Businessweek

The company’s product portfolio includes city buses, coaches, intercity buses, midi buses, and bus chassis. The company sells buses under the Mercedes-Benz and Setra brands in Europe, under the Mercedes-Benz brand name in Mexico, and under the Setra and Orion brand names in the United States and Canada. In addition, Daimler Buses produces and sells worldwide a range of bus chassis under the brand name Mercedes-Benz. Markets: The company’s main markets for buses and bus chassis are Latin America, western Europe, and the NAFTA region. Competition: The company’s main competitor in the worldwide bus sector (over 8t GVW) is Volvo. In western Europe, other competitors are MAN Commercial Vehicles (MAN, Neoplan), Scania, and Irisbus. In South America, its competitors are Volkswagen and Agrale, although, in addition to Volvo, Scania also competes in that region. Daimler Financial Services segment The company’s financial services activities consist principally of financing and leasing services supporting its Mercedes-Benz and other vehicle businesses. The financial services the company offers consist mainly of financing and leasing packages for its retail and wholesale customers in the automotive sector. It also provides financing to its dealers for vehicle inventory and property, plant and equipment purchases, and the company offers insurance brokerage and fleet management services, including dealer property and casualty insurance. In Germany, the company operates a fully licensed bank, the Mercedes-Benz Bank. The Mercedes-Benz Bank offers financial services to its customers and employees in Germany. These services include leasing and sales financing services, car savings plans, credit cards, and demand deposit accounts. In addition, the Mercedes-Benz Bank operates branches in Great Britain and Spain to refinance the local dealer portfolios. The company also holds an ownership interest in Toll Collect. In 2002, the company’s subsidiary Daimler Financial Services AG, Deutsche Telekom AG and Compagnie Financière et Industrielle des Autoroutes S.A. (Cofiroute) contracted with the Federal Republic of Germany to develop, install, and operate a system for electronic collection of tolls from all commercial vehicles over 12t GVW using German highways. Toll Collect GmbH, a German limited liability company in which the company and Deutsche Telekom each hold a 45% interest and Cofiroute holds the remaining 10%, is the principal builder and operator of the system. Other Business Interests The company’s other business interests consist primarily of its equity investments in the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company EADS N.V. (EADS) and in Tognum AG. The company includes these and other remaining business interests. EADS: As of December 31, 2009, one of the company’s subsidiaries held a 22.5% equity interest in EADS. EADS is a supplier and service provider in the aerospace and defense sectors. The EADS Group includes Airbus, a manufacturer of commercial and also tanker, transport and mission aircraft, the helicopter supplier Eurocopter, and EADS Astrium, a European space company involved in several space programs, including the Ariane program. In addition, EADS is a partner in the Eurofighter consortium and holds an equity interest in MBDA SAS. Tognum: As of December 31, 2009, the company held a 28.4% equity interest in Tognum AG. Tognum is a supplier of off-highway engines, propulsion systems, and decentralized energy systems. Significant Events In April 2010, Daimler AG has announced that it has signed an agreement with Toray Industries Inc. to jointly develop and manufacture carbon-fibre components for the Mercedes-Benz SL. In April 2010, Daimler AG and Toray Industries Inc. have signed a joint development agreement (JDA) which would see the companies working together to develop components made from carbon-fibre reinforced plastics (CFRP) for series production vehicles. In May 2010, Uzavtosanoat JSC and Daimler AG have signed an agreement for the establishment of a bus joint venture in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. The new company would assemble coaches, intercity buses, city buses, and midibuses.