Mercedes-Benz Trucks has announced that Rainer Müller-Finkeldei will assume the role of Product Development head in May 2023. Müller-Finkeldei will replace Uwe Baake, who played a pivotal role in the development of trucks such as the GenH2 and the eActros, and will retire as planned at the end of April.
Müller-Finkeldei’s new role will involve overseeing the development divisions of Mercedes-Benz Trucks in Germany, Brazil, and Turkey. He joins at a time when Daimler Truck aims to offer only CO2-neutral new vehicles in Europe, Japan, and North America by 2039, with the long-term objective of achieving CO2-neutral transport on roads by 2050. Mercedes-Benz Truck is a part of the Daimler Truck division.
Müller-Finkeldei is a home-grown employee of the commercial vehicle manufacturer, having joined the Daimler Group in 1995. He held various positions in research and development in the passenger car and van sectors before moving to the Truck Division in 2004. In his most recent position, he was Senior Vice President Product Engineering and Technology at Daimler Truck North America.
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Karin Rådström, CEO of Mercedes-Benz Trucks, expressed her confidence in Müller-Finkeldei’s ability to lead product development in sustainable transportation, citing his engineering expertise and international experience.
Baake, the current Head of Mercedes-Benz Truck Product Development, will retire after 28 years of service. He played a key role in expanding the global research and development centers in Germany, Brazil, Turkey, and China and founded the new Mercedes-Benz Trucks Design Center. Rådström thanked him for his contributions and achievements, particularly in the areas of low- and zero-emission drive technologies and global platform strategies.
As Mercedes-Benz Trucks continues to focus on sustainable transportation, the appointment of Müller-Finkeldei to head product development underscores the company’s commitment to reducing its carbon footprint and promoting eco-friendly technologies.
