Daimler Buses is expanding its production capacity through a cooperation agreement with Otokar Otomotiv ve Savunma Sanayi A.Ş. Starting from September 2026, the Turkish bus manufacturer Otokar will produce the conventionally powered Mercedes‑Benz Conecto city bus for Daimler Buses at its plant in Sakarya, Türkiye. The rationale for this contract manufacturing arrangement is the strong demand for buses of the Mercedes-Benz and Setra brands. Until now, the Mercedes‑Benz Conecto has been exclusively manufactured at Daimler Buses’ Turkish plant in Hoşdere; it is designed for economical operation and optimized operating costs. Till Oberwörder, CEO of Daimler Buses, Süer Ismail Sülün, President & CEO of Mercedes-Benz Türk A.Ş., and Aykut Özüner, CEO of Otokar, signed the agreement today in Sakarya.
Till Oberwörder: “The ongoing strong demand for our products shows that buses are becoming increasingly important to society and that we are offering our customers the right solutions. We are the clear market leader in Europe and Latin America – and this cooperation allows us to further strengthen our position by increasing overall vehicle production. Expanding our production capacity has a positive impact on our profitability. Otokar is a highly respected and reliable partner in our industry with strong manufacturing expertise. Working closely together, we will ensure the high-quality standards our customers expect from Daimler Buses. We look forward to this partnership.”
Süer Sülün: “We are delighted by the strong demand for our buses and the resulting very positive order situation at our Hoşdere plant. The site is a key part of Daimler Buses’ production network and continues to manufacture buses across all segments. We at Mercedes-Benz Türk welcome the partnership with Otokar and are very much looking forward to supporting this collaboration as a strong and reliable partner.”
Aykut Özüner: “We have extensive experience in bus manufacturing, both as a manufacturer and as a contract producer, and have been successfully building high-quality buses for over 60 years. The partnership with Daimler Buses is a significant step for us to further in expanding our production, ensuring the most effective use of our production capacity, and strengthening our position as one of the top five bus manufacturers in Europe. Our goal with this agreement is to establish a sustainable partnership with Daimler Buses.”
Daimler Buses supports Otokar with components supply
Daimler Buses will supply Otokar with all major vehicle components and specific production equipment. The Mercedes-Benz Conecto will be manufactured at Otokar’s plant, which features advanced production technologies. A dedicated Daimler Buses team will be on site to support the production of the Conecto. The agreement also includes expert-led training sessions conducted by Daimler Buses for Otokar employees involved in the production process.
The Mercedes-Benz Conecto
The Mercedes-Benz Conecto is a low-floor bus designed for high passenger capacity in urban transit. It is available as a three-door solo bus and a four-door articulated bus. The fully low-floor design enables level entry and exiting.
Strong Performance by Daimler Buses
In 2024, Daimler Buses defended its market leadership in its key markets in Europe and Latin America with 26,600 units sold (prior year 2023: 26,200). The company also delivered strong results in the first half of 2025: Daimler Buses increased its sales by eight percent to approximately 13,200 units (previous year: 12,300) and improved its return on sales to 9.7 percent (previous year: 7.2 percent).
SOURCE: Daimler
