A wise man once said “if you ain’t first, you’re last.” Apparently Daimler is taking that advice to heart as it plans to double its output of Mercedes-Benz vehicles by 2020. The added effort has been spurred by fellow German automaker BMW regularly finishing ahead of Mercedes-Benz, with the exception of 2010. Last year Mercedes-Benz sold 1.26 million cars, 120,000 short of its German rival.
Daimler CEO Dieter Zetsche has said there are plans to build a new assembly facility in China as well as in the United States or Mexico. The Mercedes-Benz C-Class is already scheduled to be assembled in Tuscaloosa, Alabama as well. Fellow partner Nissan has volunteered its facility in Decherd Tennessee to build four-cylinder gasoline engines for the C-Class starting in 2014. Daimler also plans on matching the volume target with an operating margin of more than 10 percent in 2020.
The new A-Class would also begin production at the new North American plant starting around 2017 or 2018. Daimler knows its target for 2020 is still a few years away but it’s said the goal of 1.6 million vehicle sales for 2015 is still in its crosshairs.
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Source: Automotive News Europe
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