At the Consumer Electronics Show being held at Las Vegas, Daimler and Google announced a further strategic partnership to provide Daimler with ready access to its Google Maps API for Business. These Application Programming Interfaces are used for cloud-based, map-related applications, which Daimler vehicles will use. The partnership also provides for early access to other new APIs as they are developed.

The collaboration will enable Daimler to use Google Maps for their in-car map displays, and significantly improve their ability to quickly and seamlessly integrate useful Google services into Mercedes-Benz passenger vehicles. These applications significantly accelerate time-to-market in Mercedes-Benz passenger cars. The existing services, which include the Google Maps and Places APIs, will create an enhanced motoring experience for Mercedes-Benz drivers across the world.

In 2007 Daimler was the first automotive manufacturer in the United States to launch the Google “Send-to-Car” functionality in a vehicle. This gave Mercedes-Benz customers the opportunity to easily send destinations from Google Maps to their in-vehicle navigation systems. As of 2011, Mercedes-Benz offers COMAND Online, a telematics system with cloud-based Mercedes-Benz apps that brings Google Street View, Panoramio and local search technologies to most Mercedes-Benz passenger cars. Mercedes-Benz customers also have the opportunity to send individualized routes from Google Maps to their vehicles, as Daimler is first-to-market with the implementation of this Google service.

Announcing their latest collaboration, Daimler and Renault-Nissan have declared that they will begin building 4-cylinder engines at Nissan’s powertrain assembly plant in Decherd, Tennessee beginning 2014. The Decherd facility will produce engines for Mercedes-Benz and Infiniti models and at full capacity is expected to churn out 250,000 engines annually.

Nissan’s Tennessee plant ensures a strategic location and logistics link, as it guarantees a direct supply of engines for the Mercedes-Benz C-Class, built at Daimler’s vehicle plant in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Said Dr. Dieter Zetsche, Chairman of the Daimler Board, “In the context of our Mercedes-Benz 2020 growth strategy, we have decided that we will expand the production capacities required for this close to the customers. Through the strategic extension of our cooperation with Renault-Nissan we can realize near-market engine production in the NAFTA region on attractive economic terms and make optimum use of synergies arising from the cooperation.”

There had been reports that Daimler is axing the Maybach brand because of low sales. And when companies are in the brink of losing a product or a line, what they normally do is to put up the items on sale and put huge discounts to get things going. But this is not the case with Maybach.

In fact, Daimler decided to increase the line’s prices to $4,000 across the board, which is a different business decision. Well, hopefully, this move will work out and there will still be some people who will be willing to shell out additional dough for a this limo.

Source: Daimler

According to AutoNews.com, the plant should be producing around 200,000 vehicles and will start its operations in the first half of 2014.

Nissan spokesperson said, “We have made no announcements concerning adding manufacturing capacity in Mexico and have nothing further to add at this time.” Even Daimler have not commented on the plans. There’s one thing that David Reuters said though, “Nissan continues to grow throughout the world and in order to reach the objectives of our strategic business plan, Nissan Power 88, we continue to study opportunities to install additional capacity in key markets.”

So I guess we’ll just have to wait for the official announcement, which if the reports are true, can be around early next year.

Source: AutoNews.com

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According to a report from the Financial Times Germany, Daimler and Renault-Nissan are looking for a plant site in North America. And that plant will produce engines made and designed by the two companies.

Daimler added 2.4 billion dollars in the Tuscaloosa plant, creating 1,400 new jobs. Meanwhile, Infiniti (Nissan) will also build a new plant in Tennessee in 2012. By now, they are producing the QX SUV in Mississippi, which goes to prove that the two car companies are investing heavily on their US plants, thus it would be no surprise if the engine project will be made in any of these facilities.

As of now though, Daimler has not confirmed on the matter yet.

Daimler Trucks North America’s production will create more jobs, as the Western Star trucks, which are being built in Portland, Oregon is on the ramp. It will add a second shift which creates about 350 new jobs by the end of next year. That will be a fifty percent increase of production workers.

Initially, last July, the company announced that it will hire 2,700 employees for its US and Mexico plant, but this will increase because of Western Star’s demand for new workers.

All these hiring was made possible by the continuous rise of sales of the trucks by Daimler. In August this year, Daimler trucks achieved its highest volume since March of 2007. More and more companies who need logging, oil and mining trucks, thinks that Western Star is the best choice of vehicle for these needs.

“Our Western Star heavy-duty trucks provide our customers with tailored solutions for specific uses in the vocational segment,” said Andreas Renschler, Daimler Board of Management Member responsible for Daimler Trucks and Daimler Buses. He also added, “Vocational trucks are a very attractive and profitable growth segment which is affected very little by cyclical factors. In the U.S. this segment accounts for about one fourth of the sales of Class 6 to 8 trucks. This is reflected in the increase of our orders, and we expect continued growth next year.”

Image via CrunchBase

Ernst Lieb, the well-liked CEO of Mercedes-Benz USA since 2006 was relieved of his post, according to Automotive News.

Since Lieb handled the company, the sales went up to 10.4% for that year, trailing ahead of the US car market revival. The company also became the leading brand in the USA, well past Lexus, and this all happened under his wings. To add on to all that is his experience and contribution to Daimler because he has been with the company since 1976, joined in as a spare parts specialist.

So it has surprised everyone when Daimler announced that he will be relieved of his duties. Rumor has it that he did not leave the company in his own volition, especially since it’s so sudden, proven by being replaced temporarily by Herbert Werner, the CFO and VP of Finance, Controlling and IT.

The Combined Charging System is being presented by Audi, BMW, Volkswagen, Porsche and Daimler at the 15^th International VDI-Congress and Exhibition and the Exhibition “Electronic Systems for Motor Vehicles”. This will be starting on October 12 to December 13 and will happen at Baden-Baden. German vehicles are not the only ones participating on this even, as General Motors and Ford will also be there.

The universal charging system that will be showcased in the exhibit will have all existing charging methods like fast three-phase AC charging, one-phase AC charging, DC charging at home or ultrafast DC-charging at public charging stations.

In the event, attendees will be able to see the installation of the Combined Charging System. Meanwhile, it was also announced by Daimler that the system will be deployed mid 2012.

Photo from: Mercedes Passion blog.

Because Car2go has been very successful in countries like Germany and Canada, it is now expanding to another country in the European market – France. Specifically in Lyon.

Starting 2012, Car2go will put in a fleet of 200 low emission smart fortwo cars so that people who needs them can rent it easily. The concept of Car2go is that the customers have the ability of searching the vehicle nearest their area through their website www.car2go.com or a smartphone application. They can rent it as long as they like and they don’t even have to reserve or rent it out in advance.

Since its launch, there are now over 45,000 members of Car2go from USA, Canada and Germany.

“Innovative urban mobility solutions like car2go offer a way to help meet the challenges of urban congestion, reducing carbon emissions and improving quality of life,” said the Mayor or Lyon, Gerard Collomb. He added, “Following the actions we initiated in 2005 with Velo’v, the first self-service bike sharing system, Lyon is innovating again with car2go, a new approach to car sharing which is complementary to other initiatives enabling our residents to move around town. Choosing Lyon, Europcar and Daimler strengthen the role of our city being one of the European leaders in terms of sustainable mobility.”

Source: Daimler

According to Spiegerl.de, the government members of the Arab state, Qatar, is in talks to get 7.5% stake in European Defence & Space Co. EADS. This is after Daimler, who holds a 22.5% stake in EADS, announced that they would want to reduce that stake.

EADS is the parent company of the plane maker Airbus, and it is being majority of the company is controlled by French and German interests. There are special rules to get portions of the company though, since they also manufacture security and arms equipment. Aside from that, Qatar is still studying the option more deeply because they might have to pull technology funds due to the politicak significance of EADS.

Daimler however, have not commented on the report as they are not allowed to speak on the matter yet.