STUTTGART, Germany, March 9, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Daimler AG and its brands smart, moovel and car2go are guests at the world's largest digital conference, South by Southwest® (SXSW®) in Austin, Texas for the first time. The agenda shows central future topics, which are discussed in workshops, virtual reality installations and discussion groups. The unique mix of digital conference, music as well as film festival sets a world-wide emphasis on social issues. Dr. Dieter Zetsche, Chairman of the Board of Management of Daimler AG and Head of Mercedes-Benz Cars, will be explaining why highly accurate maps are of crucial importance for the continued development of autonomous driving. His speech will take place on March 11 at 9:30 a.m. in the Hotel JW Marriott Austin Downtown. The "house of smart" that is being staged in parallel to the conference is extending an invitation to a total of 15 interactive sessions and discussions, during which experts from around the world will be debating crucial social issues of the future. As a pioneer of electric mobility, smart will also be providing a free shuttle service in the centre of Austin between March 11 and 14 with a fleet of smart fortwo electric drive vehicles.
The comprehensive brand presence of Daimler AG showcases its diverse innovative strengths and provides creative impetus to help shape future mobility. "The South by Southwest provides a strong platform for open discussions with creative and very diverse people. The main question is how we as a society in the future would live together, work and be mobile. We are pleased to be able to contribute as a company in this environment as well," says Dr. Dieter Zetsche, Chairman of the Board of Management of Daimler AG and Head of Mercedes-Benz Cars.
A complete overview of Daimler's activities at South by Southwest is available at www.mbrdna.com/news/mbrdna-at-sxsw-2017
Further information from Daimler is available at:
www.media.daimler.com and www.daimler.com
Daimler at a Glance
Daimler AG is one of the world's most successful automotive companies. With its divisions Mercedes-Benz Cars, Daimler Trucks, Mercedes-Benz Vans, Daimler Buses and Daimler Financial Services, the Daimler Group is one of the biggest producers of premium cars and the world's biggest manufacturer of commercial vehicles with a global reach. Daimler Financial Services provides financing, leasing, fleet management, insurance, financial investments, credit cards, and innovative mobility services.
The company's founders, Gottlieb Daimler and Carl Benz, made history with the invention of the automobile in the year 1886. As a pioneer of automotive engineering, Daimler continues to shape the future of mobility today:
The Group's focus is on innovative and green technologies as well as on safe and superior automobiles that appeal and fascinate. Daimler consequently invests in the development of alternative drive trains with the long-term goal of emission-free driving: from hybrid vehicles to electric vehicles powered by battery or fuel cell. Furthermore, the company follows a consistent path towards accident-free driving and intelligent connectivity all the way to autonomous driving. This is just one example of how Daimler willingly accepts the challenge of meeting its responsibility towards society and the environment. Daimler sells its vehicles and services in nearly all the countries of the world and has production facilities in Europe, North and South America, Asia, and Africa. Its current brand portfolio includes, in addition to the world's most valuable premium automotive brand, Mercedes-Benz, as well as Mercedes-AMG, Mercedes-Maybach and Mercedes me, the brands smart, EQ, Freightliner, Western Star, BharatBenz, FUSO, Setra and Thomas Built Buses, and Daimler Financial Services' brands: Mercedes-Benz Bank, Mercedes-Benz Financial Services, Daimler Truck Financial, moovel, car2go and mytaxi.
The company is listed on the stock exchanges of Frankfurt and Stuttgart (stock exchange symbol DAI). In 2016, the Group sold around 3 million vehicles and employed a workforce of 282,488 people; revenue totalled €153.3 billion and EBIT amounted to €12.9 billion.
About CASE
CASE – these letters will shape the future of Mercedes-Benz Cars. They stand for the strategic pillars of connectivity (Connected), autonomous driving (Autonomous), flexible use (Shared & Services) and electric drive systems (Electric), which will be intelligently combined with one another by the company. Mercedes-Benz Cars already plays a leading role in all four areas. For example, all activities in the area of connectivity are focused on the digital brand Mercedes me, which gives customers access to an extensive and personalised range of services by app, website or straight from their car. On the way to autonomous driving, Mercedes-Benz has for years been a key driver of development and has repeatedly set the benchmark. To this end, the Mercedes engineers use what is known as sensor fusion. The data from different sensors, such as cameras, ultrasound and radar, are intelligently combined and analysed. When it comes to sharing, too, the inventor of the car is a pioneer with car2go. With some two million users the company is the world's biggest provider in the area of free-floating car-sharing. Mercedes-Benz is pursuing a holistic approach regarding the electrification of the drivetrain. Apart from the EQ brand with a family of vehicles, Mercedes-Benz is also developing a holistic ecosystem, which, alongside the vehicle itself, also comprises a comprehensive range of electric mobility-related offerings. This extends from intelligent services to energy storage units for private and commercial customers as well as charging technologies, such as inductive charging, to sustainable recycling. The activities are bundled into a new organisation in order to drive forward the equal development of all four pillars.
SOURCE Daimler North America - Corporate Communications
