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. Daimler Buses will supply all major components and specific equipment to Otokar.
Daimler states the reason for this 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. 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 in Sakarya. Till Oberwörder, CEO Daimler Buses: “The ongoing strong demand for our products shows that buses are becoming increasingly important to society. 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.” Aykut Özüner, CEO Otokar: “The partnership with Daimler Buses is a significant step for us 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.” Daimler Buses will supply Otokar with all major vehicle components and specific production equipment. 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. 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."
In 2024, Daimler Buses sold 26,600 units in its key markets Europe and Latin America (prior year 2023: 26,200). 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). Otokar, a Koç Group company, is headquartered in Türkiye and has subsidiaries in France, Italy, Romania, the United Arab Emirates, and Kazakhstan and a branch office in Germany, Otokar exports its commercial vehicles to more than 50 countries worldwide. Mercedes-Benz Türk has been operating in Türkiye for 58 years as an integral part of Daimler Buses production network. Mercedes-Benz Türk has produced more than 113,000 buses and around 400,000 trucks since its establishment. Since its opening in 1995, Hoşdere Bus Plant is the largest bus production site of Daimler Buses besides the two German plants, Mannheim and Neu‑Ulm, and sites in Ligny‑en‑Barrois, France and Samano in Spain.