Question-and-Answer Session
Michael Muhlbaye
Thank you very much Bodo Uebber. Ladies and gentlemen, you may ask your questions now. I will identify the questioner by name but please all introduce yourself with the name and the name of the organization before asking your questions. To break that upon, firstly, please avoid using mobile phones and secondly, please ask your question in English. Before start the session, the operator will explain the procedure.
Operator
If you want to ask a question, please press star one on your telephone keypad. To remove yourself from question please press hash on your telephone keypad. Again, for a question, please press star one on your telephone keypad and hash to withdrawal.
Michael Muhlbaye
Okay. Let's begin and start with Arndt Ellinghorst, please.
Arndt Ellinghorst - Credit Suisse
Yes thanks good afternoon everybody, it's Arndt Ellinghorst, Credit Suisse. I have I two questions, one on Mercedes and one on trucks. So, on Mercedes since sales to corporate customers are a very important part of Mercedes European business, could you give us an update on how you see the sales channel behaving at the moment? And then on trucks, there was an interesting message from Mr. Renschler recently where he stated that trucks would be breakeven at 250,000 units sales level which is 50% below peak sales. So, could you just talk a bit about the split between fixed and variable costs in that business and how this has changed over the last couple of years? Thanks a lot.
Bodo Uebber
Arndt, your question regarding MBC is right. Of course, we have an objective to increase our corporate customer segment over the last two years because we have lost a little bit of momentum when we go back now three to four years. Again, so we are having this as a target already but I do think especially with our E-Class, of course, we have a better possibility to increase this percentage on the one hand and secondly we have with our CO2 measures better in place regarding or do efficiency measures on the one hand but also for example S-400 hybrid that we do see also an advantage to increase here the market share over the upcoming quarters but also in 2010.
On top of a possible slight recovery, which would be clear if market -- would recover of course in 2010 that should also have an impact on this segment anyway. Of course your second question now regarding 250,000 units is a difficult one because Andreas is not here. So, we might discuss this although, I would like to inform all the market that I have not heard this statement of Andreas with the 250,000 units, so I'm not aware of his statement. So, I will talk to him and we will get into touch with you when we are in London and, of course, we are on the road show the next couple of days, next week, and if there is a clear answer to that question, of course I will give it to you. Sorry.
Arndt Ellinghorst - Credit Suisse
Okay. Thanks a lot, Mr. Uebber. But on the corporate sales channel mix do you generally see a different momentum in that sales channel versus your sale to private customers or do you think that developing --
Bodo Uebber
Not yet, we don't see it yet but as I said from the segment point of view we don't see it yet. We feel that our position is better due to our products what I have mentioned right now. In 2010, there might be an epic impact also in the segment as such from the market point of view.
Arndt Ellinghorst - Credit Suisse
Okay. Thanks a lot.
Michael Muhlbaye
We'll take the next question from Thierry Huon. |
