Car makers are making efforts to return to normal after being severely hit by the coronavirus pandemics. Mercedes-Benz is also planning to restart its engines.
The Mercedes-Benz plant managers are working on setting out a plan of restarting production. The date for the restart is set to be the 20th of April. One week is left, which takes the total shutdown period to a whole month for the three-pointed star brand. The Trucks & Buses division is expected to resume production from the same date.
Thus the plants in Sindelfingen and Bremen will turn on the assembly lines, but unofficial sources claim that the production centers will only operate in one or two shifts instead of three, to reduce the risk of infection, at least until April 30th. The brand’s executives expect that the staggered ramping up will impact production as well as administration.
In the first quarter of 2020, Daimler’s worldwide sales figures plunged by almost 15%. Mercedes-Benz Cars marked a 20% drop in the company’s most important market, China, and a 16% drop in Europe.
“The coronavirus pandemics heavily impacts sales on a global scale, the overall economic impact cannot yet be assessed with sufficient certainty”, states Mercedes-Benz finance chief Harald Wilhelm.
Daimler has been under lockdown since April 18th, but its production facilities have been working to provide medical equipment to hospitals, using 3D printing technology and has been donating vehicles to help hospitals.
The first plants to reopen were in China, where the epidemics started, soon followed by the local dealerships. “Demand is starting to grow slightly, we are optimistic,” said the company’s CEO, Ola Kallenius.
