The diesel theme obviously leaves traces behind Daimler. Group CEO Dieter Zetsche announced in Berlin that he wanted to make even more pace with the electromodels.

By Michael Gerster

Dieter Zetsche: The Daimler CEO (here at the 2015 Annual General Meeting) explains that emissions-free driving is the center of the strategy.
 (Photo: Daimler)

At the shareholders' meeting in the City Cube in Berlin, Daimler CEO Dieter Zetsche described emissions-free driving as the core of the Group's strategy. "We are approaching this goal in ever greater steps," Zetsche told the 6,000 shareholders. By 2022, more than ten new electric cars will go into series production. So far, the expansion of the electrofloat should be carried out on this scale by 2025.

On the road, however, all resources for CO2 reduction would have to be used. For this reason efficient combustion engines are an essential part of the solution in the transitional period. It also applies that modern diesel emit less CO2 than gasoline. The discussion about the diesel has been the industry for a year and a half. "Clear rules and transparent, more realistic test procedures are all the more important," says Zetsche.

"No infringement detected"

Zetsche also referred to the investigations of the Stuttgart Public Prosecutor's Office due to possible manipulations and increased pollutant values ​​in Mercedes diesel engines. "Neither the Kraftfahrtsbundesamt nor the Federal Ministry of Transport have found any breach of applicable law as part of their measurements on our vehicles." It is necessary to cooperate with all authorities.

In a voluntary service, Daimler is currently equipping around 46,000 V-Class and 211,000 vehicles of the compact class. Among other things, the so-called thermal window is to be improved. At certain temperatures, the exhaust gas cleaning is down-regulated to protect the engine. The KBA had complained that this window was too wide in many cars. Daimler is also targeting lawyers and public authorities in the US, including misleading advertising on diesel cars.

Profit of the passenger car division is expected to rise

Daimler is paying a dividend of € 3.25 per share to shareholders this year and therefore as much as in the previous year. The 2016 financial year was the most successful in the company's history. For the first time, the Group sold around three million vehicles, compared to 2.9 million in the previous year. Sales climbed from 149.5 to 153.3 billion euros. Operating profit reached EUR 14.2 billion (2015: EUR 13.8 billion).

Following a successful first quarter with double-digit growth in sales, the company expects another record year. The profit in the passenger car division is expected to be well above last year. Here, the rendition-strong E-Class is likely to be noticeable in the first full year of sales. The bus division also wants to lay again. In the case of the Vans, on the other hand, high investments in the locations, new products and future technology are noticeable. Despite a higher sales, the profit is expected to fall sharply.

Trucksparte remains Sorgenkind

Sorgenkind remains the truck division, which is struggling in many markets. Sales are expected to remain at the level of the previous year, while the profit slightly declines. The reason for this is expenses for a savings program of 500 million euros. It is still unclear how the many claims for damages on the truck cartel will be affected. An increasing number of forwarding companies have come together to fulfill their demands. The Group emphasizes, however, that these can not be derived from the EU cartel penalty.

From:Article

As the experts in aerodynamics, aeroacoustics and thermodynamics simulation from Exa report, one wishes to contribute to the implementation of the goal of PSA, to increase the use of simulations and to increase the profitability

Computer simulation with Exa software in the development of the motor sports prototype

vehicle Peugeot 208 T16 Pikes Peak.

(Image: Exa)

As Exa reports, PSA Peugeot Citroen is open to the integration of suppliers into the development process when implementing ambitious targets with regard to computer-assisted simulation.  As part of a campaign to increase profitability, the French automotive manufacturer wants to rely exclusively on computer-based development methods (CAE) from 2025 onwards. The approach of PSA is to use only one rake model for each CAE area. For example, PSA is working with Exa in computational fluid dynamics (CFD), which is active in aerodynamics, aerodynamics and thermodynamics simulation.  In addition, PSA would like to expand the exchange of CAE information with the suppliers of software and components as well as with university institutes.

As Exa points out, PSA's road to fully computer-assisted vehicle validation in 2025 in the 1980s had begun with the first CAE approaches and today is so advanced that prototypes are only used for completely new vehicle platforms. New models based on existing platforms, such as the current Citroen C3 with around 800 new components, are therefore developed without the use of prototypes. In 2016 representatives of PSA had met with 140 experts from different sectors and identified 50 scientific challenges in the implementation of the targets for digital change in 2025. At the meeting, 22 measures were identified, which were quickly promising, so-called quick wins. PSA currently transfers these to the CAE processes. Automobil-production.de

System offers the possibility to process test stand tasks in the office by means of efficient characterization and rapid validation.

With AVL PUMA Open 2, AVL presents its latest generation of a modern automation system. (Image: AVL)

As the development experts report, the latest generation of the automation system wants to meet customer requirements for holistic solutions. With the latest generation of AVL PUMA Open 2, AVL now has customers that can now rely on an automation system that is both reliable and stable, as well as numerous new features and innovative enhancements, and is the only automation system that can be used in all types of test rigs Is ", it is said.

According to AVL, PUMA Open 2 enables the preparation of test runs and parameter sets in the office as well as the administration of projects, results and operator rights. The recording of measured values, allocation of various sizes and the execution of the automatic test runs are carried out at the test stand. By integrating all system functions, AVL PUMA Open 2 also ensures the smooth interaction of all test instruments and test bench components, it says. Furthermore, a major innovation is the seamless integration of all test field data, from test parameters through global data to results data.

Using a powerful search function, data can be quickly found and further processed. The automatic and fast networking of AVL measuring devices and test bench automation, significant run-time increase and massive reduction of unnecessary data by integrated diagnostic tools are, according to AVL, unique advantages of the automation platform. Through powerful interfaces between AVL CAMEO 3, AVL PUMA Open 2 and AVL IndiCom 2, the departure of innovative calibration methods is also made possible for the first time.

This content is taken from automobil-produktion.de

Is this the breakthrough for Tesla in the Chinese market? Internetcenter Tencent is entering a great style.

Once it was the Swabian premium manufacturer Daimler, who bought himself from the E-Autopioniert from the Silicon Valley. Now the Chinese Internet group Tencent is on the train. In a statement to the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the Chinese released a five-percent share of nearly $ 1.8 billion (€ 1.7 billion) on Tuesday.

Tesla Model 3: With the fresh money from China a smooth start of the serial production of the "Model 3" is to be secured. (Photo: Tesla)

This means that the conglomerate, which operates China's largest online network WeChat, has become one of the largest shareholders. Tesla's dazzling CEO, Elon Musk, who is one of the largest shareholders, has recently issued new bonds and shares. This opportunity was used by Tencent.

With the fresh money of the investors, a smooth start of the serial production of the middle class "Model 3" is to be secured. The car is Tesla's eagerly awaited first electric car for the mass market. The success of the project depends on whether the company can create the leap from the luxury niche.

Investors place great trust in the promises made by Tech-Milliardär Musk - the Tesla share has increased 26 percent since the beginning of the year. However, the company has not always been able to implement the ambitious plans of its boss in the past on time and comprehensively. Tesla has, however, reached its goal of starting the mass production of "Model 3" in September. (Dpa / ree)

The first German lunar mission is to visit the Moon auto, which was parked at the time, with two lunar vehicles near the Apollo 17 mission site, where they can analyze the state of the materials of the old lunar vehicle. The findings about the material fatigue are to flow into the development future long-term emissions on the Earth.

One of the next moon missions was not organized by NASA or ESA, but by the German Part Time Scientists GmbH based in Berlin.Already in the summer of 2018 a Falcon 9 rocket of the private space company of Space X by Elon Musk is to land the Landemodul Alina with two rovers on board safely to the moon . The two Lunar Roving Vehicle parked 225 meters from the Apollo site, the Apollo 17 mission from 1972, is to be visited there, and the two ropes, about 90 centimeters long and about 30 kilograms heavy, were developed Condition of the materials of the old moon mission. How much plastic has suffered in the last decades? What are the metal parts today? These and other questions will soon be answered by the German Moon Mission.

Vodafone mobile network is built on the moon

Vodafone reception on the moon: This is not a PR-Gag, but a way to save a lot of energy. In the course of the mission, the first mobile radio network is being built on the moon with the help of mobile telephony provider Vodafone. Thus the Landemodul Alina and the two rovers can communicate with each other via LTE - which saves much of the potentially little available energy.

The two Audi rovers, called Audi lunar quattro, have solar cells that supply them with power. The rovers also have the e-tron technology and have been designed in ultra-light construction.

Protection of the old trace

Top priority should of course be the protection of the footprints of the then astronauts. The head of the mission, Robert Böhme, promised: "The small German inspection vehicles would not roll directly to the Apollo 17 landing stage or the US flag - the objects were particularly protected as a kind of world cultural heritage."

"Also, no German flag is placed on the moon - if at all, then a European flag."

The fire at the supplier Pelzer has not only consequences for Mercedes: Audi has to adjust the production of A4 and A5 for several days.

Up to and including Thursday, no cars of the A4 and A5 series will be built at the Audi factory in Ingolstadt. At a supplier in North Rhine-Westphalia it burned last week, so he can not deliver in time. As the manufacturer communicated, 1400 cars per day can not be built. At first the "Donaukurier" had reported on this.

The employees, who normally work in the production of A4 and A5, have free, up to and including Thursday. There will be no financial losses for them, the failure will be intercepted by an employment agreement. According to the news agency Reuters, 8500 of the roughly 43,000 employees in Ingolstadt are affected. Production of the A4 and A5 in Neckarsulm continues as normal.

Production of the A4 at the Ingolstadt plant. (Photo: Audi)

Friday is to go on

The supplier HP Pelzer from Witten will relocate its production to a different location, from Thursday onwards the delivery will work again smoothly. HP Pelzer supplies the so-called front wall insulation for the two models for Audi. The end wall is the partition between the engine compartment and the passenger compartment, whose insulation should ensure that the passengers are not disturbed by too loud engine noise and too much heat. (Dpa / swi)

Magna International and the Ford Motor Company are developing auxiliary frames made of a composite of carbon fiber. Design is 34 percent lighter than comparable parts of stamped steel and reduces the number of parts by 87 percent.

The auxiliary frame of carbon fiber originates from a joint research and development project of Magna and Ford

According to Magna, the auxiliary frame of carbon fiber was developed in a joint research and development project of Magna and Ford, which examines the possible advantages and technical challenges of carbon fiber reinforced composite materials in the chassis as well as the resulting weight reduction. Employees of the product groups Body & Chassis as well as Exteriors in the engineering team of Magna could significantly reduce the weight through composites and suitable production processes, it says. As Magna continues to report, compared to a corresponding piece of stamped steel, it is 34 percent less weight. In addition, 45 steel parts were replaced by two injection moldings and four metal parts, so that the number of parts processed in the subframe fell by as much as 87 percent.

The injection molded parts are joined by adhesives and structural rivets. The design corresponds to all performance requirements based on CAE analyzes (computer-aided engineering), one hears. According to Magna, they are now producing prototypes of the auxiliary frame, which then undergo component tests as well as tests on vehicles at Ford. In the test phase, the behavior in corrosion and stone impact as well as the screw relaxation are examined - aspects, which are currently not covered by CAE, according to Magna experts. Based on the experience gathered by the project team during the production and subsequent tests of the prototype, it will also provide a recommended design, manufacturing and assembly process.

Elektrobit introduces four new EB robinos software modules for the development of automated drive systems. Modules are intended to assist automotive manufacturers and suppliers in their development.

EB robinos Path Planning uses precise map data and provides the basis for the flexible medium-term path planning that brings the vehicle to its destination.  Image: Electrobit

EB robinos is a hardware-independent software solution for the development and launch of systems for highly-automated driving. The 2016 development framework will enable automotive manufacturers and suppliers to cope with the growing complexity of advanced driver assistance systems. With the four new modules, the software experts are addressing automated driving functions such as automated parking, automated motorway travels, or tracking assistants.  The four modules are EB robinos Grid Fusion, EB robinos Path Planning, EB robinos Positioning and EB robinos Safety Management. "The four new modules help to simplify the development and production of highly-automated drive systems, which is why we invite car manufacturers and the entire automotive industry.

The new modules describe electrobit as follows: "EB robinos GridFusion allows assistance systems to share information on obstacles and free areas on the road, giving the vehicle a detailed understanding of its environment and can 'see' the environment Planning uses precise map data and provides the basis for the flexible, medium-term path planning that brings the vehicle to its destination EB robinos Positioning delivers multi-layer positioning information in separate data packets for optimal performance, up to ten centimeters And fault management, thus ensuring that automated driving functions work smoothly.The tool allows developers to monitor the data flows within the EB robinos structure, monitor processes, and identify potential weaknesses. "

Despite the hypes around electric cars, diesel and gasoline engines remain the most important engines for years. However, the consumption of fuel can be greatly reduced.

By Susanne Kilimann

The whole world is talking about the electric car, the federal government has set up a "National Development Plan for Electricity" with the goal that in 2020 one million electric cars will be traveling on German roads. However, these will be only a small fraction of almost 42 million passenger cars. What is certain is that at least for the next 20 years, diesel and gasoline engines are by far the most important sources of power for a car.

However, as oil reserves become scarcer and the forerunners of climate change become more and more visible, and the number of cars worldwide continues to rise, the pressure on the car industry is growing.  The manufacturers are working on a variety of measures to improve the efficiency of their fleets. The savings potential of the diesel and petrol engines is by no means exhausted, says the autoclave companies and also the supplier Bosch, which develops injection systems for engines as well as complete drive systems for various manufacturers. 

From today's point of view, consumption is likely to drop by a third in the coming years. Three-liter cars could therefore also enter the middle-class category in the near future,

In the case of gasoline engines, the developers see a somewhat lower savings potential than in the case of the diesel engines. By 25 to 30 percent, consumption and CO2 emissions in the ottomotors can be throttled in the coming years, is their forecast. The future model will be compared with a single engine that is standard on the world's market today: four-cylinder units with a displacement of two liters and a power of 100 kW (136 hp), the standard diesel with conventional common-rail injection technology Petrol engines with intake manifold injection and an average consumption of 7.7 liters per 100 kilometers, which corresponds to CO2 emissions of 182 grams per kilometer.

"By means of direct injection and the first approaches to displacement reduction, today's gasoline generators now have 15 percent less fuel than the world's most powerful standard", explains Rolf Leonhard, development manager at Bosch. In such measures as well as turbocharging, it will continue to provide the basis for efficiency improvements.

Another field of research is the valve control of the units: modern technology is intended to improve the fresh air filling of the cylinders and thereby increase the torque. This is to compensate for the power losses of a reduced displacement. Manufacturers and suppliers are in agreement that the smaller engine of the future must be driven like a large one of today. After all, you do not want to bully customers with efficiency, which is at the expense of driving dynamics. Even today, a two-liter standard engine can be reduced to a displacement of 1.4 liters, without a too great inertia being noticeable when kicking on the pedal.

If direct injection and displacement reduction are combined with the start-stop technology, which automatically shuts down the engine during short holding phases, a petrol engine already suffers 22 percent less fuel than a comparable model in which the current technology has not yet been installed . By 2015 the developers of Bosch want to reduce the capacity of the mid-range engine to 1.1 liters, which then - compared to today's standard drive - the consumption by up to 29 percent. The pressure of the turbocharger is increased by the engineers from 1.8 to 2.4 bar at this step, so that the scaled-down unit achieves the same performance despite the reduced combustion space.

In diesel engines, the efficiency has already been improved by increasing the injection pressure and the pressure during the supply of combustion air.According to Bosch, today's technology reduces consumption by 22 percent compared to standard diesels. Next, the developers want to increase the combustion temperature in the engine, which increases the efficiency. But the thing has a catch: with the combustion temperature the amount of harmful nitrogen oxides emitted increases. A catalyst is to be provided in the waste gas tract.

If the technical problems are solved and the self-igniter can burn its fuel with more heat, the consumption will again drop by five to seven percent. If the displacement is also reduced to a modest 1.2 liters, the future medium-class diesel is 33 per cent more efficient than today's comparable diesel engine. The CO2 emissions should then be on average at 97 grams per kilometer.

As a diesel hybrid, this engine would even consume 40 percent less than the current common rail diesel. The combination of a diesel engine with a supplementary electric motor is also the targeted solution of the PSA Group, under the umbrella of the brands Peugeot and Citroën . The hybridization brings more in the self-igniter than in the gasoline, the developers at PSA. With the hybrid technology, ottomotors are only moving towards a consumption level where modern diesel engines are already economical. Consequently, it is only logical to undertake the diesel engine and to increase its efficiency by combining it with an electric unit.

In the meantime, BMW is turning to a better heat management system. An engine consumes up to ten percent more fuel during cold start than when it is warmed up. Reason for the additional demand are the internal friction and the viscous liquid of the cold engine oil. Therefore, the engineers want to avoid the cold start by storing the residual heat of the engine. For this purpose, the developers have encapsulated the engine in the BMW Research Department - the jacket keeps it warm longer after the ride. After twelve hours the temperature is still at 40 degrees Celsius. With every degree that is maintained until the next start, fuel consumption is reduced by 0.2 percent, according to BMW.

If such advances in propulsion technology are accompanied by further efficiency measures, cars can also easily reach a CO2 emission of less than 90 grams per kilometer. With light-weight components, aerodynamically improved bodyshells and tires with lower rolling resistance, cars of the lower mid-class with 70 grams of CO2 emissions could go into serial production within a few years, estimates Bosch expert Leonhard. Thus, all political objectives would be more than fulfilled.

At what point the efficiency increase in the combustion engines will reach its end point, can not be said from today's point of view at all, emphasize the experts.  Twenty years ago, no one could have predicted the possibilities of today's technology. And who knows, if the three-liter mid-range car is once standard, the two-liter car could also move into the range of standard options.

After an accident, the service agent took over his self-propelled cars first from the streets - the vehicle was not at all responsible.

On top of this, the tests with their self-propelled cars stopped with caution after one of the vehicles had been involved in an accident. According to the police in Tempe in the state of Arizona, however, the car was not the fault of the collision, but the driver of the other car who had taken the road ahead of the car. There were no serious injuries.

Apparently, it was a quite powerful clash: Even pictures, which circulate in the Internet, can be seen that the Uber-Volvo, after all, a not very small SUV, is on the side. According to the company, no passenger was on board. According to his own data, Uber has about a dozen self-propelled cars at the test site in Pittsburgh and Arizona.

Autonomous over-car. (Photo: Volvo)

Driving without license

Over the past few months Uber has had problems with his self-propelled cars. In California Uber drove from December without permission. After the authorities forbade this, the company left for Arizona, but has now also obtained a license for California.

In test drives in San Francisco, a red car had ignored a red light. Talked about human error. However, the "New York Times" later reported that the car had been autonomous, and that the driver's mistake was not to have intervened in time. Accidents with self-propelled cars have already existed several times, but in most cases other drivers were the cause. In one case, however, a Google car hit a bus at low speed and caused a sheet metal damage. The most serious accident occurred with a Tesla, who had overlooked a truck under "Autopilot", and the driver was killed.

Theft of business secrets?

In addition, Uber still has several other problems: The Google subsidiary Waymo has sued the company because Anthony Levandowski, today's chief developer of Uber's self-propelled cars, previously worked for Waymo and took his business secrets with his competition, among other things The technology of the laser radars with which the cars recognize their surroundings. Refute the accusations. Added to this are criticisms of the company culture as well as the leadership style of Uber boss Travis Kalanick.

According to a report, a Porsche executive, who apparently also was used as an internal investigator in the exhaust gas scandal, has already learned of exhaust gas manipulations in 2007.

Wolfsburg. In the VW exhaust gas scandal, there are further allegations against managers of the group. According to a report from the "Bild am Sonntag" (BamS), a Porsche executive is now clearly in the focus. The person had worked on the elucidation of the exhaust gas scandal. However, it should have been known long before the fraud was known of the manipulations. The paper refers to an e-mail from 2007 by a Bosch developer, which is also to have gone to the Porsche manager. This was the so-called "acoustic function". It recognizes when a car is on the test bench.

The "BamS" quotes from the mail: "Procedure Acoustics function: VW wants to use the function and also extends it." Audi wants to deactivate the function and hide it (but leave it indoors to activate it if necessary). A Porsche spokesman said the mail had only been sent to the employee as a copy. "The rest of the mail exchange also shows that the employee had nothing to do with the issue of acoustics."

VW exhaust gas scandal: Now obviously a Porsche executive is in focus. (Photo: Automobile Week)

According to VW, Jones Day continues to follow

As the Automobile Week reported, the internal investigations by the US law firm Jones Day continue in the VW exhaust gas scandal, according to group data. A spokesman for the VW Supervisory Board described the presentation of the "BamS" as false, according to which the investigations were terminated. The firm was commissioned by the Group to identify the exhaust gas manipulations. (Dpa / os)

Tesla founder Elon Musk is known for several spectacular projects. Lufthansa will now be interested in its futuristic transport system Hyperloop.

Lufthansa is allegedly interested in the so-called hyperloop technology, a futuristic project by Tesla founder Elon Musk. This is reported by the "Bild am Sonntag" (BamS). At the moment, various companies are working on transport caps for passengers, which are to be driven through the use of vacuum tubes in the near future. Among them is Californian Hyperloop Transportation Technologies (HTT), with which the Lufthansa Innovation Hub is apparently working together in Berlin. "Hyperloop is an important development, which we look closely at," said a Lufthansa spokeswoman of the "BamS". "We're talking about the subject with people."

According to the newspaper, Lufthansa also calculated on which routes the Hyperloop would be a substitute for conventional flight connections. The Innovation Hub has identified four routes as potentially interesting: Berlin-Munich, Berlin-Cologne, Düsseldorf-Munich and Hamburg-Munich. The technology is not yet ready for the market, HTT has just released the first capsule to be tested on an original scale. Critics consider the concept of utopia.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk: Lufthansa is obviously interested in its transport system Hyperloop. (Photo: elonmusk.com)

"Dobrindt was very interested, unfortunately it has never been reported again"

HTT chief Dirk Ahlborn criticizes the "passivity" of the German policy in the "BamS". "The technology is not our problem, money is not our problem. Our problem is that regulation does not keep pace with innovation," he said. Federal Minister of Transport Alexander Dobrindt (CSU) visited the company last year. "Dobrindt was very interested, unfortunately he never reported again," says Aalborn.

Dobrindt also commented against the newspaper: "I visited Hyperloop Transportation Technologies in Los Angeles, who show with visionary ideas what all the potential for innovation can be in the project. Deutsche Bahn has recognized this and works in Bavaria together with Hyperloop Train of the future. " In the case of the train, however, it is only a technique for displays in train windows, not the hyperloop drive itself. (Os)

The desire for clean, traffic-congested metropolises is a clock and a signpost. The self-propelled Robo-Taxi will offer taxi and driving services in the future and can be called by smartphone.

People want to be mobile. The current trend is towards car sharing. More and more vendors are on the market. Especially in large cities the inhabitants use the public transport and drive a car only for certain purposes. But also car sharing in the conventional sense will be a thing of the past in the foreseeable future. 

The citizens want clean, traffic-calmed streets and cities - and not just in Germany. As a result, mobility services such as car services and carpooling will play a very independent role in the future. For example, Volkswagen is pushing ahead with the expansion of mobility services, such as the provision of transport services, and is consolidating them into a new digital brand. With Moia, Europe's largest car group wants to become a leading supplier in the coming years. 

What is "Moia"? 

The automotive industry is undergoing rapid change . "In the big agglomerations around the world, there is an ever-growing trend away from being a mere owner to sharing mobility as well as mobility on demand," said Volkswagen strategy manager Thomas Sedran. "Even if no one will have their own car in the future, we want to help with Moia that everyone can be a customer of our company in one way or another," added Matthias Matthias. 

The keyword is "E-Hailing". This includes driving, ride-sharing and shuttle services. So taxi and driving services, which can be called by smartphone such as Gett, an Israeli start-up, in which VW has bought itself for 300 million dollars. Digital and networked mobility services are becoming increasingly important. 

In a few years the mobility company Moia is to offer new transport services. Users of similar apps can already book in more than 100 cities around the world via smartphone rides, delivery services or logistics services. 

Further innovations in the context of mobility services and shared mobility will in future be used in the area of ​​autonomous vehicles. Volkswagen recently presented a new prototype at the Autosalon in Geneva. The electric car developed by corporate research without steering wheel, pedals and cockpit is to serve as a pioneer. Several billions are invested in the core technology of autonomous driving. 

In the area of ​​shared mobility, many people are getting shining eyes. Not just technology enthusiasts, the manufacturers are also fascinated. Why? It's about a billion-dollar market. The future of cars is to offer individual mobility. Without people having their own car on the parking space. 

"E-Hailing", ie the calling or booking of a driving service via smart app, will soon not be confined to conventional petrol engines or electric cars with the rented driver - similar to the taxi. Whoever calls a vehicle will one day see a robotic taxi in front of the door.

Daimler wants to take part in the largest Mercedes dealer in the world. Only a year and a half ago, the Stuttgart companies had sold numerous houses in Germany to the Hong Kong company.

By Christof Rührmair

Daimler wants to participate in the car business of the Hong Kong conglomerate Lei Shing Hong (LSH). The eligibility of the acquisition of 15 percent of LSH Auto International Limited is currently being examined by the Bundeskartellamt. Daimler confirmed to plan an entry.

LSH is the largest Mercedes dealer in the world and is active in China, Korea, Cambodia, Vietnam and Australia as well as Germany. In 2014/15, the company purchased a total of 18 branch offices in the new federal states of Daimler. In some Asian countries, LSH also sells Porsche.

Figures for 2016 are not yet available but in 2015 LSH sold more than 120,000 cars and thus generated sales of around seven billion euros. The vehicle sales market is by far the most important division of the company, but the Group is also involved in construction machinery or as a land developer.

Daimler wants to take part in the largest Mercedes dealer in the world.
 (Photo: Daimler)

Long-term cooperation

With LSH, the Group is combining "a long-standing, successful and trustworthy collaboration in sales of Mercedes-Benz products in many countries," said a Daimler spokesman. "For this reason and in order to maintain the sustainability of the long-term ownership structure, both companies have decided that Daimler will acquire a minority stake in LSH's global retail business."

The acquisition is subject to approval by the relevant authorities in several countries, including Germany, Daimler said. The Group did not wish to make any further disclosures by referring to ongoing approval procedures. At first, no statement was given by LSH either.