Mercedes Benz launched production in Russia. Symbolically, the president came to the opening of the new Mercedes factory in Moscow Oblast in the Russian-made Aurus. We welcome foreign producers who want to work in our country, however, we'll support and protect our producers. It's worth noting that there's high competition among car companies in Russia. Not everyone can handle this: Ford is leaving, Opel is coming back. This is a huge market which many are fighting for.
- Vladimir, it's worth noting that foreign producers are officially considered to be domestic. The reason for this is that the full cycle of high-quality production is in Russia and the cars are made by Russian workers. It's possible for sure.
MERCEDES BENZ. FIRST PLANT
There's a palm print with the sign "Vladimir Putin". There was a real show at the opening of the Mercedes factory. The Russian president had to come on stage through laser rays.
The scale of the show is understandable. This is the first Mercedes factory producing passenger cars in Russia. There are first cars made at this factory. When it reaches its full capacity, it'll produce about 40,000 cars per year.
- Let's speak German.
Dieter Zetsche: The president speaks German better than you.
When they played the promo video, it was in Russian. The German executive needed a headphone urgently but it was constantly slipping off.
Vladimir Putin: Do you like your job?
- Yes, hello. I'm not used to it, but everything's great.
Apparently, the factory management recommended the employees to work as if nothing's happening. And here's a girl thoroughly applying the coating with a roller as if she doesn't notice the delegation of the highest level imaginable. However, somebody openly or secretly shot the president for themselves.
"Here's the most powerful man in the world".
Everyone wanted to shoot such an important event and especially themselves. Here's what was going in just a few inches from Putin.
High German quality is provided mainly by Russian employees here. The company invested not only in the new production but in professional training.
- I came and they taught me here how to assemble as if it's for me.
- Can you afford such a car?
- So far, I can't, but with time…
There's free coffee from a coffee-machine, perfect cleanliness, Russian names of the employees are written in English letters on the stands. The staff is being recruited, but the coherent manner of work is seen in the details.
- What does a wedding mean for you?
- Wedding is the main process.
- Wedding is when the engine is connected to the bodywork.
There'll be one thousand jobs and billions of rubles of taxes to the Russian budget. It's happening when not only political but economic relations between Russia and the EU can't be considered good.
Vladimir Putin: “I know that the dialogue took quite a while, that the campaign for the investment decision was lengthy.”
Now, there are signs "Russland" in German everywhere in workshops.
Dieter Zetsche, Chairman of the Board of Management of Daimler AG: "We're investing 250 million euros, or 19 billion rubles, in this project".
Mercedes also opened the biggest dealer center in Moscow.
This shows how much the company is confident in the potential of the Russian car market. The hood of the car which Putin was to sign was even more polished. He signed in white on the black. We found out that they already took the hood off that car. They want to exhibit it in some place of honor at the factory.
Yan Madea, Mercedes Benz Rus CEO: "This is a strong signal of the fact that we believe in Russia, that we want to develop our business here".
Vladimir Putin: "You know that I and many of my colleagues used to and still use Mercedes vehicles, which proved as cars of the highest quality in the entire world".
But still, Putin came to the Mercedes factory in the Russian-made Aurus. The Mercedes factory became the 20th foreign producer in Russia. There's high competition for Russian customers. Somebody can't handle this: Ford announced that it leaves Russia. In comparison with 2000, the number of cars in Russia has increased almost three-fold.
In 2005 in the village of Shushary near St. Petersburg, they began to build a Toyota factory in Russia. At that moment, the country was full of decayed second-hand foreign-made cars. And then, one of the most powerful producers in the world came to Russia. Almost all the rest followed it.
Putin also finds investors for AutoVAZ at which people liked to chuckle, saying that nobody and nothing can save it.
Vladimir Putin: "These are conditions for the car industry to develop in Russia. This is what'll happen".
Almost every year, he personally contributed to making the Russian car industry more popular. He rode 1,200 miles in the Far East and the words "Yellow Lada Kalina" became a powerful brand.
Vladimir Putin: I saw the color yesterday evening. Let be like this. It's bright and highly visible on the road.
- It's beautiful.
- Let's not forget that VAZ produces the most popular cars in our country which millions of people use. We'll see how it works.
Putin also publicly drove Niva. When journalists immediately started to ask questions, he offered them to learn all of the answers at the wheel.
- Close the door. Close the door.
- Can the Turkish press try the car out?
Vladimir Putin: Of course, please, go and drive it. Sure, do it.
During the economic crisis in 2009 when car sales fell, Russia supported foreign producers as well.
Vladimir Putin: They're all Russian producers for us.
After the fall in previous years, the Russian car market began to grow again. Last year, car production in Russia grew by 15%. Actually, there are foreign orders for the world's novelty — a presidential car made in Russia. If you take a closer look, you'll see the name Kama on the tires of the presidential motorcade. Putin personally demonstrates Aurus to his counterparts — leaders from other countries.
The presidential motorcade rushes along the Formula 1 track. As far as we know, this car goes zero to 60 mph in 6 seconds. This is a true headquarters on wheels. This was shot this week. Putin gets in the car. We see a clock installed on the front seat, it's right in front of the president's eyes. All of a sudden, somebody is running to the car. His spokesperson Peskov gets into Putin's car. They're having a working meeting on the go.
- Of course, we can congratulate Moscow Oblast on such an investor. Interestingly, it's a completely different assembly line. If Henry Ford saw the modern car production, he'd be very surprised. Now, there are GPS stations, movement from one place to another. Everything is very high-tech.
- Some cars even don't have drivers.
- They don't have drivers. But there's still the pleasure of driving a car. So, not everyone is ready to buy a car where there's no driver. Some want to set the road on fire, minding the traffic laws, of course.
