The Mercedes-Benz Trucks Woerth Plant, Germany, selected South Africa as the destination for its 800 000th CKD-Kit for assembly at Daimler Truck Southern Africa’s (DTSA) manufacturing plant in East London.
This occasion was not only a joint celebration for the East London-based DTSA manufacturing plant and its source plant in Woerth, but also a celebration with their loyal customers: Sesfigile Logistics and Safety One Logistics, who bought the truck in commemoration of their respective 20th and 10th anniversaries. Both companies are owned and operated by Nelen Gounder, who took delivery of the unit at the plant.
The largest truck assembly plant of Mercedes-Benz Trucks was founded in Woerth am Rhein in 1963. The Actros, Arocs and Atego model series are built here. The Mercedes-Benz Special Trucks Econic, Unimog and Zetros are also built in Woerth. In 2021, series production of the battery-electric Mercedes-Benz eActros 300/400 for distribution haulage started in the plant. In 2022, the second Mercedes-Benz eEconic electric series-production truck for municipal use followed. In October 2023, the eActros 600 for long-distance haulage was presented to the global public and will go into series production in Woerth at the end of 2024.
The DTSA Assembly Plant in East London has a rich history spanning more than 60 years. The very first Mercedes-Benz Truck, the L-type, rolled off the assembly line in 1962. Fast forward to 2024, and thousands of trucks and buses have rolled off the assembly line since. Employing approximately 300 people, the plant is a crucial employer for the Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality and currently one of the biggest CKD-plants for Daimler Truck outside of Europe. In 2019, DTSA also received the 750 000th CKD unit for assembly, a Mercedes-Benz Actros 2652 LS 6×4.
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Have you ever noticed that anybody driving slower than you is an idiot, and anyone going faster than you is a maniac?
George Carlin
Volvo has confirmed that its vehicles will now integrate Google’s Gemini artificial intelligence system. This development builds on the company’s existing collaboration with Google, which already provides Android Automotive OS and Google services in Volvo models.
New vehicle sales in 2026 continued their positive trend in April, with the 47 979 units sold marking the best April figure since 2013. This represents a remarkable performance by local automotive retailers despite a host of economic headwinds and a challenging trading environment.
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