Daimler CEO says car markets were weak in August

HAMBACH, France (Reuters) - Several car markets were "very weak" in August, especially in Europe, Daimler's chief executive told reporters on Wednesday.

"We were affected as well," Dieter Zetsche said, although he added that the company's Mercedes-Benz and Smart brands performed relatively well compared with the competition.

He said the company had delivered more than 90,000 Smart minicars this year as of the end of August but did not give any more details.

Daimler also announced that serial production of Smart cars with electric power would start from 2012 at the latest. A limited production run of Smart cars with lithium-ion batteries would start late next year.

Zetsche said the Smart business would make a profit again this year and that its sole plant in Hambach still had room to raise output.

Sales of the Smart brand in China will start early next year, but it did not plan to tap the market in Brazil or India at this stage, he said.
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