The Mercedes-Benz company is giving up a business with a 120-year history. The German automaker stopped producing light-duty special versions that were mainly used in taxi services. This is reported by Nandelsblatt.
The reason is that in the eight months of 2024, sales of special versions of the taxi fell by 71% from 1,730 to 497 units. Thus, the demand for passenger taxis from the German mark decreases several times.
For decades, the Mercedes-Benz E-Class has been synonymous with taxis in Germany, but this year only 127 business sedans were sold in Germany. The publication notes that five years ago in the brand's homeland, every second taxi car was a Mercedes-Benz, but today the share has fallen to 18%.
Furthermore, the automaker is not interested in continuing to sell factory special versions of the taxi, as the market is too small and the taxis do not meet luxury standards. According to the company's top manager, Ola Kalenius, there will no longer be special discounts for taxi operators, and ordering a car in basic configuration with the selected color is no longer possible.
At the same time, Mercedes-Benz will continue to produce taxis in the minivan segment. It is interesting that the taxi in the modern sense was invented by Daimler back in 1896, that is, it is appropriate to talk about a type of business with more than 120 years of history.
It is noted that German taxi drivers are gradually switching to Volkswagen and Toyota. In recent years, the Volkswagen Touran and Caddy have remained the best sellers in the segment. In general, six to seven thousand new taxis are registered in Germany every year, so the capacity of the segment is really small.