Mercedes-Benz celebrates 25,000th locally-produced commercial vehicle

One of the most iconic sights on Malaysian roads is the legendary Mercedes-Benz 911 lorry chugging along gamely pulling its load. Recognizable for its distinctive fascia and wooden-built cabin, these lorries are one of the most solidly-engineered road vehicles of all time, with many still faithfully serving their owners after decades and millions of kilometres under their belts.

Besides being known for its range of luxury passenger vehicles, Mercedes-Benz is also a highly-established brand for commercial vehicles. Globally, the company has a history of over 100 years in making commercial vehicles, and Mercedes-Benz commercial vehicle have been locally-assembled in Malaysia since 1966.

History was made today, as the 25,000th locally-assembled Mercedes-Benz commercial vehicle rolled out from Mercedes-Benz Malaysia’s (MBM) Pekan plant, a facility which began operations in 2004 and responsible for also making Mercedes-Benz passenger vehicles and Mitsubishi Fuso commercial vehicles. The 25,000-vehicle cumulative total does not include Fuso models, which usually sell in greater volumes than the bigger-sized Mercedes-Benz models.

One of nine Daimler CKD commercial vehicle production facilities worldwide, MBM’s Pekan plant has 19,000m² of floor space dedicated to commercial vehicle production which is operated by 176 employees, and has a current capacity of 4,000 units a year. The plant is capable of producing a range of models from the Mercedes-Benz and Mitsubishi Fuso line-up, including the massive Actros. To date, the commercial vehicle line’s highest annual output was reached in 2014, with 2,916 vehicles produced.

The commercial vehicle production line differs from passenger vehicles. With shorter and wider space to accommodate the size of commercial vehicles, the production process has five stations. Work begins with the Frame Assembly and moves on to Cab Painting and then to Assembly Line. To ensure utmost quality, commercial vehicles are sent to Testing and finally for completion, it reaches Inspection and Buyoff.

Mercedes-Benz Malaysia’s commercial vehicle portfolio is designed for a wide range of applications. The company supplies its commercial vehicles to multinational corporations and a variety of organisations, including fire stations, hospitals and rescue services. With a current market share of 16.4 per cent, Mercedes-Benz Malaysia has also secured significant fleet deals since establishment. Its current best-selling model is the 6×2 Mercedes-Benz MP3 Actros 2640LS.