Presse

Those Who Drive for a Living Drive a Mercedes-Benz

02. Juni 2016

More than 8 of 10 Blacklane U.K. vehicles are Mercedes-Benz

BERLIN – 2 June 2016 – Daimler dominates the U.K. and world chauffeured vehicle industry, according to global professional driver service Blacklane.

Last year, 85% of vehicles added to Blacklane’s U.K. business- and first-class fleet were a Mercedes-Benz. This is up from 74% in 2014 and 79% in 2013.

Globally, nearly half of all vehicles that Blacklane added in the last three years were a Mercedes-Benz.

“Chauffeurs all over the world put their faith in Mercedes-Benz, because the basic principle for premium limousine services is ‘The Best or Nothing.’ Companies that promise to deliver the best transport service have to do so with the best vehicles,” said Klaus Entenmann, Chairman of the Board of Daimler Financial Services AG.

The U.K. is Blacklane’s strongest region for Mercedes-Benz. Second is France, where Mercedes-Benz comprised 82% of vehicles added to Blacklane’s fleet last year.

“Our driver partners in the U.K. and around the world take pride in providing passengers the best experience. That is only possible with reliable, elegant and comfortable vehicles,” said Jens Wohltorf, CEO and co-founder of Blacklane.

Blacklane analysed tens of thousands of vehicles added to its service in 2013, 2014 and 2015. Its global network of commercial drivers choses vehicles independently based on local customer demand.

Blacklane’s vehicle classes across 50 countries and 200 cities include: • Business Class, such as a Mercedes-Benz E-Class, BMW 5 Series, or Lincoln MKT/ MKS. • Business Van/SUV, such as a Mercedes-Benz V-Class, Toyota Alphard, Cadillac Escalade, or Chevrolet Suburban. • First Class, such as Mercedes-Benz S-Class, BMW 7 Series, or Audi A8.

Daimler AG, through its Daimler Mobility Services GmbH subsidiary, is one of Blacklane’s major investors. “Our investment in Blacklane shows that Daimler Financial Services wants to be the world’s leading provider of innovative mobility solutions,” said Mr. Entenmann.

United Kingdom Share of Partner Vehicles Added to Blacklane Fleet

Blacklane Car Brands UK

U.K. Car brand table

* Figures may not add to 100% due to rounding

Global Share of Partner Vehicles Added to Blacklane Fleet

Blacklane Car Brands World

Global car brand table

* Figures may not add to 100% due to rounding

About Blacklane (blacklane.com) Blacklane conveniently connects passengers with the spare capacities of licensed, regulated and insured professional drivers. Corporate and individual customers can book and schedule rides in over 50 countries around the world. Blacklane guarantees low and all-inclusive fixed rates at the time of the booking with a unique pricing and dispatching algorithm. The company provides a consistently high global standard by combining multilingual 24/7 customer care with real-time service control for tens of thousands of quality cars.

About Daimler Financial Services Daimler Financial Services is the Daimler Group’s global provider of financial services and mobility services. The company finances, leases out, and insures cars and commercial vehicles from Daimler; supports the automotive trade by financing showrooms and demonstration vehicles; optimizes the vehicle fleets of commercial customers; and offers investment opportunities and credit cards. Daimler Financial Services is also moving in new directions when it comes to mobility: The car2go brand and its approximately 1.2 million customers make Daimler Financial Services the world’s leading provider of carsharing services. Moreover, the company’s mytaxi app, which is popular in many European countries, has revolutionized the process of ordering a taxi. In addition, the mobility app moovel enables users to compare, book, and pay for a wide variety of transportation systems. The company also has holdings in the professional driver service Blacklane and in the long-distance bus operator FlixBus.