Mercedes-Benz

Mercedes-Benz is a German car maker with its corporate headquarters in Stuttgart, Germany. According to the company's United States site, it was founded in 1926 by Karl Benz, Gottlieb Daimler, Wilhelm Maybach and Emil Jellinek. The group's media pages trace the motor car back to a patent held by Carl Benz in 1886, followed shortly after by a motor carriage built by Gottlieb Daimler.

What it makes

The company builds passenger vehicles in several body styles: SUVs, sedans and wagons, coupes, and convertibles and roadsters. Its brand family covers Mercedes-Benz, Mercedes-AMG, Mercedes Electric and Mercedes-Maybach. Mercedes-Benz Vans runs as a separate vans site, and Mercedes-Benz Financial Services sits alongside the car business.

Where it builds and sells

The United States site states that vehicles are made in 17 countries on five continents, and that the company has offices in 93 locations worldwide. For American drivers of electric models, the same site describes the Mercedes-Benz High-Power Charging Network, which it says gives Mercedes-Benz drivers preferential access across North America.

Its electric line-up

Electric passenger cars on the United States site include the CLA 250+ Electric and CLA 350 4MATIC Electric sedans, the EQS sedan range and the G 580 off-roader with four electric motors. A plug-in hybrid GLC 350e 4MATIC sits in the mid-size SUV range. Special offer links on the same site also name the EQB and EQE models. Beyond the cars, the media pages describe a digital product development programme called PLM.AI, which the company says speeds up processes by up to 30 percent, and an expanded partnership with NVIDIA on safe, highly automated driving over the coming decade.

Key facts

• Based in: Stuttgart, Germany
• Founded: 1926
• Brands: Mercedes-Benz, Mercedes-AMG, Mercedes Electric, Mercedes-Maybach, Mercedes-Benz Vans
• Production: vehicles made in 17 countries on five continents
• Offices: 93 locations worldwide