😇 Dein Abo hilft uns: https://tublo.eu/abonnieren ✅ Source: Mercedes-Benz ➡️ Mehr in unserem Automagazin: www.tuningblog.eu
Mercedes-Benz setzt 2024 auf Transformation: Mit einer groß angelegten Produkt- und Technologieoffensive stellt sich der Automobilkonzern neu auf. Das Unternehmen führt ein einheitliches, statusorientiertes Design ein und setzt auf intelligente Modularisierung mit hoch skalierbaren Elektro- und Hybridantrieben. Das neue Mercedes-Benz Betriebssystem MB.OS bildet die technologische Basis für Infotainment, automatisiertes Fahren und mehr.
Die größte Produktoffensive der Unternehmensgeschichte startet mit dem CLA – sowohl als Elektrofahrzeug als auch mit einem hochmodernen 48-Volt-Verbrennungsmotor. Bis 2027 folgen zahlreiche neue Modelle, darunter eine vollelektrische E-Klasse, ein elektrischer GLC und eine neue G-Klasse-Variante. Mercedes-AMG plant zudem Hochleistungs-Elektromodelle mit neuer Plattform.
Mercedes-Benz optimiert gleichzeitig Produktion und Kosten, ohne bei Qualität und Luxus Kompromisse einzugehen. Die Fixkosten sollen bis 2027 um über 10 % gesenkt werden. Neue Technologien wie Steer-by-Wire und KI-gestützte Assistenzsysteme sorgen für ein einzigartiges Fahrerlebnis. Was haltet ihr von der neuen Strategie? Schreibt es in die Kommentare!
#MercedesBenz #Elektroauto #Innovation #Luxus #Technologie #Performance #AMG
#tuningblog - das Magazin für Auto-Tuning und Mobilität!
Mercedes-Benz setzt 2024 auf Transformation: Mit einer groß angelegten Produkt- und Technologieoffensive stellt sich der Automobilkonzern neu auf. Das Unternehmen führt ein einheitliches, statusorientiertes Design ein und setzt auf intelligente Modularisierung mit hoch skalierbaren Elektro- und Hybridantrieben. Das neue Mercedes-Benz Betriebssystem MB.OS bildet die technologische Basis für Infotainment, automatisiertes Fahren und mehr.
Die größte Produktoffensive der Unternehmensgeschichte startet mit dem CLA – sowohl als Elektrofahrzeug als auch mit einem hochmodernen 48-Volt-Verbrennungsmotor. Bis 2027 folgen zahlreiche neue Modelle, darunter eine vollelektrische E-Klasse, ein elektrischer GLC und eine neue G-Klasse-Variante. Mercedes-AMG plant zudem Hochleistungs-Elektromodelle mit neuer Plattform.
Mercedes-Benz optimiert gleichzeitig Produktion und Kosten, ohne bei Qualität und Luxus Kompromisse einzugehen. Die Fixkosten sollen bis 2027 um über 10 % gesenkt werden. Neue Technologien wie Steer-by-Wire und KI-gestützte Assistenzsysteme sorgen für ein einzigartiges Fahrerlebnis. Was haltet ihr von der neuen Strategie? Schreibt es in die Kommentare!
#MercedesBenz #Elektroauto #Innovation #Luxus #Technologie #Performance #AMG
#tuningblog - das Magazin für Auto-Tuning und Mobilität!
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MotorTranskript
00:00Thank you, Krista.
00:13Yes, thank you very much, Kristina and Willem.
00:16And with that, let's just look to the future.
00:19What is our plan?
00:21What have we been working on?
00:23What progress have we made?
00:25And what can you expect from Mercedes-Benz in the coming years?
00:28Yes, that's what I want to talk about today, together with Harold and of course Marcus.
00:37Yes, at the end of the day, there are four very important messages.
00:42These are the messages that you should take away from today.
00:45Number one, we have this unique brand.
00:48There is a certain recipe that makes a Mercedes-Benz a Mercedes-Benz.
00:52And in this next phase of our transformation and further development and the future, what have we done?
01:02We have taken this recipe and distilled it again so that Mercedes becomes even more Mercedes.
01:07And that is also the transition to the second point.
01:16Ahead of us lies the biggest product and technological innovation and product offensive that we have ever had.
01:22That means that the next three years will be incredibly busy years with a product recipe that is translated into products, individual vehicles, and technological solutions.
01:37Yes, of course we love vehicles and of course we love cars.
01:40We have all these test tracks, we work on the design and so on, but all of them know that you don't have innovative power if you don't have financial power.
01:55That means that innovative power and financial power are part of the same equation, and that in turn translates into capital payments to shareholders and so on.
02:04That's why we're going to do everything, despite this difficult macroeconomic environment, to actually look at our entire business model and every single cost category to ensure that we have the most efficient operational processes that we can have.
02:26And not in the easy way, so to speak, like, oh, you don't need research and weather, let's cross that out.
02:33No, of course you could do that very easily and then you could tweak it, but then you wouldn't have a long-term perspective, and that's what we've always had.
02:42So we're using the seeds that we have to create the exciting products of the future.
02:48At the same time, however, we want to become more and more efficient.
02:52And that's the third message I want to get across today.
02:55And then last time, um, this is a capital market day and this is about investors.
03:00Many of our investors are here and so we want to make sure that they also have good investment credit.
03:09Harold showed us the figures for 2024, the healthy dividend and also the share buyback program.
03:17And we want to continue this type of capital allocation policy.
03:21So, I could basically stop here and say, that's it.
03:27And now we can go out to the test track and test drive a few cars.
03:31And for those who have registered, they can still do that today.
03:35But at this point I would like to add a few more messages, but those were the core messages.
03:40Let's start with the recipe.
03:41If you work at Mercedes-Benz or have been with Mercedes-Benz for a long time, then you know that this recipe is part of our genes.
03:52And if you work in research and development, then you know what a Mercedes is.
03:55And sometimes it's important to double check with the ingredients of this recipe or that ensure we meet and exceed customer expectations.
04:08What do you want?
04:10Why do you want to buy this three-pointed star?
04:13And how can we make this experience even better and make this technological experience even more immersive?
04:19Yes, so when you wake up at 3 a.m. and ask yourself, what is it?
04:25Of course it's the safety, of course it's the quality, of course it's the comfort, that you know it's a Mercedes.
04:32The quality, the durability of the product is something you buy to keep and keep.
04:41The residual value of our vehicles, especially our classic cars, is remarkable.
04:45And of course it's also about technology.
04:52We invented driver assistance systems to create more safety.
04:57Now it's suddenly about safety and convenience.
05:00And we don't just want this great screen, we also want to ask ourselves what can you do with it?
05:05Is it infotainment? Does it really work in the vehicle?
05:09What is the core of it?
05:11And of course this timeless elegance.
05:13This timeless elegance.
05:14A design that carries Mercedes-Benz into the future.
05:18Design is still important.
05:20There is a zeitgeist.
05:21A zeitgeist in the modern area of modern luxury that has to be reinvented again and again.
05:28And for those who are part of our program today.
05:33And the last event today will be a sneak preview of the models that we have planned for 2026 and 27.
05:39Yes, I have already mentioned safety.
05:47Some people might not think about this because they first look at it and want it to look good.
05:51But this here, this is actually the latest achievement.
06:01It's not about ticking any boxes or achieving any best results in the class like here at NCP.
06:06Uh, so this is like an exam result and you could put it aside and say, okay, done.
06:15But when it comes to research and development, we always ask ourselves, well, one star is not enough.
06:21Seven years and more in which we have further refined this recipe with various, um, accidents that we have forensically investigated during this time and from which we have tried to draw conclusions to make the vehicle even safer.
06:38That is the core of this market and it is also one of the most important reasons that one should always keep in mind when it comes to buying a car.
06:50This is a Mercedes-Benz and we will continue to do so in the future.
06:57Yes, here is the new CLA, a pre-series vehicle and this is representative of a whole series of other vehicles that you will see in the coming years.
07:08The first time I got into this vehicle and Marcus had driven a prototype, he said, I don't promise you too much Ola, but you will be impressed.
07:18My first impression when I was in the vehicle was not what a great drive.
07:24Best in its class.
07:27No, my very first thought, really the very first thought, was that I wasn't sitting in a CLA, but in a higher end vehicle, AC class.
07:38The performance felt somehow more mature and this feeling, this sense of comfort and safety, this fantastic performance.
07:49Yes, of course you can take this Mercedes to the racetrack.
07:53Uh, I wouldn't do that.
07:55Of course you can go to Affalterbach.
07:57I would do that.
07:59You can test out real racing technology there.
08:01But this feeling of effortlessness is simply fantastic.
08:07When you're in the vehicle, you feel like you're sitting in an S-Class or a Maybach S-Class.
08:16I currently have an EQS Maybach and it's really incredibly quiet inside.
08:21When I'm driven to work in the morning, I almost tend to start a conversation with my chauffeur.
08:32But of course I go through my emails.
08:35Here's an example of what we've done with the EQS.
08:38A very aerodynamically styled vehicle with the best range in its class, with executive victory in the EQS.
08:51We really have an S-Class combustion engine feel here in terms of the digital side.
08:56MOS, but Marcus, I'm not going to give too much away here.
09:02I don't want to spoil the show for you.
09:05This is about you.
09:07It's not about the technology.
09:09It's about what the technology can do for you.
09:13And I'll leave it at that for now.
09:15Regarding the design, the styling, we'll talk about that several times today.
09:20We're preparing the next generation of design for those of you who are here at the presentation.
09:26You'll see that, but you'll also see timelessness here.
09:31So, if you look back, 20, 30, 40 years later, and of course you'll see that our vehicles will be designed differently in the future.
09:39But you'll see that the proportions are right, the lines, everything feels right.
09:43Even if you have no idea at all about vehicles, about cars, everything feels intuitively right.
09:49And that's the recipe.
09:52But the recipe is not the product.
09:56And of course we are a product-oriented company, a product-oriented company.
10:02Of course we are also customer-oriented, but in our DNA the product comes first and then the customer.
10:08Of course we work very intensively on the customer.
10:17We are building something, or rather we are in a building that we call the center of excellence.
10:22Rimond Donbock and sorry Rimond for embarrassing you here in front of a large audience.
10:32If you know this name within the Mercedes-Benz family, then you know that you have made it, because Rimond is responsible for this place.
10:39This is the place for the best Mercedes-Benz customers.
10:45They come here and they spend hours and hours here looking at various options from our manufacturing.
10:50For those who saw the AMG presentation yesterday, you know that we can raise the level of manufacturing content and we are doing that strategically.
11:03We are only five minutes away from another building and can implement the whole thing in production.
11:13Yes, it involves manual work, it is expensive, but of course you also expect to pay a little more if you buy something like print in a department store or if you buy culture.
11:28And that's what it's all about.
11:33So, we want to continue to customize for Mercedes-Benz customers, not only here, but also to make the whole thing more accessible and convenient for customers from all over the world.
11:44When we talk about customers, we have the products here, the customization.
11:49What other checkpoints are there?
11:54We have a service.
11:58A premium luxury brand that offers better service.
12:03That really is a valuable asset.
12:06It is also a valuable asset in terms of competitiveness.
12:12The market is highly competitive and we have a very high level of service.
12:17You don't have to wait long.
12:18When a customer says, hello, I'm waiting, we react very quickly.
12:22And all these mechanisms in the background, these ingredients for a successful automotive company are highly relevant.
12:31We are working on them, but we are also trying to improve every single touchstone for the customer so that the customer experience is even better.
12:39On the left, you can see an example that's almost crazy.
12:45A Mercedes showroom.
12:48A private investor has invested in it.
12:51That says, I believe in the company.
12:53I know what you have in your portfolio and I'm investing more than $100 million in a building like that.
12:59It's almost a place of pilgrimage for Mercedes fans.
13:03On the digitalization side, a few years ago, we were in a situation where my parents in Sweden said,
13:13Yes, we drive a Mercedes, but can you please help me get to grips with the car?
13:17It was an E-class and my father and I sat down together and we configured the car together
13:27and the whole thing felt like you needed a doctorate to understand everything to configure this vehicle.
13:35Good idea, but maybe not 100% well implemented.
13:39Marketing and sales got together and invested a lot of time in the digital journey to make everything a bit more convenient and more accessible.
13:51Yes, you can buy a vehicle online.
13:54Most people don't do that because it's a big expense, but you can do it if you want to.
14:00Regarding digitalization, that is very important and we will continue to invest in the digital customer experience.
14:06And ultimately, when you see this artifact here, it is even better than knowing Raymond Dorbick.
14:18When you get that in the Silver Arrows program that we are launching this year, starting in Germany and then in other markets,
14:24when you have this artifact, this object, then you have the certainty that you are considered one of the best customers in the Mercedes-Benz family and are recognized accordingly.
14:36But of course you have to pay a certain amount to get there.
14:41But it is not about the money.
14:43It is about belonging to the family.
14:47So really at the very top end of our portfolio,
14:50we want to create a unique family,
14:52a unique atmosphere for our very best customers.
14:55A little bit of money can buy a little bit more and they also get access to information that a normal buyer does not get.
15:09The new program that I mentioned, what is it about?
15:13Where are the cars?
15:14Yes, we have a very good product portfolio, more than 40 different models.
15:18Many are new and very successful.
15:20The new E-class is indeed a truly unique class.
15:28But of course we will not be completely revamping the entire portfolio in the next three years and by 2028.
15:34But from the middle of this year until the end of 2027,
15:37we will be going through a very intensive phase.
15:44I was talking about styling.
15:45Styling design has to do with the zeitgeist.
15:50Modern luxury does not stand still, but is constantly reinventing itself.
15:54You know, the great apartments in Paris that were built 100 years ago are beautiful.
16:00But if they were to build today, the building would look different.
16:03They have to move with the times and also think ahead.
16:06In 2026, we will enter the next era of design language.
16:14And what guides us in this?
16:17When I was a child, I grew up in Melmo in southern Sweden.
16:24Most families back then in the 70s, maybe the early 80s, drove either a Volvo or a Saab.
16:30If there was someone in the neighborhood who drove a Mercedes,
16:38that was a bit more unusual than if I had grown up here in Germany.
16:45But I guarantee you, every kid on the street would know who drove that Mercedes.
16:49And as a symbol for that, I picked out this grill from the past with these honeycombs,
16:58with this honeycomb pattern.
17:02Back then, they knew exactly that this was Mercedes.
17:05I talked about distilling the recipe.
17:07Styling is also part of it.
17:09The technical functionality, the packaging, everything.
17:13We haven't made any concessions here, but that's just part of the recipe.
17:16It's almost as if we actually did some navel-gazing and thought about what Mercedes' design is
17:23and what will carry us into the future.
17:27What makes us future-proof?
17:30And we'll start in 2026 and apply the new design to all Mercedes-Benz models.
17:37Regardless of whether they are BV or combustion engines.
17:42So a few more words about the vehicles.
17:44Here in public, I can't show you what's going on behind the scenes and talk about every single vehicle.
17:52But take a look at this chart.
17:58We've looked at the structure of our portfolio.
18:01Top-end, AMGs, Mybox, G-Class, S-Class, GLS.
18:05This family.
18:07Then the core vehicles E-Class, C-Class, GLC, GLAA.
18:12And the entry-level vehicles, the new MMA.
18:15The new MMA architecture with GLA yellow and so on and so forth.
18:22I don't think I've counted the vehicles, but there are over 25 here on this list, on this chart for investors.
18:28You can see that most of these vehicles are in the top end.
18:35Some are of course derivatives of the core vehicles.
18:39AMG does that too.
18:43Others are unique AMG models and in the core models, and I think that's really important, especially for the BEV rate, which will increase once we get the portfolio up and running.
18:53The meter itself is still a niche vehicle these days.
19:01You might ask, why the fuss then?
19:06But it's the first domino that falls in a whole series of vehicles, which you can also see here.
19:13And that's something we told you over a year ago.
19:15In 2023, when we realized that the transformation would take longer and would be more heterogeneous.
19:25We had already made the decision that we would update our combustion engine portfolio in order to be able to meet the latest emissions regulations.
19:32So, you can see the ratio between BEVs and combustion engines here.
19:40Everything is available.
19:42That's great for the customers.
19:44But of course it's a challenge for the financial gurus and the controllers and for the engineers.
19:49How can you design the modular structure in such a way that you can build these vehicles?
19:53Marcus and Harold will have the difficult task of explaining that properly later, but we have managed to make our recipe work for us in the next few years.
20:04The CLA
20:05Well, two years ago the car was shown for the first time at the International, uh, in Munich.
20:20We have shown a visionary vehicle with good range, best efficiency in its class, incredibly fast with supercomputers installed.
20:31Every single Mercedes will have supercomputers on board with every sensor you can imagine.
20:35So, maximum computer performance and hardware, these genes have also enriched these vehicles and for every ads level you can imagine.
20:48So, there is the complete package here.
20:50We are keeping our promise that we made two years ago in Munich and the answer is yes.
20:54Yes, now the world premiere of this vehicle will be in four weeks at another event.
21:07That's why I'll stop now, because we will have this event and in the summer the vehicle will actually be launched and you should never feel like a winner before the game is over.
21:19So, you should actually make the effort and climb to the top, and make sure that the work is done and then talk about the great product.
21:31But what is even more important is this vehicle?
21:40I would say, come to Munich this year too, because this vehicle will be coming right after.
21:45This is the first vehicle of the so-called MBE architecture, the new electric GLC.
21:58He is, and this will be the main show spoiler.
22:02You can't stop me.
22:04I'm live on stage.
22:05Come to Munich and we'll actually show you what this MBA family means, what it looks like.
22:14And it almost goes without saying that if this vehicle already has really good technical data, then of course the same applies to this other one.
22:23And that's where the modular strategy comes into play.
22:29Yes, what we've done here is to develop two platforms.
22:32First of all, a drive platform and then also a platform for an operating system.
22:41And once we have these technology platforms, then of course you can also apply them to different vehicles and also to different vehicle types.
22:52Another important vehicle will be coming next year, the GLE.
22:58Um, a very, very popular vehicle.
23:00So Harold might say a little bit more about that.
23:05Um, here too we have a completely new vehicle, also with a longer wheelbase for the Chinese market.
23:17Um, and of course it would be strange if you were to introduce all this space technology here in the BEFs and not in other technologies.
23:24That means this technology, this UDOS technology, will also be rolled out to other vehicle categories, including the combustion engine versions.
23:39Yes, the new S-Class.
23:45The new S-Class is the pinnacle of automotive engineering.
23:49It will also get a facelift next year, and normally a facelift means a few changes to the technology and the design, and that's it.
24:01Of course, we don't aim to spend more money, but in terms of expenses, we are spending significantly more on the facelift of the new S-Class than we normally do.
24:17Because it would be a bit strange if we had a vehicle like this in the entry-level segment and we're technologically significantly superior to what the S-Class offers.
24:30That means the S-Class will of course also get the entire range, the new technology and so on.
24:43And of course also a comprehensive design update similar to what we did with the E-Class a year ago, so that it becomes a coherent segment.
24:50Yes, on the subject of the E-Class, we have an E-Class, we have an EQE.
25:02They are both good, they are different than the new combustion engine in the E-Class is leading in many markets.
25:10In China, the figures are impressive.
25:15The last time I was in China, I spoke to the head of digital development.
25:20I tried out the Adash functions and also the automated parking system.
25:28And then I also had them show me what we had further developed.
25:32And I said, oh man, that would be something we also need in Germany.
25:37We have different providers worldwide, which is why we have now teamed up with Google for this generation.
25:43He then said to me, well, he gets calls from other competitors who are looking at the navigation in the new E-Class and are wondering what has actually happened and how they have to catch up.
25:57And that's why digital experience doesn't mean that you have to be a startup and you won't be able to do it otherwise.
26:10Because of course we have to be leaders in this digital experience and the most difficult market is of course the Chinese market.
26:16Yes, and we have the E-Class, we have the EQE, but in 2027 the new electric E-Class will also be coming and that is a vehicle that will be better than the combustion engine in every dimension.
26:32No compromises.
26:37As good as or better than the combustion engine.
26:41No compromises.
26:45No compromises in size, seating comfort, etc.
26:49Yes, of course everything that you can have in this technology in this technology segment, that's all there, of course.
26:56But this is a vehicle that will represent something different for us in this segment and that will be coming in about two years.
27:02And yes, you will also be able to take a little look at this model this afternoon, if you are part of this group who are getting their little sneak preview.
27:21Yes, of course I won't anticipate Marcus' presentation here in technology, but the point here is that we are the leading company, we are in the driver's seat and we have things under control.
27:32And now it's actually about being able to drive at 95 kilometers per hour on a German highway with level three.
28:01So maybe you can make a call or read a text message at the same time, etc.
28:07Well, that's all coming up now and Marcus will say a bit more about it.
28:14In China, this vehicle is coming with level 2+++, and yes, we are the first company, also the whole topic, that will test this in China.
28:23Of course, the political landscape is changing a bit at the moment, but this path towards decarbonization is something that we still have to pursue as a world, as an industry and as a company.
28:40We have defined this in our ambition and we have said that we want to be CO2 neutral by the end of the next decade.
28:49And well, of course it's about these electric vehicles, but not just about this product.
28:55It's also about the supply chain of our own operations, the product, but of course also the product used.
29:01And we will continue to make progress in all of these verticals and have already done so, and we will continue to work very diligently towards this goal.
29:13Although the adoption rate for electric vehicles is not as automatic as we thought.
29:17It may take a bit longer, but we are on this journey with this goal in mind and therefore it is no surprise that our goal is of course to meet the CO2 targets.
29:34Harold, you already mentioned what this could mean in terms of burden for 2050.
29:38And if we now look at Mercedes-Benz cars, we have seen the targets for 2024, Harold said for 2025, it might be a bit more difficult.
29:49Why is that actually the case?
29:52It's because we have a very successful van division.
29:58And if you register one as a passenger car, then of course it is counted as part of the BKW fleet.
30:05But a van is like a big box on wheels.
30:09And if you look at it, of course significantly more people fit in it than in a passenger car, but it still counts as a passenger car.
30:18And that is a segment that is not yet at the same level in terms of electrification.
30:29The EA van will of course bring a lot of momentum, but I think there are a few, like a load, I think it's 10 grams,
30:36but as I said, it would be much easier if we could say, oh man, we can break this down to the details that are also included in these specifications.
30:44And I think it's very important that we approach this with caution with a view to the future,
30:57with the clever joint ventures that we have already entered into.
31:05Of course, that's part of it.
31:07We are part of this pool, so that we can also work with lower costs, should we have to pay penalties.
31:12And of course that is also a rational economic decision, but I would like to make it very clear what our intention is.
31:21Once we have introduced these products, which will happen in the next 24 to 36 months,
31:26then of course the EV share will also increase significantly and then we will be compliant again,
31:31and that is also our goal.
31:35Yes, Marcus will also tell us a bit more about these powertrains.
31:42We offer both the BEV powertrain and the completely redesigned combustion engine powertrain,
31:47which will be available next year.
31:48Yes, flexibility, all plants are very flexible.
31:56That is something we are very grateful for,
31:58because we initiated that as the first chapter of our transformation.
32:02And of course, it is also about the product.
32:07Why should the customer expect anything different or less in a category between the BEV version and the combustion engine?
32:13In other words, the guiding principle is that everything that you are grateful for,
32:21that you want as a customer, must of course also be preserved,
32:24namely in every single vehicle that is introduced to the market from now on with a view to the future.
32:30And of course that also applies equally to the BEFS.
32:32Yes, flexibility and lean structures,
32:40but also supply chain management will be just as important,
32:44incredibly important,
32:45because if we look at it now,
32:47one level up or down,
32:48you naturally have to control the percentages between the combustion engines and the BEFs,
32:53even if the assembly hall can build both.
32:55So, if you are an established manufacturer,
33:03then that is something that you simply face a challenge.
33:07I think we have already done a lot of preliminary work here.
33:12I already mentioned that at the BEV,
33:14we made an adjustment yesterday because we decided to sell the Argentinian plant
33:18and make better use of the fixed costs there.
33:21And if we have to take these steps to ensure that the suit fits perfectly,
33:29then we will initiate these steps.
33:32And Harold will say a little more about that.
33:34So, next level performance,
33:36that is something that Harold will elaborate on.
33:38That is why I would just like to say a few things about it very briefly.
33:43Yes, sometimes we read the things that are reported in the press
33:46and we never really know what it looks like.
33:51And here I would like to say the following with regard to direct sales.
33:56A few weeks ago I visited the most important German-speaking markets in Europe,
34:00Sweden and Denmark.
34:02That's a joke of course,
34:04but it is of course my home country and a very important market.
34:08By the way,
34:08we are also the market leader there
34:10and I actually wanted to go there to renew my passport
34:12and then I thought,
34:14oh, since I'm already there,
34:15I'll also meet the team.
34:16And that day there was a meeting of the dealer boards
34:23and Sweden was the first market that we switched to direct sales.
34:31And that's when we took the first steps.
34:33We had PowerPoint and we tried it out and
34:37I was the first one and said,
34:39oh man, there,
34:40there I was in marketing and sales
34:42and Britter took over for me and
34:44then Brit was the one who convinced some of these Swedish dealers
34:48to switch to direct sales.
34:51And they didn't like doing that
34:53because of the entrepreneurial freedom
34:55that was somehow restricted there.
34:57And then she said to me,
35:00okay,
35:00you have to go to Sweden
35:01and explain to them what's really going on there.
35:05And then I gave you 10 arguments
35:07why you should do it.
35:08You gave me five reasons
35:09why you shouldn't do it.
35:12And in the end,
35:13we're at a different point now.
35:14And in the end,
35:15I said,
35:16well,
35:17that may not have been the smartest negotiation strategy,
35:20but I said,
35:21whether they like it or not,
35:22we're going to do it.
35:23And now,
35:26a few years later,
35:27and I know some of these dealers personally and,
35:30of course,
35:30when I come,
35:31they're not rude to me.
35:33But even,
35:34I mean,
35:35the Swedes are really nice people.
35:37They can also be direct
35:39when they talk to other Swedes.
35:41And every single one of these dealers in the room told me,
35:45you were right.
35:47And that was a good step.
35:50Why?
35:50We sell the product.
35:53We don't sell the price.
35:55That's the biggest lever,
35:57the biggest factor.
35:59And also the risk profile.
36:01Their risk profile has changed.
36:04And if you approach that correctly as an agent,
36:06as a dealer,
36:07then of course you have a different risk-adjusted business model.
36:11And of course,
36:12I don't have to explain to investors what that means.
36:15And the risk-adjusted return on investment,
36:20of course,
36:21that's what it's all about
36:22and that's why they're doing well now
36:23and customer satisfaction has also increased.
36:26In the study last year,
36:31where we looked at almost every single key figure,
36:34Mercedes delivered the best figures.
36:36In terms of product allocation,
36:42that is also controlled centrally
36:44and is therefore more efficient
36:45and perhaps simpler in a geographically large
36:48but actually tight market like Mercedes-Benz.
36:51Um,
36:55the IT systems,
36:56of course,
36:57have to be updated
36:58and at the beginning,
36:59that's quite a big one.
37:01A nice,
37:02difficult step.
37:04Um,
37:05and um,
37:06of course,
37:07you have to decide for one side or the other.
37:10You can't drive on the right
37:11and left of the road at the same time.
37:13And if you do that,
37:14if you make this change,
37:15then you have to go all in,
37:16so to speak.
37:17And in Europe and overseas,
37:18we are actually pursuing this all in strategy
37:21and will continue to do so.
37:24China,
37:25I could talk about China all day long.
37:27How can we win in China?
37:33The most intensive market in the world
37:35with 100 plus companies
37:36that represent the new vehicle,
37:38that represent the new dynamics in the economy,
37:41and before COVID,
37:42there was more dynamics.
37:48It is important,
37:49extremely important,
37:51that we build vehicles
37:52that the Chinese want,
37:53that the technology
37:54is at the highest level
37:55of their expectations.
37:59We have to make sure
38:00that the packaging is right,
38:02that the Mercedes look
38:03and feel is right,
38:04that we stand out
38:05among the 10 new companies,
38:06which are all good,
38:08but look more or less the same.
38:09And the next thing is,
38:13we have to reduce the cost structure.
38:15We have to work on that.
38:17That means we will localize
38:18even more in China
38:19in the coming years,
38:20do more in China for China,
38:22use China more as an R&D base.
38:26We will use the innovation pool there
38:28and we know that China is strong.
38:31It really is a competitive landscape there
38:34and China has to be a home away from home.
38:36Of course,
38:38we don't have a magic wand right now
38:40that we can say,
38:41this is how it works
38:42and everything will happen by itself.
38:44No,
38:45it will really be
38:45an extremely tough competition
38:47and we can't afford
38:48to make any mistakes.
38:51But as we prepare for it,
38:53we are not anxiously watching
38:55what will happen,
38:56what will happen.
38:58No,
38:58we are in a fighting spirit.
39:00We really want to move forward.
39:02Of course,
39:06we don't want to do anything crazy,
39:08start a fire
39:08or do anything with protectionism,
39:10but we have invested
39:11an enormous amount of time
39:13and resources
39:13in working out a proper strategy
39:15to defend ourselves,
39:17but also to expand our position
39:18in China over the next five years.
39:23Costs.
39:24Harold,
39:25I'll leave that to you,
39:26but we really will leave
39:28no stone unturned in this area.
39:29I have been working
39:36in this company
39:36for 32 years.
39:39Is the culture
39:40still the same today
39:41as it was 1993?
39:45I would say no.
39:47The culture
39:48has changed significantly.
39:52There are some core characteristics
39:54that are still the same,
39:55which come from
39:56our founding fathers.
39:57But if you question yourself,
40:01if you take stock
40:02of yourself,
40:03and of course
40:04we did that intensively,
40:0599.99% of the time
40:07it was about technology
40:09and how we could
40:09reduce costs.
40:15Okay,
40:15but you also have to
40:16take the time
40:17to review your own culture
40:18and ask yourself,
40:19do we have the fighting spirit
40:21to take on these
40:22new competitors,
40:23yes or no?
40:23No.
40:23Or are we too complacent?
40:30Simply because
40:31we have been successful
40:32for decades
40:32or over 100 years.
40:35And of course
40:35it is very easy
40:36to fall into this trap.
40:38It is very easy
40:40to fall into this
40:41huge corporate trap
40:42and say,
40:43yes,
40:43we are complacent.
40:47So next level performance
40:48is really very important
40:50and it is also
40:50about taking stock.
40:51I am not going
40:55to sit at home
40:56in the evening
40:56and write a manifesto,
40:57then go back
40:58to the company
40:59and on the board say,
41:00dear colleagues,
41:01listen to me now.
41:03This is how
41:04we have to do it.
41:06Even though I have,
41:08I think we have to act
41:09and that fighting spirit
41:10is important.
41:13And I think
41:13I have that in me too.
41:17But we have to let
41:18champions at all levels
41:19of the company
41:20have their say,
41:21listen to them
41:22and pay attention
41:23to their input.
41:26I call this
41:27a soft work stream
41:28in next level performance.
41:32Maybe it is,
41:34maybe not,
41:35but if we can change
41:36the culture
41:36so that we are
41:37even more performance oriented
41:38when we are actually
41:39in a fighting mood,
41:41I mean,
41:41the jungle is really tough.
41:45Survival of the fittest
41:47the animal that adapts
41:49best survives.
41:52And the more animals
41:53come into this jungle,
41:54the better we have to adapt.
41:56But I think we have that.
41:58We have 160,000 employees
42:01and changing the culture
42:02overnight simply doesn't work.
42:04So we have to work on this
42:08in the long term,
42:09but if we do it well,
42:11then we will find
42:11the new recipe
42:12for Mercedes-Benz,
42:14the new distilled dish,
42:15so to speak,
42:16and the new version
42:17will be more attractive
42:18to our customers.
42:22We will be very,
42:23we will launch
42:24many new products.
42:26We will drive growth.
42:28through discipline,
42:33we can remain
42:33financially resilient,
42:35and much of this
42:36financial resilience
42:37will be reflected
42:38in technological development.
42:44But a good deal of it
42:45will also be there
42:46for our investors
42:47and will benefit them.
42:51And with that,
42:52I would like to hand over
42:53to Marcus,
42:54who will tell us
42:54a little more
42:55about the technology.
42:58Thank you.
42:58Thank you.
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