Hyperdrive

Mercedes CEO Scours China for High-Tech Partners as Sales Slide

  • Carmaker adding features that will appeal to Chinese market
  • BMW, Mercedes slash outlook after Chinese consumers step back

Ola Källenius

Photographer: Ben Kilb/Bloomberg
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Mercedes-Benz Group AG’s chief executive officer is in China this week on a mission to expand local technology partnerships that could help the luxury carmaker turn around a sales decline in the market.

Ola Källenius, who has made multiple trips to China this year, is traveling to Beijing with other management and supervisory board members, according to people briefed on the plans. The goal is to make Mercedes’ new electric vehicles more appealing to Chinese consumers, the people said, asking not to be named as the discussions are private.