Mercedes 2015 Annual Report Download - page 53

Q3
Vito now built in Argentina as well
Local production of the new Vito in Argentina and the model’s
launch in that country’s market is part of the “Mercedes-Benz
Vans goes global” growth strategy, whose goals are to further
increase the division’s technology leadership, expand existing
activities and utilize new growth potential.
Production of BharatBenz buses in India
The first bus built by the BharatBenz brand rolls off the produc-
tion line in Oragadam. The facility there is the only Daimler
manufacturing site that builds trucks, buses and engines from
Mercedes-Benz, BharatBenz and FUSO at one location.
Cornerstone laid in Mexico
Daimler and the Renault-Nissan Alliance lay the cornerstone
for a new joint venture production plant in Aguascalientes.
The facility will manufacture premium compact models from the
Mercedes-Benz and Infiniti brands. The first Mercedes-Benz
vehicles will roll off the assembly line in 2018.
“She’s Mercedes” launched
Mercedes-Benz plans to address women in a more targeted
manner in the future, as they are the fastest-growing and most
influential group of customers. To this end, the brand with
the star launches the “She’s Mercedes” inspiration platform.
Further reductions in heavy-duty truck fuel consumption
Daimler takes things to the next level four years after the intro-
duction of the OM 471 heavy-duty engine: The Mercedes-Benz
Actros further improves its efficiency with up to three percent
lower fuel consumption.
Strong signal sent to the workforce
The “Safeguarding the Future” agreement at Daimler will be
extended until the end of 2020. The agreement is one of
the most extensive and important Group-wide agreements
for the workforce and has proved to be effective in difficult
times as well. It includes specific firm investment plans on the
part of Daimler and a commitment by employees to improve
efficiency and flexibility.
IAA 2015: The Mercedes Dream Car Collection
The “Mercedes Dream Car Collection” at the IAA International
Motor Show in Frankfurt features three world premieres:
the Concept IAA (Intelligent Aerodynamic Automobile), the
Mercedes-Benz S-Class convertible and the Mercedes-Benz
C-Class coupe. We also presented the new smart convertible
in Frankfurt.
Legal and ethical aspects of autonomous driving
Data protection experts, engineers, lawyers, politicians,
journalists, IT specialists and representatives of business and
industry gather in Frankfurt at Daimler’s invitation during IAA
2015 to discuss open questions related to autonomous driving.
The focus is on legal, ethical and social aspects.
1,000,000th Actros delivered from the Wörth plant
The Actros stands for maximum economy, safety and comfort.
The Actros demonstrates its efficiency advantages allover Europe
in the so-called Fuel Duel. The results of over 1,900 compar-
ative tests speak for themselves: more than 90% of all duels
won, and average fuel-consumption advantage of 10%.
60 A | TO OUR SHAREHOLDERS | HIGHLIGHTS OF 2015