OREANDA-NEWS. Business also improved for Daimler Trucks in Brazil, which is Mercedes-Benz’ biggest truck market. Daimler Trucks was able to benefit from its locally produced Mercedes-Benz trucks and increased deliveries by more than one third to 37,300 vehicles in the first 11 months of the year (Jan.-Nov. 2012: 27,500). The division’s market share reached 24.4 percent (26.0 percent). The market as a whole expanded by 14 percent. It should be mentioned, that the sales figures for the first 11 months of 2013 include several major contracts, which have not yet been reflected in the vehicle registration figures that are relevant for determining market share.

In Asia, sales have been affected by highly volatile and varied market developments in the year to date. In Japan, deliveries rose by seven percent in the first 11 months of the year, to 34,400 units (Jan.-Nov. 2012: 32,000). The demand for trucks was boosted by a government economic stimulus program. Daimler Trucks’ market share remained relatively unchanged at 20.2 percent (20.5 percent).

In India the overall truck market declined almost 30 percent, due to an unexpectedly pronounced economic slowdown. Even though the Indian Daimler Trucks brand BharatBenz started from scratch, it nonetheless managed to come in fourth in the country’s medium-duty and heavy-duty truck segment. Around 6,000 BharatBenz vehicles had been sold by the end of November. The brand has introduced a steady stream of new models since it began selling in late September 2012, and the rollout is in full swing. The brand plans to further strengthen its market position by compelting its full product range of 17 models in 2014.

In 2013 the division also intensified its cooperation with partners in China and Russia. Beijing Foton Daimler Automotive Co., Ltd. (BFDA), which launched production in mid-2012, is the first 50-50 joint venture in the Chinese truck segment between a local and a foreign partner. This cooperation with Foton gives Daimler Trucks a key presence on the Chinese truck market. The trucks from BFDA are sold under the Auman nameplate. The joint venture sold around 94,000 vehicles during the first 11 months of the year.

In Russia, the partnership between Daimler Trucks and the market leader Kamaz is making good progress. Since 2013, Mercedes-Benz truck cabins are installed into Kamaz’ new generation of trucks. Daimler Trucks has been delivering diesel engines and axles to Kamaz since November 2012. Kamaz and Daimler Trucks also operate two local joint ventures for the production and sale of Mercedes-Benz (Mercedes-Benz Trucks Vostok/MBTV) and FUSO trucks (FUSO KAMAZ Trucks Rus Ltd./FKTR). In the latest demonstration of this relationship’s further development, MBTV has been assembling and painting truck frames in Russia since November 2013. This move increases the company’s flexibility and simplifies its cooperation with body upfitters.