DaimlerChrysler ramps up local production
By Li Fei (China Daily)
Updated: 2006-10-19 09:00
German-US auto giant DaimlerChrysler will beef up its commercial vehicle
business in China by significantly boosting its local production
capacity.
Apart from plans to further expand its commercial vehicle
business in Western and Eastern Europe, where it is a leading player, the
world's biggest commercial vehicle maker is setting its sights on Asia, and
particularly China.
"In order to secure our growth over the long term, we
want to significantly increase our presence in the Asian market, of which China
is a major aspect," said Andreas Renschler, member of the firm's board of
management and head of its truck group and buses.
"China is a crucial
market for us both in the present and in the future," said Renschler. "It holds
a very important position in our overall business strategy."
China's
commercial vehicle market is expected to sustain double-digit growth in the
coming years, consultancy firm KPMG said in a report published in September.
Looking at the prospects for China's commercial vehicle industry, a
category that excludes sales of consumer passenger vehicles, KPMG said that
extensive road projects, increased urbanization and a heavy reliance on public
transport should drive the sector's growth.
"This is good news for us,"
said Renschler.
The sales revenue of the firm's heavy-duty trucks leapt
48 per cent year-on-year in the first eight months of 2006, according to Till
Becker, chairman and CEO of DaimlerChrysler North East Asia and chairman of the
firm's China executive board.
The company has already sold 700
Mercedes-Benz branded Actros its flagship truck product in China this year, a
number that exceeds the model's total sales in 2005, according to Renschler.
He added that the company is also planning to introduce its
technologically advanced truck products to China such as the Blue-Tec Diesel
technology, which meets Euro emission standard 4 and 5 but achieves fuel savings
of up to 6 per cent compared to Euro 3.
All DaimlerChrysler trucks sold
in China are currently imported, adding to the cost of these already expensive
vehicles.
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