NEW DELHI: Mercedes-Benz India continues to be the only few luxury carmakers manufacturing and selling diesel-powered cars here. A top company official on the sidelines of rolling out full-fledged retail of the future said the path to electrification in India will be determined by legislation, customer preference and manufacturer’s commitment to sustainability.
With EQC, Mercedes-Benz was the first luxury carmaker to introduce a fully-electric car in India. Globally, the German company has committed an investment of 40 billion euros, aiming to be electric-ready by the end of the decade.
“EQC has received an overwhelming response. We welcome new players. It’s a great sign, and encourages us to introduce more electric cars soon,” said Santosh Iyer, Vice President Sales and Marketing Mercedes-Benz India.
“We are not the guys to decide,” remarked Iyer on the fate of diesel powertrain. “The transition to electrification will be led by legislation and customer preference. We are committed to sustainability goals and are prepared to serve more electric cars as the market matures,” said Iyer.
Mercedes-Benz India on Friday introduced the ‘Retail of the Future’ (ROTF) business model, which empowers the company to sell its cars directly to the customers. The beta phase of ROTF was launched in June and it has received 1,700 units of customer booking thus far.
Mercedes-Benz India claims ROTF will set the best price, offer nationalised stock visibility and complete transparency in the purchase process. The process will lead to zero stock and no liability for the franchise partners.
ROTF will be processed through either online or offline mode and the transaction is a 5-step method: Quotation, order booking, order finalisation, invoicing and handover.
The German carmaker had pumped Rs 1,700 crore to implement ROTF and raked up 1,700-unit bookings worth Rs 850 crore thus far.
With EQC, Mercedes-Benz was the first luxury carmaker to introduce a fully-electric car in India. Globally, the German company has committed an investment of 40 billion euros, aiming to be electric-ready by the end of the decade.
“EQC has received an overwhelming response. We welcome new players. It’s a great sign, and encourages us to introduce more electric cars soon,” said Santosh Iyer, Vice President Sales and Marketing Mercedes-Benz India.
“We are not the guys to decide,” remarked Iyer on the fate of diesel powertrain. “The transition to electrification will be led by legislation and customer preference. We are committed to sustainability goals and are prepared to serve more electric cars as the market matures,” said Iyer.
Mercedes-Benz India on Friday introduced the ‘Retail of the Future’ (ROTF) business model, which empowers the company to sell its cars directly to the customers. The beta phase of ROTF was launched in June and it has received 1,700 units of customer booking thus far.
Mercedes-Benz India claims ROTF will set the best price, offer nationalised stock visibility and complete transparency in the purchase process. The process will lead to zero stock and no liability for the franchise partners.
ROTF will be processed through either online or offline mode and the transaction is a 5-step method: Quotation, order booking, order finalisation, invoicing and handover.
The German carmaker had pumped Rs 1,700 crore to implement ROTF and raked up 1,700-unit bookings worth Rs 850 crore thus far.