Daimler said it sold more vehicles in the first six months of 2018 than ever before in a half year as 1,188,882 vehicles with the three-pointed star were delivered to customers in the first six months of this year.

Daimler reported Daimler Trucks’ unit sales of 123,900 vehicles in Q2/18 were up 6% from 116,400 units in the same quarter one year-ago. Year-to-date truck sales were 237,756, up 13% from 210,436 for the same period in 2017. Daimler noted sales volume in the NAFTA region and Asia increased to 44,300 and 40,300 units, respectively, up from 42,300 and 35,650, respectively, in Q2/17.

In its outlook, Daimler said Daimler Trucks assumes that its total unit sales in the year 2018 will be significantly higher than in the previous year. This is largely due to the significant recovery of some important markets. In the NAFTA region, the division expects a significant sales increase compared with 2017 as a result of the ongoing market recovery.

Daimler Financial Services (DFS) unit further increased its new business in Q2/18 with 501,000 new leasing and financing contracts for a total volume of $21.3 billion, up 2% compared to the prior-year period. The DFS portfolio included more than five million vehicles at the end of June, 2018, which is equivalent to a contract volume of $171.0 billion, translating into growth of 5% compared with the end of 2017.

In its outlook for Financial Services, Daimler said it anticipates further growth in contract volume in the year 2018. New business is expected to be in the magnitude of the previous year. In China, new business continues to grow very dynamically. The division will utilize new market potential through new and digital possibilities for customer contacts – in particular by systematically further developing its online sales channels.