The plant has produced Sprinter minibuses since 2019. To date more than 20,000 have been made in Dortmund.
Daimler Buses has sold the Dortmund-based Mercedes-Benz Minibus+ plant to a hedge group called AEQUITA*. In the future Daimler Buses will focus on the production of buses over 8 tons and chassis.
AEQUITA takes over the minibus company with around 240 employees, thereby safeguarding the Dortmund site for the near future. The companies signed a purchase agreement on November 22, 2021. The transaction will be completed on January 01, 2022. The production of Mercedes-Benz brand minibuses at the Dortmund plant will continue. “There will be a continued close partnership between Daimler Buses and AEQUITA in the areas of sales and aftersales,” Daimler claimed. Continue reading
US November Light Vehicle Sales Forecast Down Again
Total retailer profit per unit with gross profit and finance & insurance income will reach a record ~$5,164, an increase of $3,060 Y-o-Y. This is the second consecutive month above $5,000.
In the face of the healthy Biden Administration economic recovery, new-vehicle retail sales for November 2021 are expected to decline when compared with November 2020, according to a joint forecast from J.D. Power and LMC Automotive. The seasonally adjusted annualized rate (SAAR) for total new-vehicle sales is expected to be 13.6 million units, down 2.2 million units from 2020. Buyers are tracking to spend $41.1 billion on new vehicles this month, the highest on record for the month of November. (US October Light Vehicle Sales Drop -23% YoY)
Tight inventories are colliding with strong consumer demand that continues to maintain prices, and profit per unit sold, at record levels. Average transaction prices are expected to reach a November record of $44,043, a sixth consecutive month above $40,000, and 18.1% higher than November 2020 when prices were $37,284. Continue reading →