[CES2020] Kallenius, Mercedes-Benz Chairman: "Technology Cooperation Over Sales in Korea... Met Korean Companies Today as Well"

Revealed at the US CES2020 Briefing on the 7th

Ola K?llenius, Chairman of the Board of Daimler AG and Mercedes-Benz AG (Photo by Mercedes-Benz Korea)

[Las Vegas (USA) = Asia Economy Reporter Kim Ji-hee] "For Mercedes-Benz, Korea used to be a market focused on sales, but now it has become a technology market."

Ola K?llenius, Chairman of the Board of Daimler AG and Mercedes-Benz AG, stated this at a press conference held at 'CES 2020' in Las Vegas, USA, on the 7th (local time). He said, "We have collaborated with many Korean companies, and in fact, I met with a Korean company today as well."

He continued, "The innovation capabilities of Korean companies are at a very high level and are contributing to Mercedes-Benz," adding, "Overall, we see Korean technology in all aspects."

Last year, Mercedes-Benz sold 78,133 units in the domestic market, a 10.4% increase compared to the previous year. Meanwhile, the domestic imported car market shrank by 6.1% during the same period, totaling 244,780 units. Mercedes-Benz's share of the total imported car market rose from 27.2% in 2018 to 31.9%.

Regarding the secret behind Mercedes-Benz's strong performance amid the sluggish Korean imported car market, Chairman K?llenius said, "Korean customers who prefer the premium segment like Mercedes-Benz's premium luxury products," and added, "Aggressively strengthening the portfolio and securing excellent dealers in Korea were effective." He emphasized, "The key is that Korean customers like our products."

On this day, Chairman K?llenius also shared his thoughts on future vehicles such as electric cars and autonomous vehicles. He said, "The entire automotive industry, including Mercedes-Benz, will move toward electrification," but noted, "Such changes inevitably involve a high-investment and high-cost structure. Therefore, there will be financial pressure on investments in 2025 or beyond."

However, he explained that the situation will improve as technological advancements are made. Chairman K?llenius observed, "Currently, sales are somewhat low and technology is at an early stage, so costs are high, but I believe the (financial pressure) situation will gradually improve," adding, "It is difficult to select a specific point in time, but improvements are being made step by step."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.