Revitalized Bus Market: Daimler Buses Registers Uptick Following Pandemic Slump

After a lull brought on by the Corona crisis, the bus market is showing signs of revival, as the latest figures from Daimler Buses confirm. Till Oberwörder, who leads the destiny of the bus division within Daimler Truck Corporation, announced that business is picking up momentum again: "The crisis is now over. We are back, the business is back." With a nine percent increase compared to the previous year, the company silver-lined the sale of around 26,200 buses in 2023, thus marking a strong footprint especially in the European coach market. Daimler Buses is on a good path, although it has not yet reached the pre-Corona sales level of 32,600 units. Oberwörder indicates that the company aims to casually swing between 23,000 and 28,000 units in sales numbers for the year 2024. The adjusted return on sales, which stood at 4.7 percent in the year 2023, marks a decisive indicator for the ratio of adjusted profits before interest and taxes to sales. Here, Daimler Buses is targeting a return of five to seven percent for the upcoming fiscal year. Further expansions have the potential to increase the return to eight percent by 2025 and to nine percent by the end of the decade. The positive business development is thus not solely due to market events but also to the pursuit of improved efficiency and concise implementation of measures. Oberwörder announced that the entire bodyshell production for bus manufacturing is to be relocated to the sites in the Czech Republic by 2028. Furthermore, product development in the e-bus sector is expected to further promote the profitability of Daimler Buses. The focus here is on the common use of electric powertrains, components, and technologies with the corporation's e-trucks – a strategic move intended to create synergies and strengthen the leading role in sustainability. In summary, Daimler Buses stands on firm wheels after turbulent times, and is driving into an electrified future with ambitious goals.