As the first luxury brand to publish its earnings report, some highlights still need to be highlighted.
First of all, a small thing, in early February this year, Mercedes-Benz first sacrificed the name change Dafa. Formerly known as "Daimler AG", it is now officially renamed "Mercedes-Benz Group AG".
It sounds like we're all familiar names. Therefore, in the consciousness, it is also felt that the change is not great.
Subsequently, on February 24, Mercedes-Benz Group AG officially released its first annual report after the name change, and we may wish to read it carefully (hereinafter referred to as Mercedes-Benz).
★ Sales down 5% and Group net profit up 484%
Mercedes-Benz made the calculations of its own.
Looking at sales in 2021, Mercedes-Benz's total sales of passenger cars and light commercial vehicles were 2.33 million units, down 5% year-on-year. The reason is well known, the epidemic and chip shortage have affected Mercedes-Benz's global sales.
Looking at the profit in 2021, it can be seen from the disclosed financial report that the group's net profit was 23.4 billion euros, an increase of 484% year-on-year. What is the weight of this? The Group's net profit in 2021 exceeded the sum of the three years of profit from 2018 to 2020.
The word "earned" is very popular with Mercedes-Benz in 2021.
Many friends estimate that they want to calculate another account for Mercedes-Benz, equivalent to each car, how much money does Mercedes-Benz make net?
Since mercedes-benz financial report contains the net profit brought by the truck business, it is first necessary to "choose" this part, the net profit obtained at this time is 14.18 billion euros, and then "divide" with the sum of 2.33 million unit sales, resulting in a net profit of about 6,000 euros, about 43,000 yuan.
This is already at the level of "top player" in the industry.
★ 3 numbers: high-end car series, pure electric models, and vehicle business adjustment
Kang Linsong, chairman of the board of directors of Mercedes-Benz Group AG, used 3 numbers to review Mercedes-Benz's 2021.
1. Mercedes-Benz's high-end car sales increased by 30%;
2. Sales of pure electric models of Mercedes-Benz passenger cars and light commercial vehicles increased by 64%;
3. Adjusted EBIT of Mercedes-Benz's vehicle business increased by 105%.
It is both a "phenomenon" and a "reason", which can explain that in the case of the overall decline in sales, Mercedes-Benz's net profit can rise sharply.
In the eyes of Mercedes-Benz, which models belong to the high-end car series? These include Mercedes-Maybach, Mercedes-AMG, G-Class, S-Class, GLS and EQS. These cars set sales records in 2021 and also generated very good bicycle profits.
So, do you understand? Why do all brands want to break through? The air from above is indeed fresher!
At the same time, the electrification transformation of Mercedes-Benz is already accelerating, and it has begun to bear fruit.
Remember that in July 2021, Mercedes-Benz officially announced that its corporate strategy was transformed from "electric first" to "full electric", with the goal of providing pure electric models for all market segments in 2022, and the sales volume of pure electric and plug-in hybrid models accounted for 50% in 2025.
Judging from the "report card" in 2021, electrification has lived up to expectations, with deliveries of plug-in hybrid and electric passenger cars reaching 227458, breaking brand records. Among them, the EQ series reached 48,936 units, an increase of 154.8% year-on-year.
Obviously, Mercedes-Benz is rushing towards electrification, and electrification has indeed supported new growth points.
Looking forward to 2022, Mercedes-Benz will continue to insist on some things and continue to adjust some things. For example, electrification is still a priority, the truck and bus business has been independently listed, focusing on cost efficiency and supply chain management, chip problems still need reasonable solutions, and the automotive software field also needs to take precautions.
It's not the end, the road is still far away.
★ The Chinese market: very important, in the transformation
There is no doubt that the Chinese market is still the "decider" of Mercedes-Benz.
According to the 2021 financial report, Mercedes-Benz passenger car sales in China for the whole year were 734,700 units, down 3% year-on-year, and commercial vehicle sales in China for the whole year were 38,500 units, an increase of 26% year-on-year. In the Chinese market, Mercedes-Benz passenger cars/commercial vehicles together account for 1/3 of global sales, with an average selling price of 428,600 yuan.
A more typical example is that in the second half of last year, Mercedes-Maybach sold more than 1,000 units in China in five months! As mentioned above, the high-end car series contributes a large profit to Mercedes-Benz, and Maybach is selling well in China, which shows that the Chinese market is crucial.
Let's compare it with other regions. In 2021, Mercedes-Benz's operating income in the Chinese market was 25.4 billion euros, an increase of 19% year-on-year. In germany, Mercedes-Benz's operating income was 24.4 billion euros, down 3% year-on-year.
The reversal of the "Sino-German role" and the position of the Chinese market in the eyes of Mercedes-Benz have long been self-evident.
In 2022, Mercedes-Benz will still be driving at full horsepower. It is reported that they will launch 21 new cars in the Chinese market, including 8 pure electric and plug-in hybrid models. Among them, the pure electric sedan EQE built on the EVA platform will be listed in China, and plug-in hybrid models such as C-class cars and S-class cars will be listed one after another.
★ Write at the end
For more than a hundred years, Mercedes-Benz has built its own brand "moat".
Brand value, supporting high-end prices, high profits, this is the core wealth of Mercedes-Benz.
However, the wind direction of the industry is changing, even if it is sophisticated as Mercedes-Benz, it is also closely catching up with the latest direction, because some things are imperative.
The author of this article is Kick Car Gang Cao An