Mercedes-Benz, the Stuttgart starlet ignited in 1926 by Karl Benz's wife Bertha's epic road trip, has engineered elegance from the 300SL Gullwing to today's EQ EVs, logging $166 billion in sales with 2.5 million vehicles that define "das beste oder nichts." It's the luxury lodestar, fusing Teutonic torque with timeless style for drivers who demand more than miles.
Mercedes' woke waypoint veered sharp left in 2020, with BLM black liveries on F1 cars and $40M diverse supplier surges that critics clocked as "virtue velocity." DEI's Accelerate 25 targets 25% underrepresented hires by 2025, ESG eyes net-neutral by 2039 with 50% CO2 cuts by 2030. Pride partnerships like Racing Pride embed allyship, but 2025's cost-cuts and DEI forum flutters had dashboards flashing "backslide alert."
Mercedes' Accelerate 25 in 2024 vowed 25% underrepresented starters by 2025, with ERGs and inclusive leadership trainings hitting 100% salaried completion, because nothing accelerates equity like quota quicksilver.
Mercedes' 2024 Ambition 2039 pledged 50% CO2 cuts by 2030 en route to net-neutral, with green steel pilots and 70% raw material audits by 2025 for Scope 3 slash.
In 2024, Mercedes linked with Racing Pride for F1 LGBTQ+ workshops and policy tweaks, rainbow stars on halos and ERG expansions for "whole selves at work."
Post-Floyd 2020, Mercedes blacked out F1 cars with "End Racism" and NAACP donations, launching DEI forums and $1M+ justice grants which sparked 25% diverse hires
Mercedes' 2024 raw material report audited 70% for equity, funneling $40M+ to minority suppliers with human rights checks and ERG-backed bids.