Mercedes-Benz-Blog. All rights reserved.
Mercedes-Benz models up 16.9%, smart up 58.9%, Sprinter up 16.6%
Mercedes-Benz USA (MBUSA) today reported February sales of 19,679 vehicles, a 21.7 % improvement over February 2011 and the highest February volume on record with strong sales across all model lines to brand new customers. On a year-to-date basis, the 41,398 vehicles sold represent a 23.8% increase.
The company reported sales increases over virtually all its model lines from the entry point to the high-end. "With all of our new model launches over the past year bringing new buyers to Mercedes-Benz and prompting our loyal owners to reinvest in the brand, we’re ideally positioned to take advantage of the strengthening market," said Steve Cannon, president and CEO of MBUSA.
Sales for the month of February were led by the C-, E-, and M-Class model lines. The sporty C-Class - the gateway to the Mercedes-Benz brand for younger and first-time Mercedes-Benz buyers - took the lead with sales of 5,240 up 17.0% over February 2011. The 9th generation E-Class came in right behind with sales of 4,206 and MBUSA’s top-selling SUV, the M-Class, rounded out the top three with sales of 3,408, up 77.1% compared to February 2011.
Other strong performers were the company’s flagship S-Class which saw its sales increase by 20.3%, the new CLS up 411.2%, and the SLK roadster which increased 108.8% over February 2011.
Amidst rising gas prices, diesel sales increased to 1,415, up 81.9% over the same period last year (778).
The company’s smart brand continued four consecutive months of sales increases versus last year with February sales of 769 vehicles, a 58.9% jump for the month (compared to the 484 vehicles sold in February 2011). The February volume is the highest on record for smart since MBUSA assumed responsibility in July 2011.
On the van side, sales of Sprinter Vans also saw strong sales in February with sales of 830- up 16.6% over last year.
Separately, through the Mercedes-Benz Certified Pre-Owned (MBCPO) program, MBUSA sold 5,985 vehicles in February; a 2.2% increase when compared to February 2011 (sales of 5,859 vehicles). On a year-to-date basis, MBCPO sold 12,930 vehicles, an increase of 5.1% over the comparable period (with sales of 12,302).
Credits: Mercedes-Benz USA
Copyright © 2012, Mercedes-Benz-Blog. All rights reserved.
car2go Europe GmbH, a joint venture between car2go GmbH, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Daimler AG, and Europcar, the leader in car rental services in Europe, launched today the car2go service in Lyon, France. car2go provides Lyon residents with a fleet of 200 low-emission, self-service smart fortwo micro compact cars. As the world’s first mobility program with maximum flexibility and without fixed rental locations, car2go offers its members an opportunity to spontaneously rent vehicles anytime and anywhere without having to specify a time or place of return in advance.
“Innovative urban mobility solutions like car2go offer a way to help meet the challenges of urban congestion, reducing carbon emissions and improving quality of life,” said Gérard Collomb, Mayor of Lyon and President of ”‘Grand Lyon”. “Following the actions we initiated in 2005 with Velo’v, the first self-service bike sharing system, Lyon is innovating again with car2go, a new approach to car sharing which is complementary to other initiatives enabling our residents to move around town. Choosing Lyon, Europcar and Daimler strengthen the role of our city being one of the European leaders in terms of sustainable mobility.”
“We are excited to make our French debut in a city which is well-known for its innovation in the sector of urban transportation,” said Marcus Spickermann, Chief Financial Officer of the car2go Group. “More than 60.000 customers worldwide are using car2go in their daily lives, and we are convinced that car2go is a perfect fit for Lyon residents too.”
The car2go vehicles can be rented and returned within an operating area of 44 square kilometres covering the Lyon city centre. Members can find car2go vehicles spontaneously on the street, via the internet at www.car2go.com, and with the help of several smartphone applications. The vehicle selected can be unlocked using a personal membership card. At the end of the trip, car2go drivers do not have to bring the car2go back to where the trip started. They can simply leave the car at their destination - at any public parking space and at all Lyon carsharing-stations inside the car2go business area. Parking fees are included in the per-minute rental fee at no additional cost.
Lyon residents can register at www.car2go.com, and at the new car2go shop at Le Terra Mundi – 2 place de Francfort in Lyon. Until February 11th, 2012, Lyon residents can benefit from the special launch discount and save more than 10 Euro by only paying 4,90 Euro registration fee and receiving 60 free driving minutes. For members who register after February 11th, 2012, there will be a one-time registration fee of 14,90 Euro.
Customers pay only for the actual time they use the vehicle, by the minute, with discounted rates for hourly and daily use. The rental prices in Lyon are 0,29 Euro per driving minute, 12,90 Euro per hour and 39 Euro per day (24 hours). During stopovers, which can be used for example while shopping, a special parking rate of 0,09 Euro per minute will be calculated. Fuel, insurance, taxes and parking costs are fully included in the price that furthermore includes mileage up to 20 kilometres. Additional kilometres will cost 0,29 Euro each. Experience shows that the average range of a car2go rental is between 5 and 10 kilometres so the extra mileage costs are only relevant for those members who wish to leave the city and come back.
“The 2010 Europcar’s Transportation and Mobility Observatory showed that 47% of European urban drivers are considering giving up their cars and 61% of them consider that cars available in self service are an attractive mobility option. car2go will provide Lyon people with a fully-flexible service, combined with short term car rental services for a fully comprehensive mobility solution” said Philippe Guillemot, CEO of Europcar Groupe.
Thanks to a cooperation between car2go and the bikesharing service Vélo’v, Vélo’v customers will benefit from the reduced car2go registration fee of 9,90 Euro including 30 free driving minutes at any time.
car2go has already been successfully launched in seven cities: in Ulm and Hamburg (Germany), in Amsterdam (Netherlands), in Vienna (Austria), in Austin and San Diego (USA), and in Vancouver (Canada). The German city of Düsseldorf is going to follow soon – Lyon is the first home of car2go in France. A total of more than 2.000 car2go vehicles are currently on the road and more than 60.000 members have registered for the service worldwide.
Credits: Daimler AG
Copyright © 2012, Mercedes-Benz-Blog. All rights reserved.
