Mercedes 2009 Annual Report Download - page 56

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Fourth quarter of 2009 – Q4
Daimler brand Fuso sells first hybrid
trucks in Europe. The Fuso Canter Eco
Hybrid is the first series-produced hybrid
truck to be delivered to a customer in
Europe. This light-duty truck is equipped
with a parallel-hybrid system, which signifi-
cantly reduces its fuel consumption and
emissions.
Foundation stone laid for new Mercedes-
Benz plant in Hungary. As of 2012, the
successor models to today’s A-Class and
B-Class cars will be assembled in Kecskemét,
Hungary. This new plant will operate in con-
junction with the plant in Rastatt, Germany,
which is Daimler’s competence center for
compact cars. Daimler will invest approxi-
mately €800 million in the new plant in
Hungary.
Realignment of Formula 1 involvement.
Mercedes-Benz will compete in the Formula 1
World Championship with its own team as
of 2010. Daimler and Aabar Investments PJSC
will together take over 75.1 percent of Brawn
GP, whereby Daimler will acquire 45.1 percent
and Aabar will acquire 30 percent.
First trials of Mercedes-Benz hybrid bus.
The hybrid-drive technology of the Mercedes-
Benz Citaro G BlueTec Hybrid bus allows
operation for significant distances without
emitting any pollutants and reduces the
already-low diesel consumption of this city
bus by up to 30%.
car2go in USA. Following the successful
launch in Ulm, Daimler starts a pilot scheme
for the innovative car2go mobility concept in
the United States in close collaboration with
the city of Austin. The project starts with
200 smart fortwo cars - at first for a specific
group of users.
Third quarter of 2009 – Q3
Support for Daimler’s hybrid and natural-
gas trucks. The US Department of Energy
supports the production and sale of more
than 600 vehicles from Daimler Trucks
featuring hybrid drive or alternative fuel
technologies.
Daimler presents numerous innovations
at the Frankfurt Motor Show. Mercedes-
Benz premieres two cars at the Frankfurt
Motor Show: the SLS AMG and the new
E-Class station wagon. At the same time, it
presents milestones on the way to emission-
free mobility such as the B-Class F-CELL,
the BlueZERO E-CELL PLUS concept and the
S 500 Plug-in HYBRID.
Start of financing business in the United
Arab Emirates. In cooperation with the
local Mercedes-Benz importers, Daimler
Financial Services starts business in the
United Arab Emirates, the most important
market for Mercedes-Benz in the Middle
East.
Daimler receives the eSafety Award. In
recognition of many years of commitment
and a pioneering role in the introduction
of automotive technologies designed to im-
prove traffic safety, Daimler receives the
eSafety Award from the EU Commission in
the “Industry & Technology” category.
Daimler is profitable again. The Group
achieves EBIT of €470 million in the third
quarter of 2009. Mercedes-Benz Cars posts
its highest monthly revenue of the year to
date in September and also achieves signifi-
cantly positive earnings.
Electric smart goes into series produc-
tion. The new smart fortwo electric drive
rolls off the assembly lines in Hambach,
France. The second-generation smart fortwo
with electric drive uses an innovative,
highly efficient lithium-ion battery.
Daimler and Kamaz expand their cooper-
ation. Two joint ventures are established
with the aim of achieving better penetration
of truck and bus markets in Russia.
Production start of a small series of the
B-Class F-CELL. This environmentally friend-
ly electric vehicle with fuel cells delivers
a strong driving performance and a range
of 400 kilometers.
Decision on reorganization of production
structure. As of 2014, production of the
C-Class for the European market will be
concentrated at the Bremen plant. The US
market will be supplied from the plant in
Tuscaloosa, USA, in the future.