Monocle’s editorial director, Tyler Brûlé, joins Ola Källenius, who leads both Daimler and Mercedes-Benz, to discuss why the original inventor of the four-wheeler is at the forefront of sustainable change. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
There are few countries we associate with the manufacturing of vehicles quite like Germany and few brands that boast such an impressive brand story as Daimler.
Home to Mercedes Benz, the original inventors of the four wheeler Daimler Benz was formed in 1926 when Gottlieb Daimler and Karl Benz merged their then competing companies into one unified brand.
Almost a century later, in the midst of their competitors race to rebrand as mobility or technology companies, Ole Chelanius, who leads both Daimler and Mercedes Benz is proud to say that they're still a car company, but one that's at the forefront of sustainable change.
In today's episode of the Chiefs, we take a trip to Mercedes Benz in Stuttgart to find out just how Challenius plans to pivot Mercedes into an electric future and why this doesn't mean leaving human centric design behind.
Plus, why do electric cars have to have that blue glow?
And should we call Mercedes sub brands tribes?
I'm Tyler Brulee, proud member of Mercedes G Tribe and this is the Chiefs on Monocle 24.
Let's start.
We're in one of many buildings in Germany that has a glittering three pointed star spinning on the rooftop.
Here we are heading to 2022.
Lots of companies talk about what they are.
This is such a unique business and brand.
Are you luxury?
Are you mobility, are you a digital company that has wheels?
When you define this business because you are really unique within your sector, what are you?
If you want to put it in real simple terms, what is Mercedes all about?
It's very simple.
We want to build the world's most desirable cars.
So we are a car company at our core, of course, our founding fathers.
And you're happy to say that still when so many CEOs want to talk about their transformational this or trans.