Improved market conditions for bus and coach says Mercedes-Benz

摘要

Brazil - Mercedes-Benz do Brasil of Sao Bernardo do Campo, Sao Paulo State has won an order to supply 273 coaches for interstate passenger transportation with a number of operator companies in the Southeast and Northeast regions of Brazil. Walter Barbosa, director of sales and bus marketing at Mercedes-Benz remarked that the new terms of the Finame TJLP (Long Term Interest Rate) financing, which came into force in March offering, an annual rate two percentage points lower than before - 9% - together with pent up demand for fleet renewal, were two key factors in the decision making process of operators. Barbosa said last year Brazil's bus and coach market totalled just 830 units and that Mercedes-Benz enjoyed a market share of 50%. This year, he says, the market is different due to the new conditions of Finame and in general an improved economic outlook, which is giving more confidence to the operators. (This optimism is not however shared by some OEMS and component suppliers operating in the region, whose year end financial statements indicate who the markets will, at best, be flat this year).