AutoBeta(AutoBeta.net)10/11 Report--

In order to further enhance the transformation ability of Mercedes-Benz technology, BAIC and MBtech (Mercedes-Benz Technology) formally established a joint venture "BAIC de Benz" in 2015, followed by the launch of BAIC's own brand model BJ90 based on Mercedes-Benz platform and technology. But after five years of joint venture, BAIC and MBtech parted ways, and MBtech has officially withdrawn its shares.

According to the latest news on the enterprise search website, Beijing BAIC Deben Automotive Technology Center Co., Ltd. has completed the equity change, MBtech (Mercedes-Benz Technology), as a foreign investor, has withdrawn completely, and all foreigners in the senior management team have withdrawn. At this point, the Sino-foreign joint venture company has been changed into sole proprietorship, which is 100% owned by Beijing Automobile Co., Ltd.

According to the information, BAIC Deben is a joint venture technology company established by Beijing Automobile and MBtech in 2015. It has set up its headquarters in Beijing and an office in Stuttgart, Germany. The registered capital of the joint venture company is 10 million US dollars, with a total investment of 25 million US dollars. BAIC accounts for 51 per cent of the joint venture, while MBtech accounts for 49 per cent.

MBtech, an engineering and consulting services company invested by Daimler in 1995, was acquired 65 per cent by AKKA, a French engineering and technology consulting group, in 2011, compared with 35 per cent held by Daimler. But Daimler remains MBtech's main customer.

As a joint venture technology company, BAIC de Ben only serves BAIC's own brand, which is different from domestic and foreign automobile R & D joint ventures. At the same time, the establishment of the joint venture company is also the platform and main body for BAIC to implement comprehensive technical cooperation with Daimler.

BAIC DeBenz is mainly responsible for BAIC's own brand high-end vehicle design, technology research and high-end vehicle platform, as well as new energy vehicle development, while the technology center will also help BAIC absorb and upgrade the SAAB technology platform. When the joint venture was established, Beijing Auto executives said that the cooperation with MBtech (Mercedes-Benz Technology) could further enhance the transformation ability of Mercedes-Benz technology on the one hand, and promote the digestion and absorption of Saab technology on the other hand, and assist the Saab brand on the other.

Thanks to the joint venture and cooperation, BAIC has access to Mercedes-Benz platform technology. BAIC BJ90, a product based on Mercedes-Benz GL, is also a masterpiece of BAIC Deben.

The BJ90 is based on the old GL chassis and is equipped with 3.0T and 4.0T engines provided by Mercedes-Benz. In the early days, the car was mainly used as a special vehicle, but now BJ90 has been put into mass production and sold on the market, with an official price of 69.80-998000 yuan.

In addition, Mercedes-Benz also licensed the previous generation E-class V212 platform and the core technology of the front and rear axles to BAIC. The current model of BAIC's own brand, the BEIJING X7, is also from BAIC Deben.

There is a view that the reason for the sudden withdrawal of the technology company after a five-year joint venture with BAIC is intriguing. Judging from the current results, the results of the cooperation between the two sides are not significant, which may be an important reason why the two sides finally parted ways.

For a long time, BAIC independent passenger car sector of the market performance is relatively weak, unable to achieve self-hematopoiesis. According to the 2019 performance report, the gross profit of Beijing brands decreased from-3.516 billion yuan in 2018 to-4.728 billion yuan in 2019.

In October 2019, BAIC independent plate also carried out a major integration, BAIC new energy and BAIC independent traditional fuel vehicle plate merged into one to launch the BEIJING brand, while the Saab brand was strategically abandoned. Prior to this, BAIC independent plate no longer production and sales of Weiwang brand, off-road vehicle series business is also independent.

Car sales in Beijing from January to August this year totaled 43165, down 1.5% from a year earlier, while BAIC's new energy sales totaled 18841, down 78.7% from a year earlier, according to the Federation of passengers.

The divestment of MBtech (Mercedes-Benz Technology) means that BAIC Deben can no longer get more technical support from foreign parties, and BAIC's independent transformation will rely more on its own strength.

Welcome to subscribe to the WeChat public account "Automotive Industry Focus" to get the first-hand insider information on the automotive industry and talk about things in the automotive circle. Welcome to break the news! WeChat ID autoWechat