INDEX / DIRECTORY / MERCEDES-BENZ

Mercedes-Benz

Car Manufacturers 108 CITED SOURCES UPDATED 2026-09-01 METHOD V6.4
BDS-1000 Score 513 /1000 C Tier C - High
Military ↗ 4.32 Digital ↗ 2.00 Economic ↗ 5.50 Political ↗ 3.50
OWNERSHIP TREE 7 brands and group businesses View all

OpenIntel is reader-funded - no sponsors, no institutional money. Support OpenIntel →

Key Findings

  • Economic: Mercedes-Benz Group maintains a wholly owned Tel Aviv R&D subsidiary and has documented commercial/investment relationships with Israeli technology companies, including Gauzy and StoreDot.1, 2, 3, 4
  • Military: Mercedes Sprinter 4×4 ambulances were procured by Israel’s Ministry of Defence through the independent importer Colmobil; no equivalent public direct contract between Mercedes-Benz Group and the Israeli Ministry of Defence was identified.5, 6
  • Digital: The Tel Aviv centre researches connected-car services, cybersecurity and biometric authentication; Israeli vendors Valens and Gauzy have documented Mercedes-Benz product relationships.1, 7, 8
  • Not found: No public evidence identified of Mercedes-Benz Group directly manufacturing weapons, supplying munitions, holding Israel-specific military export licences, or operating retail/service sites inside West Bank settlements.9, 10

Target Profile

FieldDetail
Company NameMercedes-Benz Group AG
JurisdictionGermany; publicly listed German Aktiengesellschaft.11
HeadquartersStuttgart, Germany.12
SectorPassenger cars, vans, mobility, financial services, and automotive software/R&D.
OwnershipPublicly listed (FRA: MBG). Documented major shareholders include BAIC Group (9.98% voting rights), Li Shufu/Tenaciou3 Prospect Investment Ltd (9.69%), and Kuwait Investment Authority (approximately 4.97–5.33%).13, 14
Key Executives / GovernanceOla Källenius, Group Chairman and CEO; Bernd Pischetsrieder, Supervisory Board Chairman; Manfred Bischoff, Honorary Chairman.15
Israeli-Nexus SummaryDirect Israeli R&D presence and technology/investment relationships; Mercedes vans reach Israeli state users through independent importer Colmobil, while post-2021 Mercedes-branded heavy-truck procurement is attributable to Daimler Truck, a separate company.

Key Facts:

Executive Summary

Mercedes-Benz Group AG has a documented, continuing commercial and research presence in Israel. Its clearest direct corporate nexus is Mercedes-Benz Research & Development Tel Aviv Ltd., a wholly owned Group subsidiary focused on connected-car software, digital mobility services, cybersecurity, biometric authentication, navigation and technology-ecosystem scouting.12, 17, 19 The Group also has documented relationships with Israeli technology businesses: Gauzy supplies smart-glass technology used in serial-production Mercedes-Benz vehicles, Valens connectivity chips have been integrated into specified Mercedes-Benz models, and Daimler led StoreDot’s 2017 investment round.1, 3, 4, 7

The military record requires entity separation. Mercedes-Benz Group retains the G-Class governmental/military base-vehicle programme and its Sprinter van line. Through Colmobil, an Israeli independent importer, Israel’s Ministry of Defence procured Mercedes Sprinter 4×4 ambulances; approximately 30 were delivered in November 2023 after the Gaza conflict began.5, 6 Mercedes-Benz Group also co-developed the LAPV464 armoured G-Class prototype with Israeli armour company Plasan. However, no confirmed production order or IDF procurement for that prototype was identified.20

Conversely, the publicly reported Actros, Arocs and Atego heavy-truck procurements for Israeli military use must not be attributed to Mercedes-Benz Group AG after the 2021 spin-off. Those model lines, including Mercedes-Benz Special Trucks, belong to Daimler Truck Holding AG, a separate listed corporate parent, even though the Mercedes-Benz Trucks brand persists.16, 21 Pre-spin-off deliveries belong to the historic combined Daimler AG. No public evidence identified shows Mercedes-Benz Group directly supplying munitions, guided weapons, complete strategic weapons systems, military base services, or Israel-specific military export licences.9, 10

The political record includes €2 million in October–November 2023 donations: €1 million to United Hatzalah and the German Red Cross, followed by €1 million to the German Red Cross. Mercedes-Benz states this aid was intended to alleviate civilian suffering in Israel and Gaza alike and has publicly denied claims that it donated to a military organisation.22 No public evidence identified supports Israel/Palestine-specific lobbying, donations to the IDF or associated military-welfare organisations, settlement retail presence, or a formal Israeli state partnership.10, 22

Under the fixed, human-vetted V6 assessment supplied for this dossier, Mercedes-Benz Group AG receives BRS 513, Tier C (Substantial Complicity). The result reflects documented direct economic and technological integration in Israel, a direct corporate R&D presence, and the in-scope Sprinter/Plasan record, while preserving the limits of the evidence and excluding wrong-entity attribution for Daimler Truck operations.

Timeline of Relevant Events

DateEvent
September 2017Daimler AG led a USD 60 million StoreDot investment round and entered a strategic-cooperation agreement with the Israeli battery-technology company.4
16 November 2017Mercedes-Benz opened its Tel Aviv digital R&D centre.12, 17
February 2018Colmobil won an IMOD tender for 90 Mercedes Sprinter 519 4×4 ambulances, with an option for further vehicles.6
January 2019Daimler integrated Otonomo’s connected-vehicle data platform into Mercedes-Benz connected cars.23
July 2021Daimler and Otonomo expanded their relationship to fleet-data access across 25 European countries; Otonomo’s subsequent US merger leaves current commercial relevance unresolved.24, 25
December 2021Daimler AG completed the spin-off of commercial trucks and buses into Daimler Truck Holding AG.16
2021Mercedes-Benz and Plasan developed the LAPV464 protected-vehicle prototype based on the G-Class W464.20
December 2022Colmobil won IMOD tenders for Mercedes Actros/Arocs tractor heads; post-spin-off attribution is Daimler Truck, not Mercedes-Benz Group.21
October–November 2023Mercedes-Benz announced €2 million in civilian-humanitarian donations through United Hatzalah and the German Red Cross and denied military-organisation donations.22
November 2023Approximately 30 Mercedes Sprinter 4×4 ambulances were delivered to the IDF via Colmobil; 112 Arocs tractor heads were also delivered, but are attributable to Daimler Truck.5, 21
April 2025Gauzy’s dual SPD/PDLC smart-glass stack appeared in Mercedes-Benz’s Vision V show car at Auto Shanghai.1
June 2026Mercedes-Benz signed an exploratory MoU with German firm TYTAN Technologies for a counter-drone vehicle platform; no Israel connection or production order was identified.26

Corporate Overview

Mercedes-Benz Group AG is the passenger-car and van successor to Daimler AG. Its separation from Daimler Truck is essential to this record: since 10 December 2021, Arocs, Actros, Atego, Zetros and Unimog lines, including Mercedes-Benz Special Trucks, belong to Daimler Truck Holding AG rather than Mercedes-Benz Group AG.16, 21

Mercedes-Benz Group’s direct Israeli corporate presence is Mercedes-Benz Research & Development Tel Aviv Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary and active Group R&D location.12, 17 Its stated work concerns digital mobility, connected vehicles, cybersecurity, biometric authentication, navigation and engagement with Israeli universities and technology companies.19

Israel-market distribution is handled by Colmobil Group/Major Motors Ltd., an independent Harlap-family-owned importer. The importer relationship is commercial and exclusive, but Colmobil is not a Mercedes-Benz Group subsidiary, joint venture or majority-controlled affiliate.18 The record therefore distinguishes Mercedes-Benz Group’s corporate acts from Colmobil’s contracting and servicing activities.

Mercedes-Benz also has an authorised dealership in Ramallah, operated by Sharikat Gargour Al-Tijariyyah.27 No public evidence identified places a Mercedes-Benz or Colmobil showroom, retail outlet or service facility inside a West Bank settlement.

Domain Summaries

Military: Military

Mechanism of Involvement

Mercedes-Benz Group’s in-scope military/governmental products include the G-Class, supplied through G-Class Governmental Business, and the Sprinter van line.28 Its G-Class programme includes military variants, while Mercedes-Benz and Israeli armour company Plasan co-developed the LAPV464 prototype. The prototype used a G-Class W464 platform and a Plasan-designed armoured hull; no confirmed production order or IDF procurement was identified.20

The most concrete in-scope Israeli state-user record is the Sprinter ambulance procurement channel. A 2018 IMOD tender for 90 Mercedes Sprinter 519 4×4 ambulances was awarded through Colmobil, and approximately 30 Sprinter 4×4 ambulances were delivered to the IDF in November 2023 through accelerated supply.5, 6 Maintenance is performed through Colmobil’s authorised garages, not directly by Mercedes-Benz Group at military sites.6

Counter-Arguments and Evidence Limits

The strongest limiting consideration is corporate separation. Heavy Actros, Arocs and Atego contracts reported in connection with Israeli tank, APC and bulldozer transport are Daimler Truck matters after the 2021 spin-off, not Mercedes-Benz Group AG matters.16, 21 Brand similarity does not establish common current corporate attribution.

The Sprinter ambulances were procured via an independent importer; no public evidence identified shows Mercedes-Benz Group as a direct party to those IMOD contracts or as directly operating Israeli military logistics facilities.6 No public evidence identified shows Mercedes-Benz Group manufacturing or supplying munitions, weapons, guided systems or complete strategic weapons platforms for Israel.9 The LAPV464 was a prototype, not a verified Israeli production procurement.20

Named Entities and Evidence Map

Digital: Digital

Mechanism of Involvement

Mercedes-Benz Research & Development Tel Aviv Ltd. is a confirmed active Israeli R&D facility. Its stated focus includes connected-vehicle software, mobility services, cybersecurity, biometric authentication and startup-ecosystem engagement.12, 17, 19

Valens Semiconductor, an Israeli company, supplies VA6000 connectivity chipsets used in Mercedes-Benz S-Class, C-Class and E-Class vehicles. Public materials describe the broader Daimler–Valens partnership and estimate Valens technology in approximately 3.5 million Mercedes-Benz vehicles.7, 30 Gauzy, headquartered in Tel Aviv, supplies smart-glass technology used across five Mercedes-Benz serial-production models, including the Maybach S-Class and SL Roadster.1, 3

Daimler integrated Israeli-domiciled Otonomo’s vehicle-data platform in 2019 and expanded the arrangement in 2021. Otonomo’s 2023 merger with US-domiciled Urgent.ly means its current domicile and continuing Mercedes-Benz commercial relevance require caution; neither is confirmed by the cited public record.23, 24, 25

Counter-Arguments and Evidence Limits

No public evidence identified shows the Tel Aviv R&D subsidiary directly contributing to IDF, Israeli intelligence or defence-system development.17 No public evidence identified shows Mercedes-Benz using Israeli cloud regions, Israeli sovereign-cloud providers, Israeli government cloud procurement, or Israeli state-agency telemetry sharing.31

No public evidence identified establishes a current Mercedes-Benz–Mobileye supplier relationship, including for Drive Pilot. Mercedes-Benz documentation identifies NVIDIA, Bosch and other non-Israeli suppliers for the system; an analyst report associating Mercedes-Benz with future Valens/Mobileye design wins is second-order and not publicly confirmed by Mercedes-Benz.32, 33 Argus Cyber Security is no longer an independently Israeli-domiciled firm, having been acquired by Germany’s Continental; no public evidence identifies a direct Mercedes-Benz contract with Argus while it was Israeli-domiciled.34

Named Entities and Evidence Map

Economic: Economic

Mechanism of Involvement

Mercedes-Benz Group has a direct investment and operational presence in Israel through its wholly owned Tel Aviv R&D subsidiary.12, 17 It also has documented commercial sourcing from Gauzy and historic strategic investment in StoreDot. Daimler led StoreDot’s USD 60 million 2017 round, and public investor material continued to list Mercedes-Benz as a backer; no public evidence identified confirms an exit or termination.1, 4

Daimler also made a USD 50 million strategic investment in Via Transportation and established a European on-demand shuttle joint venture. Via was Israeli-founded but is now headquartered in New York; the public record does not confirm Mercedes-Benz Group’s residual stake.35

Colmobil’s market activity is relevant context but is not itself a Mercedes-Benz Group corporate operation. It purchases and resells vehicles under an exclusive distribution relationship; its local sales, servicing and contracts remain importer-level acts.18

Counter-Arguments and Evidence Limits

No public evidence identified shows a Mercedes-Benz Group manufacturing facility in Israel or the Occupied Palestinian Territories, or Mercedes-Benz products assembled in or exported from those territories.36 No public evidence identified shows a Group fixed-asset investment in Israel beyond the Tel Aviv R&D subsidiary, or publicly discloses Israel-specific revenue, dividend repatriation or royalty flows.37

The current value and status of the StoreDot and Via positions are not publicly disclosed. The Via relationship is particularly unresolved because the company’s headquarters relocated and the residual Mercedes-Benz stake is unconfirmed.4, 35 Colmobil is not a Group subsidiary, and its military/police sales should not be automatically treated as direct Mercedes-Benz Group contracting.18

Named Entities and Evidence Map

Political: Political

Mechanism of Involvement

Mercedes-Benz’s documented public conduct after 7 October 2023 was humanitarian messaging and donations. It donated a combined €2 million across October and November 2023 to United Hatzalah and the German Red Cross, stating that the funds were intended for civilian relief in Israel and Gaza alike.22 CEO Ola Källenius publicly described himself as deeply shaken by the attacks against Israel.15

The Group maintains ordinary commercial-innovation links in Israel through its Tel Aviv R&D centre and its engagement with the Israeli technology ecosystem.12, 19 It is registered in EU and German lobbying registers, but no public evidence identified links its lobbying to Israel/Palestine policy, boycott legislation or Middle East regional policy.38

Counter-Arguments and Evidence Limits

Mercedes-Benz expressly denied that it had donated to any military organisation and stated that its regional donations were for civilian humanitarian aid.22 No public evidence identified shows direct Group donations to the IDF, Friends of the IDF, JNF/KKL, reservist funds, Regavim or Im Tirtzu.22

No public evidence identified shows Mercedes-Benz Group hosting Israeli officials, accepting Israeli state honours, entering a formal non-commercial Israeli state partnership, sponsoring a “Brand Israel” campaign, or adopting a conflict-specific market-exit or comparable structural commitment.10 No public evidence identified establishes that documented East Jerusalem transport-ministry contracts met OHCHR settlement-enterprise criteria.39

Named Entities and Evidence Map

BDS-1000 Score

Method: V6.

DomainIMPV-Domain Score
Military5.507.005.504.32
Digital2.007.007.502.00
Economic7.005.509.005.50
Political3.507.009.003.50

Economic drives the V_MAX through the direct Tel Aviv subsidiary and documented Israeli technology sourcing/investment relationships. Military remains material but is bounded by the distinction between Sprinter/G-Class matters in scope and post-spin-off Daimler Truck heavy-vehicle activity outside the target entity. The V6 method is scale-free, evidence-only and human-vetted; it does not convert allegations, brand association or transitive relationships into verified corporate conduct.

Methodology Note

Footnotes

  1. https://investors.gauzy.com/news-releases/news-release-details/gauzys-state-art-smart-glass-technologies-utilized-mercedes-benz ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7 ↩8

  2. https://www.gauzy.com/articles/israeli-start-up-announces-collaboration-with-mercedes-benz/ ↩

  3. https://gauzy.gcs-web.com/news-releases/news-release-details/gauzys-state-art-smart-glass-technologies-utilized-mercedes-benz ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5

  4. https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/business/2017-09-15/ty-article/german-automaker-daimler-leads-60m-investment-into-israeli-startup-storedot/0000017f-e04d-d568-ad7f-f36f80520000 ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6

  5. https://www.jpost.com/business-and-innovation/all-news/article-775255 ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4

  6. https://www.whoprofits.org/companies/company/7399?mercedes-benz= ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7

  7. https://www.prnewswire.com/il/news-releases/valens-provides-connectivity-solution-for-premium-infotainment-system-301294087.html ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4

  8. https://www.timesofisrael.com/israels-gauzy-to-join-mercedez-benz-accelerator/ ↩

  9. https://www.cnbc.com/2026/06/11/mercedes-benz-anti-drone-vehicles.html ↩ ↩2 ↩3

  10. https://www.whoprofits.org/companies/company/4219?colmobil-corporation= ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4

  11. https://group.mercedes-benz.com/investors/share/shareholder-structure/ ↩

  12. https://group.mercedes-benz.com/careers/about-us/locations/location-detail-page-138432.html ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7 ↩8 ↩9 ↩10 ↩11

  13. https://www.swfinstitute.org/news/95544/kuwait-investment-authority-increased-its-ownership-in-mercedes-benz-group ↩

  14. https://www.marketscreener.com/quote/stock/MERCEDES-BENZ-GROUP-AG-436541/news/Kuwait-Investment-Authority-cuts-stake-in-Mercedes-Benz-43360266/ ↩

  15. https://group.mercedes-benz.com/responsibility/society/corporate-citizenship/donation-statements.html ↩ ↩2 ↩3

  16. https://group.mercedes-benz.com/company/tradition/company-history/2021.html ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6

  17. https://www.theautochannel.com/news/2017/11/17/458661-mercedes-benz-opens-digital-research-development-center-tel-aviv-israel.html ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7 ↩8 ↩9

  18. https://www.duns100.co.il/en/Colmobil_Corp ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6

  19. https://www.autocarpro.in/news-international/mercedes-benz-centre-tel-aviv-focus-digital-vehicle-mobility-services-27148 ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5

  20. https://www.edrmagazine.eu/mercedes-benz-the-lapv464-protected-vehicle-prototype ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5

  21. https://www.daimlertruck.com/en/newsroom/pressrelease/daimler-truck-focuses-on-growth-in-the-defence-sector-52960581 ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6

  22. https://group.mercedes-benz.com/sustainability/society-governance/corporate-citizenship/donation-statements.html ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7

  23. https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2019/01/10/1685883/0/en/UPDATED-Daimler-Partners-with-Otonomo-to-Provide-Connected-Car-Customers-with-New-Services-while-Delivering-on-the-Promise-of-Data-Privacy.html ↩ ↩2 ↩3

  24. https://otonomo.io/press-releases/fleet-migration-to-oem-data/ ↩ ↩2 ↩3

  25. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0001842498/000119312523032866/d465426d425.htm ↩ ↩2 ↩3

  26. https://dronexl.co/2026/06/12/mercedes-benz-tytan-anti-drone-vehicles-ila-2026/ ↩

  27. https://www.whoprofits.org/companies/company/4219?colmobil-corporation= ↩

  28. https://ggb.mercedes-benz.com/en/ ↩ ↩2

  29. https://plasan.com/news/new-liaison-and-patrol-vehicle-for-the-israeli-armed-forces/ ↩

  30. https://valens.com/press-releases/valens-and-daimler-partner-to-optimize-in-car-connectivity ↩ ↩2

  31. https://news.microsoft.com/source/2022/10/12/mercedes-benz-and-microsoft-collaborate-to-boost-efficiency-resilience-and-sustainability-in-car-production/ ↩

  32. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0001910139/000110465925101678/tm2524891d2_ex99-1.htm ↩ ↩2

  33. https://www.benzinga.com/25/04/44769198/valens-gets-buy-rating-on-pro-av-dominance-auto-chip-wins-with-mercedes-and-mobileye ↩

  34. https://www.continental.com/en/press/press-releases/2017-11-03-continental-plaxidityx/ ↩

  35. https://www.jpost.com/business-and-innovation/israeli-founded-via-gets-50m-in-funding-from-mercedes-benz-504438 ↩ ↩2 ↩3

  36. https://group.mercedes-benz.com/investors/reports-news/annual-reports/2025/ ↩

  37. https://www.dunsguide.co.il/en/Cd055fb795cbe088b958c997c0141505c_engineering_architecture_businesses_interior_design/mercedes_benz_research_development_tel_aviv/ ↩

  38. https://transparency-register.europa.eu/searchregister-or-update/organisation-detail_en?id=234921882841 ↩

  39. https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2025/09/un-experts-call-all-states-and-companies-fully-disengage-israels-illegal ↩

  40. https://www.jpost.com/health-and-wellness/article-787346 ↩