German, Chinese market drives Mercedes-Benz car sales up by 6 pct in Q2

BERLIN, July 12 (Xinhua) -- Mercedes-Benz' car sales rose by 6 percent to 515,700 units in the second quarter (Q2) of the year, the carmaker said Tuesday, attributing the increase to the German and Chinese markets.

In China, the company's biggest single market, Mercedes-Benz's car sales rose by 12 percent to 183,600 units, boosted in particular by the E-Class and GLB models. Meanwhile, in Germany, 58,600 cars were sold, an increase of 23 percent, the company said in a statement.

"With our focus on sustainable growth we posted higher sales across all main regions and segments -- especially for our electric and Top-End vehicles," said Britta Seeger, member of the board of management of Mercedes-Benz Group AG.

Sales of top-end vehicles, including the AMG and Maybach brands, rose 12 percent to 84,800 units, while sales of battery-powered vehicles (BEVs) even nearly doubled to 61,200 units, according to the carmaker.

In the first half of the year, the share of electric vehicles, including BEVs and plug-in hybrids, in the company's total sales reached 18 percent. By 2026, this share is set to increase to 50 percent, said Mercedes-Benz.

The German carmaker continues to affirm the importance of the Chinese market to its business. "Unbundling from China is an illusion and also not desirable," Mercedes-Benz Chief Executive Officer Ola Kaellenius has said.■