Mercedes-Benz Group sales rose moderately in the first quarter of the year, boosted by electric vehicles (EV) and premium cars, the German carmaker said on Wednesday.
Worldwide sales increased 3 per cent to 503,500 vehicles, with Europe posting the strongest growth at 8 per cent.
The firm saw the biggest sales plunge in all regions bar Europe, Asia and North America.
The number dropped by almost a quarter there, impacted by a decision by the company to halt export and production in Russia in March last year.
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EVs were the main growth driver in the quarter, with sales almost doubling to 51,600 units.
The top-end segment – which includes models such as AMG, Maybach and G-class – also demonstrated solid growth of 18 per cent, reaching 91,800 for the period.
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Britta Seeger, a Mercedes board member, said both segments posted strong results “despite ongoing supply chain disruptions, economic headwinds and geopolitical uncertainties”.
Sales in the Mercedes-Benz Vans division grew 12 per cent in the quarter, reaching 98,900 – its best first-quarter result ever.
Earlier on Wednesday, Swedish peer Volvo reported record first-quarter profits in a sign the company had begun to overcome bottlenecks and inflation that hampered the industry. – Reuters
