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<\/p>\n\n Mercedes-Benz once supplied nearly half of Germany’s new taxis, and now it is scrambling to recover the ground it lost since 2022 <\/p>\n
https:\/\/www.carscoops.com\/author\/bradcarscoops-com\/
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by Brad Anderson<\/a><\/p>\n 11 hours ago<\/p>\n Mercedes is chasing the taxi trade it abandoned over slim margins.<\/p>\n Its share of new German taxis fell from 45 percent to eight.<\/p>\n BYD is undercutting everyone and gunning for four-figure sales.<\/p>\n Mercedes-Benz once owned Germany\u2019s<\/a> taxi trade, serving as the default supplier for the country\u2019s nearly 17,000 operators before walking away over thin margins. Now it has changed its mind again, reopening the door to the cab business as it rethinks strategy and tries to slow BYD\u2019s push into the sector.<\/p>\n Read: Mercedes Taxi Sales Collapse By 71%, But The Company Doesn\u2019t Really Care<\/a><\/p>\n Through the first half of 2025, Mercedes-Benz models accounted for just eight percent of newly registered taxis<\/a> in the country, down significantly from the 45 percent in 2022. Mercedes-Benz\u2019s renewed focus on cabs has resulted in its vehicles accounting for 18 percent of new taxi registrations over the same period in 2026.<\/p>\n
Between 4,000 and 6,000 new taxis are registered annually in Germany and for years, the Mercedes-Benz E-Class has been the go-to choice for many. Last year, just 72 new E-Class taxis were registered, but from January to June this year, that number had climbed to 126, Handelsblatt reports<\/a>.<\/p>\n Discounts Do The Heavy Lifting<\/p>\n This rise comes in part thanks to Mercedes-Benz<\/a> offering a 24 percent discount to taxi operators for two popular E-Class diesel models, cutting their prices to under \u20ac40,000 ($46,300). This offer was initially going to expire in July but has been extended until the end of the year. The Vito is also available with an 18 percent discount and a \u20ac6,000 ($6,900) rebate, while the V-Class is offered with a 3 percent discount and a \u20ac5,000 ($5,700) one-time payment.<\/p>\n The V-Class is on its way out, replaced by the electric VLE, which Mercedes also wants in taxi fleets, according to Handelsblatt\u2019s sources. That plan has a snag, though. Specified with the roomiest configuration, the VLE can tip past 3.5 tons (7,716 lbs), which puts it outside what a standard Class B license allows.<\/p>\n According to automotive analyst Frank Schwope, \u201cgiving up on taxis was a fatal mistake by [Mercedes CEO] Ola K\u00e4llenius,\u201d adding, \u201ca taxi fleet sends a very strong signal.\u201d Schwope argues that every fare doubles as a test drive, exposing passengers to models they might otherwise never consider.<\/p>\n BYD Moves In<\/p>\n
As Mercedes-Benz\u2019s interest in the taxi sector has changed, BYD has stepped up<\/a>. Carsten Schopf, the company\u2019s local manager and head of business customer sales, says \u201ctaxis are an important part of our growth strategy,\u201d and expects roughly 500 taxi sales by year-end.<\/p>\n That is a stretch, given BYD registered all of 10 new taxis in Germany during the first half, though Schopf says orders have already passed 100 units. The goal for 2027 is four digits. \u201cNext year, the number in Germany absolutely has to be in the four figures,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n![\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/germany\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/16C666_07-copy-1024x576.jpg\")
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