Heavy vehicle discounts program unlocks with Mercedes-Benz's major sale

By Décio Costa | Transled Jorge Meditsch

Much more slowly than what happened in the light vehicle segment, the government discounts program for heavy vehicles seems to present some results, at least for Mercedes-Benz. In a ceremony held this Friday, 7/14, at the plant in São Bernardo do Campo, SP, the manufacturer announced its first major sale through the program.

In partnership with Marcopolo, Mercedes negotiated with Suzantur 90 OF 1721 urban bus chassis to be used in the Great ABC (Santo André, São Bernardo and São Caetano, SP) and 20 units of the O 500 RSD road bus to be operated by Viação Itapemirim, a company of the same group.

Another operation was the purchase by Carga Pesada Engenharia e Transporte, a company from the state of Espírito Santo, of five Axor and one Actros truck.

“Despite being punctual, the discounts program is key to restoring the market at this critical moment of low demand, high interest and more expensive vehicles, as well as to encourage the fleet renovation and decarbonization”, said Roberto Leoncini, trucks and bus Sales and Marketing vice president. “We are putting 110 new buses on the road and taking out 110 old vehicles.”

Geraldo Alckmin, Brazil’s vice president and minister of Development, Industry, Commerce and Services, present at the ceremony, commented that the heavy vehicle segment’s operation is slower. “It must buy an old vehicle to be recycled, which takes time.”

According to the program rules, to receive a discount from R$ 33.600 to R$ 99.400, depending on the cargo or passenger capacity, the purchaser must present a 20 or more years-old vehicle to be scrapped.

Photo: Mercedes-Benz