Unit sales at MAN Truck & Bus increased by 6% from the previous year to 20,170 vehicles. With 20,660 trucks and buses sold Scania recorded a 12% increase in sales. At Volkswagen Caminhões e Ônibus too sales rose; the 5,290 units sold by this brand represent 13% more than in the previous year.
Andreas Renschler, CEO of Volkswagen Truck & Bus and the Volkswagen AG Board member responsible for commercial vehicles, said: "We have got off to a good start in the new fiscal year. The positive unit sales development in Russia and South America in particular gives us reason for confidence. After a long dry stretch Brazil is now slowly recovering and our patience is being rewarded with rising sales figures. As a Group too we are with our three strong brands growing closer together and steadily expanding our cooperation."
In the first three months of 2017 the truck business developed positively: at 42,100 trucks the Volkswagen Truck & Bus brands sold approximately 9% more than in the first quarter of the previous year. In the Region EU28+2 (EU member countries, Norway and Switzerland) sales were, at 26,560 trucks, stable and on a par with the previous year's figure. In South America the Group's sales were up by 21%. Growth was achieved in particular in Argentina as a result of reforms introduced by the state. In Russia the incipient recovery of the economy and falling inflation rates led to considerable growth in sales. In the Asia-Pacific region the major contribution to the growth came from India, where the economic environment developed positively.
In the bus business too, the brands of Volkswagen Truck & Bus recorded improved sales: at 3,770 buses they exceeded the previous year's figure by 16%.
MAN reports start of production of the TGE transporter and a major order for gas buses
Series production of the TGE started in the first quarter. With the TGE MAN is now for the first time offering a light commercial vehicle to customers in the logistics, courier service and craft trades sectors. Transporters are in increasing demand as a result of the growth in online trading which is expected to continue.
The commercial-vehicle manufacturer notched up an important success in Copenhagen, where in future 41 MAN Lion's City GL CNG buses will be in service. This major order underlines MAN's position as a leading provider of gas buses in Europe. The new buses, which have a capacity of up to 150 passengers each, will be deployed in the north of the Danish capital. Carrying 20 million passengers a year, the City Line in Copenhagen is one of the most highly frequented routes in Denmark.
Scania One launch and founding of Scania Growth Capital
In February 2017 Scania unveiled its new digital marketplace, Scania One, which addresses fleet operators and drivers with a number of connectivity services. With Scania One the drivers of 250,000 digitally connected Scania trucks can access the usual services but now also services from third-party providers. The goal is to enable users to achieve greater efficiency and thus higher profitability in operation of their fleets.
The founding of Scania Growth Capital marks a new departure for Scania. The aim here is to invest in innovative, fast-growing start-up companies and to make use of their business models and technologies. This access to new ideas with relevance for the industry is intended to help make Scania even more fit for the future.
Export success and investment at Volkswagen Caminhões e Ônibus
Despite the still difficult political and economic situation in Brazil, Volkswagen Caminhões e Ônibus once again has three of the five best-selling trucks in its range. Also, compared to the first quarter 2017, deliveries from Brazil to other South American countries and Africa went up significantly. The international brewery group, Heineken, for example, ordered 150 trucks in Mexico, while the Mexican bus operator ADO placed an order for 154 buses with Volkswagen Caminhões e Ônibus.
Volkswagen Truck & Bus's commitment to Brazil as a production location was underlined by the largest investment package in the company's history. The Brazilian commercial-vehicle brand of Volkswagen Truck & Bus will be spending some 420 million euros over the next five years in order to renew its product portfolio, modernize the plant in Resende and develop connectivity services.
As Chairman of the Latin America Committee of German Industry, Andreas Renschler welcomes the economic recovery in Brazil and the region: "I am firmly convinced that after years of crisis the turnaround has set in. The trend is clearly upwards. Our truck sales in South America grew by 21% in the first quarter, which is well ahead of plan."
Volkswagen Truck & Bus GmbH is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Volkswagen AG and a global leader in commercial vehicles with its brands MAN, Scania, Volkswagen Caminhões e Ônibus and RIO. In 2016, the brands of Volkswagen Truck & Bus sold a total of 184,000 vehicles. Its product range includes light commercial vehicles, trucks and buses that are manufactured at 25 sites in 17 countries. As of December 31, 2016, the Company employed 77,000 people across its commercial vehicle brands worldwide. The Group is committed to driving transportation to the next level — in terms of products, services, and as a partner for its customers.