|
Daimler OKs truck spin-off, e-manufacturing sites
By Mike Brezonick30 July 2021 - 4 min read
Daimler AG has approved the
spin-off of Daimler Truck
into an independent company and also worked with it employee Works Council
to solidify plans for Mercedes-Benz powertrain plants in Germany.
The future of Daimler Trucks has recently come into sharper focus.
First, the Board of Management and Supervisory Board of Daimler AG
have given the go-ahead for the company’s historic realignment and the
ongoing roadmap that will see Daimler Truck become a separate company.
After the planned spin-off of Daimler Truck by the end of this year,
the shareholders of Daimler AG will hold a 65% stake in the new
Daimler Truck Holding AG, which will then be listed on the stock
exchange as an independent company.
Daimler shareholders are to receive one additional share in Daimler
Truck Holding AG, a global player in commercial vehicles, for every
two shares they hold in Daimler AG. Daimler will retain a minority
interest of 35% in Daimler Truck Holding AG and intends to transfer 5%
to Daimler Pension Trust e.V., a registered association according to
German law.
The Daimler shareholders will decide on this realignment of their
company at an extraordinary general meeting on October 1. A decision
will also to be made on renaming Daimler AG as Mercedes-Benz Group AG
as of Feb. 1, 2022, a step intended to emphasize the future focus of
the company on the car and van business with the Mercedes-Benz brand.
“Today is a milestone in the nearly 140-year history of this unique
company,” said Bernd Pischetsrieder, chairman of the Supervisory Board
of Daimler AG. “Throughout Daimler’s history, the courage to
fundamentally reinvent the company has been the key to its success.
With the spin-off, the two independent listed companies will be able
to fully concentrate on their differing customer groups and therefore
become more efficient and more successful.”
An independent global vehicle giant
As an independent company, Daimler Truck Holding AG employs
approximately 100,000 people at more than 35 main sites. Daimler Buses
accounts for more than 17,000 of those employees. The truck business
comprises the brands Mercedes-Benz, Freightliner, Western Star, FUSO
and BharatBenz, and the bus brands are Mercedes-Benz, Setra, Thomas
Built Buses and FUSO. Today’s Daimler Trucks & Buses division
generated revenue of €18.7 billion in the first half of fiscal year
2021.
“Our future independence offers us great opportunities and we will
benefit consistently from them,” said Martin Daum, chairman of the
Board of Management of Daimler Truck AG and designated chairman of the
Board of Management of Daimler Truck Holding AG. “To use an image from
our industry: Up until now, we had to travel in a convoy. In the
future, we will be able to plan our own route and choose the best
route for us. This will enable us to make faster progress with our
objective. We will lead the way to emission-free transport by
accelerating the development of battery and fuel cell vehicles. At the
same time, we want to significantly increase our profitability.
“As an independent company, we will do everything we can to offer our
customers the best products, our shareholders an attractive investment
and our employees sustainable jobs.”
The future of powertrain production facilities
Along with that reorganization and following intensive talks, Daimler
Truck AG and the Works Council, which represents Daimler Truck
employees, have agreed on key points regarding the future orientation
and safeguarding of the Mercedes-Benz powertrain plants. The three
sites in Gaggenau, Kassel and Mannheim will specialize in different
components for electrified drives. In the future, they will drive the
global production of battery-electric and hydrogen-based drive systems
in a production and technology network for electric drive components
and battery systems, together with the sister plant in Detroit.
“Our industry is undergoing a transformation toward CO2-neutral
trucks,” said Yaris Pürsün, head of Global Powertrain Operations at
Daimler Truck. “Since conventional drive systems will also be with us
for some years to come, we are focusing the future orientation of our
powertrain plants primarily on flexibility, cost-effectiveness and
very well-trained employees. This had to be reconciled in our
negotiations with the Works Council.
“With the production and technology network for electric drive
components and battery systems in conjunction with the competence
centres at the plants, we have succeeded in doing so. In this way, we
are creating optimum conditions for maximum competitiveness for our
plants and at the same time laying the foundations for a successful
future.”
Expanding electrification competencies
The Mercedes-Benz plant in Gaggenau, which specializes in heavy-duty
commercial vehicle transmissions, will develop into a competence
center for electric drive components as well as the assembly of
hydrogen-based fuel cell drive components. The Mercedes-Benz plant in
Kassel is expanding its current focus on commercial vehicle axles and
will become a competence center for electric drive systems. The
Mercedes-Benz plant in Mannheim, specialized in commercial vehicle
engines, is drawing on the more than 25 years of experience of the
Competence Center for Emission-free Mobility (KEM) located at the
plant and is focusing on battery technologies and
high-voltage-systems.
Important scopes for alternative drives, such as the production of
electrically driven axle systems, e-motors and inverters, as well as
the assembly of fuel cell systems, will be integrated into the
powertrain plants in the future, in addition to investments in the
reprocessing and recycling of battery systems.
Green Play Ammonia™, Yielder® NFuel Energy.
Spokane, Washington. 99212
www.exactrix.com
509 995 1879 cell, Pacific.
exactrix@exactrix.com
|
