1
00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:04,400
Speaker 1: Let's discuss with another major auto executive, Mercedes Benz USA

2
00:00:04,600 --> 00:00:08,560
Speaker 1: CEO Dimitri Silacis Demetris, Thanks so much for joining us.

3
00:00:08,920 --> 00:00:12,400
Speaker 1: I want to get to the sales outlook and everything

4
00:00:12,480 --> 00:00:17,960
Speaker 1: about the exciting new models. But first on the production part,

5
00:00:18,079 --> 00:00:20,919
Speaker 1: because you do build cars here. I think the g LS,

6
00:00:20,960 --> 00:00:24,160
Speaker 1: the g L E, some C classes. Dan's building the

7
00:00:24,840 --> 00:00:28,800
Speaker 1: Tuscaloosa plant. Those aren't union workers. But what kind of

8
00:00:28,960 --> 00:00:32,360
Speaker 1: indirect effects do you need to be prepared for if

9
00:00:32,440 --> 00:00:34,360
Speaker 1: the U a W strikes.

10
00:00:34,560 --> 00:00:38,360
Speaker 2: You're absolutely correct. We do produce in Alabama our g

11
00:00:38,560 --> 00:00:41,280
Speaker 2: L E, g LS, but also our two electric vehicles,

12
00:00:41,280 --> 00:00:43,519
Speaker 2: the e QUE and the equ S s UV. And

13
00:00:43,600 --> 00:00:48,959
Speaker 2: you do produce also in Charleston our Sprinter, So we're

14
00:00:49,000 --> 00:00:52,320
Speaker 2: not directly affected from a potential cycle which you wish

15
00:00:52,520 --> 00:00:56,160
Speaker 2: it does not take place, as our two factories are

16
00:00:56,200 --> 00:01:00,240
Speaker 2: not on the u a W. But obviously any option

17
00:01:00,360 --> 00:01:03,920
Speaker 2: and any issue, we'll have some we'll give some shocking

18
00:01:03,960 --> 00:01:07,800
Speaker 2: waves out to the whole industry. Our focus is in

19
00:01:07,880 --> 00:01:10,280
Speaker 2: our production in the vehicles, so you have recently launched

20
00:01:10,280 --> 00:01:15,440
Speaker 2: in the markets, and again we're looking to a solution

21
00:01:15,560 --> 00:01:17,679
Speaker 2: which will not affect the industry all in.

22
00:01:17,720 --> 00:01:21,000
Speaker 3: All, at what point of vitrigy you have to make decisions.

23
00:01:21,720 --> 00:01:24,600
Speaker 3: Are you planning for that worst case scenario right now?

24
00:01:25,080 --> 00:01:27,520
Speaker 3: Does the supply chain allow you to wait to see

25
00:01:27,840 --> 00:01:30,160
Speaker 3: how things play out over the next day before you

26
00:01:30,280 --> 00:01:32,200
Speaker 3: have some kind of action plan in place.

27
00:01:32,760 --> 00:01:35,720
Speaker 2: This I would refer to my colleagues who are running

28
00:01:35,760 --> 00:01:38,280
Speaker 2: the factories in the US. I would rather stay on

29
00:01:38,360 --> 00:01:41,720
Speaker 2: the sales and the marketing side, which is where I'm

30
00:01:41,920 --> 00:01:42,400
Speaker 2: taking care of.

31
00:01:43,040 --> 00:01:46,400
Speaker 1: Let's talk about the sales of Mercedes Benz vehicles in

32
00:01:46,440 --> 00:01:49,160
Speaker 1: the US. For a long time, you know, was a

33
00:01:49,280 --> 00:01:53,919
Speaker 1: constant fight between Mercedes and BMW who's the biggest volume

34
00:01:54,000 --> 00:01:56,400
Speaker 1: producer of luxury vehicles in the world.

35
00:01:56,560 --> 00:01:57,240
Speaker 2: In the US.

36
00:01:57,720 --> 00:02:01,080
Speaker 1: Now it seems like you're more after margins than you

37
00:02:01,160 --> 00:02:03,480
Speaker 1: are after volume. How does it look?

38
00:02:04,040 --> 00:02:07,640
Speaker 2: I think what after value? The value creates for our

39
00:02:07,680 --> 00:02:11,480
Speaker 2: customers and the value that it creates throughout products. Also

40
00:02:11,680 --> 00:02:14,520
Speaker 2: one in the middle of a change of a switch

41
00:02:14,600 --> 00:02:17,919
Speaker 2: or transition to an electric vehicle future. So our focus

42
00:02:18,080 --> 00:02:22,480
Speaker 2: is in providing vehicles which have technology, which have characteristic

43
00:02:22,520 --> 00:02:26,639
Speaker 2: that the customers like and obviously built value out of

44
00:02:26,680 --> 00:02:29,400
Speaker 2: our daler network which is serving our customers in the

45
00:02:29,560 --> 00:02:32,079
Speaker 2: US market. In the US market to MA sure.

46
00:02:32,120 --> 00:02:34,480
Speaker 3: We just had a guest to suggest it. It would

47
00:02:34,520 --> 00:02:37,160
Speaker 3: not be out of the world of possibility to see

48
00:02:37,160 --> 00:02:40,600
Speaker 3: a recession in the United States heading in to next year. Obviously,

49
00:02:40,680 --> 00:02:43,680
Speaker 3: the luxury market has generally speaking held up so far

50
00:02:44,160 --> 00:02:48,760
Speaker 3: with some economic uncertainty. What's your outlook for the luxury market.

51
00:02:49,200 --> 00:02:53,000
Speaker 2: It's true that the luxury segment has been growing. There

52
00:02:53,160 --> 00:02:55,519
Speaker 2: was also a pent up demands out of the last

53
00:02:55,720 --> 00:02:58,600
Speaker 2: couple of years supply challenges, so the market has been

54
00:02:58,760 --> 00:03:02,280
Speaker 2: in a growth. When I look to our ends, we've

55
00:03:02,320 --> 00:03:05,400
Speaker 2: been delivering. We've been I mean designed and put in

56
00:03:05,440 --> 00:03:09,840
Speaker 2: the market's new products on the internet combustion engine field,

57
00:03:09,880 --> 00:03:13,800
Speaker 2: but also in the electric vehicle side. So new products,

58
00:03:14,000 --> 00:03:17,120
Speaker 2: very attractive with lots of new technologies are coming to

59
00:03:17,120 --> 00:03:20,560
Speaker 2: the market, which attract the customers and obviously help us

60
00:03:20,919 --> 00:03:23,560
Speaker 2: to keep growing. As you said, in the market, which

61
00:03:23,600 --> 00:03:26,399
Speaker 2: is getting from an economic perspective more tough.

62
00:03:27,120 --> 00:03:32,079
Speaker 1: You know, I drove the Equs recently, and you know,

63
00:03:32,320 --> 00:03:36,960
Speaker 1: I loved everything from the pedal feel, to the luxurious interior,

64
00:03:37,120 --> 00:03:41,080
Speaker 1: to the mbux. The new Nbux was amazing to even

65
00:03:41,120 --> 00:03:43,960
Speaker 1: the fake sounds. I thought they won me over, but

66
00:03:44,120 --> 00:03:46,680
Speaker 1: Obviously it's one hundred and twenty five thousand dollars vehicle,

67
00:03:46,760 --> 00:03:48,680
Speaker 1: the version I drove. So with that kind of money,

68
00:03:48,880 --> 00:03:51,880
Speaker 1: you expect to be pleased with all of those things.

69
00:03:52,320 --> 00:03:54,880
Speaker 1: Are you do you still have pricing power in this

70
00:03:55,120 --> 00:03:59,520
Speaker 1: market or are people starting to be concerned about paying

71
00:03:59,640 --> 00:04:01,120
Speaker 1: so much for a vehicle.

72
00:04:01,520 --> 00:04:04,200
Speaker 2: I think, on one hand, I said before, we have

73
00:04:04,760 --> 00:04:07,440
Speaker 2: away from the design to have value in the vehicle.

74
00:04:07,560 --> 00:04:10,600
Speaker 2: And there's not only the Qus SUV, which again is

75
00:04:10,680 --> 00:04:14,080
Speaker 2: produced in the in the US. We have another five

76
00:04:14,200 --> 00:04:16,240
Speaker 2: products in the in the US market, starting with the

77
00:04:16,320 --> 00:04:19,480
Speaker 2: EQB and all the way up to the Equs s

78
00:04:19,600 --> 00:04:22,520
Speaker 2: u V and soon with the EQUS SUV my back,

79
00:04:23,240 --> 00:04:26,800
Speaker 2: which is let's say the most luxurious version of our

80
00:04:26,960 --> 00:04:32,760
Speaker 2: of our EQUS SUV. So these products are offering quality,

81
00:04:32,920 --> 00:04:36,520
Speaker 2: are offering technology, and this is what the customers are

82
00:04:36,560 --> 00:04:41,560
Speaker 2: looking for. Obviously, in the last year, what has been

83
00:04:41,640 --> 00:04:44,840
Speaker 2: more challenging is the high interest rates, and this is

84
00:04:45,880 --> 00:04:49,080
Speaker 2: affecting obviously the market. But again the customers can opt

85
00:04:49,200 --> 00:04:55,719
Speaker 2: for a lower version or let's say, more more attractive

86
00:04:56,240 --> 00:04:58,600
Speaker 2: economically versions of our of our products.

87
00:04:59,040 --> 00:05:01,760
Speaker 3: Obviously in TV market, Dmitri, before we let you go

88
00:05:02,760 --> 00:05:08,159
Speaker 3: the charging infrastructure has gotten so much attention. Mercedes embracing

89
00:05:09,160 --> 00:05:13,440
Speaker 3: taskless North American charging standard walkers through what that process

90
00:05:13,520 --> 00:05:13,880
Speaker 3: is going.

91
00:05:13,800 --> 00:05:16,880
Speaker 2: To be like for you. We try to build value

92
00:05:16,920 --> 00:05:20,200
Speaker 2: for our customers, so not offering the best electric vehicle

93
00:05:20,240 --> 00:05:23,560
Speaker 2: products in the market, but also we're offering convenience. So

94
00:05:24,920 --> 00:05:27,840
Speaker 2: as you said, we offer a house of twenty twenty

95
00:05:27,880 --> 00:05:31,360
Speaker 2: four our vehicles would be able to charge on all

96
00:05:31,400 --> 00:05:35,680
Speaker 2: the next charges in the US. But also announced in

97
00:05:35,800 --> 00:05:39,320
Speaker 2: CS earlier this year that we'll be building and soon

98
00:05:39,560 --> 00:05:43,520
Speaker 2: we'll have the first mercedus Benz branded charging station in Atlanta.

99
00:05:44,080 --> 00:05:48,719
Speaker 2: And further, we announced that along with another six automotive brands,

100
00:05:48,839 --> 00:05:52,880
Speaker 2: will develop our own charging network, high performing charging network

101
00:05:53,080 --> 00:05:55,719
Speaker 2: coming up to thirty thousand charges in the next few years.

102
00:05:55,800 --> 00:05:58,720
Speaker 2: So basically, our vehicles would be able to charge in

103
00:05:58,960 --> 00:06:02,200
Speaker 2: every charging station in the US, and this I think

104
00:06:02,520 --> 00:06:06,680
Speaker 2: is a big it's a big convenience for our customers.

105
00:06:06,800 --> 00:06:09,520
Speaker 3: Jamitor, appreciate the time today, Thanks very much for joining us.

106
00:06:09,520 --> 00:06:12,080
Speaker 3: Dimitri Slakeez, Mercedes Benz USA CEO.

107
00:06:12,279 --> 00:06:12,800
Speaker 2: Joining US