Hartmut Schick, Head of Daimler Buses, and Markus Villinger, Head of Daimler Buses India were in Cairo to celebrate the first bus chassis delivered to long-time business partner, MCV. MCV will equip the 9-tonne bus chassis’ with bodies in Cairo. Finished vehicles will be sold as Mercedes-Benz-brand buses through MCV’s sales network. Export of bus chassis from India to Egypt demonstrates how Daimler is successfully exploiting its global presence, says Hartmut Schick, Head of Daimler Buses. A global production network ensures appropriate and competitive products for every market.
Karim Ghabbour, Founder and Managing Director of MCV is certain the chassis from India will ensure high quality buses, and expand product range with a high-performance vehicle to be offered at attractive terms.
The OF 9t bus chassis with front-mounted engines are manufactured at Daimler India Commercial Vehicles (DICV) plant in Chennai, and exported to Egypt. In tech terms, the chassis are similar to those used in medium-duty BharatBenz trucks also made at the DICV plant. Resultantly, Daimler could begin exports before the bus plant is completed.
Daimler’s chassis from India is especially modified for use in buses. The competitive, high-quality products are testimony to a high degree of localisation. Daimler Buses is able to offer vehicles in previously unexploited segments of the Egyptian bus market. Daimler Buses India will add more export markets in its sales network.
DICV bus plant construction is ongoing at an investment of about €50 million. Work began in March 2014, and Daimler Buses India expects to begin Mercedes-Benz and BharatBenz bus production here at the end of Q2 2015. Initial installed capacity stands at 1,500 vehicles per year, to be expanded to 4,000 units in time at the 113,000 sq mts Daimler Buses India plant within DICV premises. This is the only Daimler plant to produce trucks, buses, and engines for three brands.
