Mercedes 2009 Annual Report Download - page 140

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Combining tradition with farsightedness. The founders of our
company, Carl Benz and Gottlieb Daimler, ushered in the age of
the automobile with their pioneering inventions. But their ambition
did not stop there; they also wanted to shape mobility in the
broadest sense. That’s why they also built the first motorized bus
and truck – not to mention the first gasoline-powered motor-
cycle and the first motorboat. We can now build on this pioneering
tradition by using our expertise and our research capabilities
to further develop road transportation in a sustainable manner.
In this tradition, research and development have always played
a key role at Daimler. And today, R&D is more important than
ever before. Because given the accelerated pace of technological
development and the challenges posed by climate change and
environmental protection, we are faced with a massive challenge:
reinventing the automobile. We invested a total of €4.2 billion
in research and development in 2009 (2008: €4.4 billion). At the
end of 2009, some 18,800 men and women were employed
at Corporate Research and in the development departments of
Mercedes-Benz Cars, Daimler Trucks, Mercedes-Benz Vans, and
Daimler Buses (2008: 18,900). A portfolio of over 21,000 patents
and a broad range of trademarks and protected designs bear
testimony to our company’s innovative strength.
Our goal: emission-free mobility. Our goal is to secure full
mobility for future generations with tailored, innovative vehicle
concepts across our entire product range. In this context, we
want to significantly reduce vehicle emissions already today, and
in the long term to completely eliminate the emissions of pub-
licly and privately operated road vehicles through the application
of state-of-the-art drive technology. To achieve this goal, we have
combined our manifold activities, collaborations and partnerships
associated with the reduction of emissions in cars, buses, vans,
and trucks in the Group-wide initiative entitled “The Road to
Emission-free Mobility.”
The initiative focuses on three key areas of development:
1. The further development and optimization of cars and com-
mercial vehicles with the most up-to-date internal combustion
engines;
2. Further efficiency enhancements through tailored hybridi-
zation in various stages – from the start-stop function all the
way to fully electric mobility;
3. Emission-free driving with electric vehicles using battery
power and fuel cells.
In addition, we support the development, production and
application of clean and alternative fuels.
On the basis of the research results and experience from our
successful major projects with trials of alternative vehicle and
drive concepts, we have created the right conditions for locally
emission-free driving. And by spreading the Group’s activities to
pioneering areas of business such as the development and
production of lithium-ion batteries and fuel-cell drive, we have
gained direct access to the key technologies of tomorrow.
With our novel mobility concepts such as car2go for personal
transport or Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) for public transport, we round
off our “The Road to Emission-free Mobility” initiative by devel-
oping concrete solutions for current and future mobility needs in
urban areas and implementing them step by step.
An unparalleled range of products. To enable us to address
the specific needs of different markets, we have developed a
needs-oriented, modular mix of drive systems aimed at providing
sustainable mobility in the future. What’s more, we have done
so in both the car and the commercial vehicle sectors. In pursuit
of our goal, we utilize the advantages of various technologies in
specific applications in order to achieve better fuel economy and
lower emissions.
Mercedes-Benz already offers a broad range of premium auto-
mobiles that combine environmental responsibility and economy
with a high level of safety, comfort, and driving pleasure. The
following individual solutions are available for all model series:
– BlueEFFICIENCY. Optimized weight, aerodynamics, roll resis-
tance, energy management and drive systems reduce fuel con-
sumption by up to 12%. By the end of 2009, we had introduced
58 clean and economical BlueEFFICIENCY models. By the end
of 2010, this figure is set to rise to 76 different models, from
which our customers can choose their own individualized auto-
mobile.
Innovation, Safety and the Environment. €4.2 billion invested in
research and development. Innovative vehicle concepts pave the way
for emission-free mobility. Holistic approach for the reduction
of all emissions. New technologies for more safety.