"We've completely changed the way we create cars

Mercedes has over 130 years of car-making heritage, but tech chief Markus Schäfer says new technology is transforming everything.

- JAMES ATTWOOD

"I have one of the most interesting jobs in the industry," says Markus Schäfer with a smile, and even though he adds he's "sometimes joking", there's absolute truth to his comment.

His brief as chief technology officer of Mercedes-Benz is vast: effectively, he's responsible for overseeing the research and development of every car that carries the three-pointed star. "That ranges from Formula 1 responsibilities with [Mercedes F1 power unit specialist] High Performance Powertrains to overseeing the entire research and development side of Mercedes-Benz Cars, turning ideas into real products of the future," he says. "That's a unique combination." And that isn't even Schäfer's only job. He sits on the Mercedes-Benz Group board and is also responsible for procurement. "I'm in charge of purchasing around 40 to 50 billion components, depending on the year, that go into cars," he says.

"It's busy these days." Those would be daunting briefs in any era, let alone one in which Mercedes offers one of the largest and most diverse line-ups in the industry in both model types and powertrains. And on top of that there is the swirling uncertainty of electrification and shifting sands of legislation. Schäfer admits it is "very, very challenging".

He adds: "We don't have a crystal ball, but we're trying to anticipate what's happening in the world and react accordingly when developing technology for this iconic brand. But what makes me confident is that we have a unique combination of different entities that no other company has.