Fujian Benz Automotive Co., Ltd., formerly Fujian Daimler Automotive Co., Ltd., is a light commercial vehicle manufacturing company based in Fuzhou, and a joint venture between Daimler Vans Hong Kong Limited (a joint venture of the Mercedes-Benz Group and China Motor Corporation of Taiwan), BAIC Motor Corporation Limited (35%), and Fujian Motor Industry Group Co., Ltd (15%).
History
The company was founded in June 2007 as Fujian Daimler Automotive Co. by Fujian Motor Industry Group (50%), Daimler (34%) and China Motor Corp. (16%).[2] It began construction of an assembly plant in the Qingkou Investment Zone, Fúzhōu in October 2007.[3] The 660,000 square meter plant would cost over €200 million (US$284 million).[2] With 2,800 employees, the plant has a capacity of 40,000 vehicles a year.[4] For establishing of the joint venture and building the plant facilities, Fujian Motor Industry Group Company and the Hong Kong Daimler Vans Limited invested a total of €434,600,000.[citation needed]
Series production of Fujian Daimler's first product range, the Viano transporter, began in April 2010.[5]
In November, 2011, Sprinter was launched. Fujian Daimler changed its name to Fujian Benz in March 2012 for better brand recognition among Chinese consumers as Daimler is not as well known as Benz.[6][7]
In March 2013 Fujian Benz opened a new product development center in Fuzhou, constructed at a cost of around RMB 500 million (approximately €60 million).[8][9]
In Mar. 2016, Fujian Benz launched three V-Class models, including V260, V260 Exclusive and V260L Exclusive.[10]
Operations
Fujian Benz covers 660,000 square meters, including 330,000 square meters for Phase I and a construction area of 162,000 square meters. The company currently employs 1,600 workers.
The annual production capacity of Phase I is 40,000 units.[10][dead link] At one time, China was the largest market of the Viano.[7]
At its production plant in Qinkou, Fujian Benz operates a product development center which covers approximately 11,000 square meters of built-up area, as well as a 53,000 square meter proving ground including a 1,400 meter circuit.[9][dead link] In an industrial park adjacent to the Qinkou production plant, Fujian Benz operates an EMC lab, an exhaust gas test lab, and a chassis dynamometers facility, which cover a combined built-up area of around 8,000 square meters.[9][dead link] The product development center, with a total investment of 500 million rmb, was put into operation in 2013.[10][dead link]
Current production
Fujian Benz currently produces the following vehicles:[11]
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Mercedes-Benz Vito
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Mercedes Benz V-Klasse
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Mercedes-Benz Sprinter
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