Mercedes 2010 Annual Report Download - page 128

124
Thanks to its AdBlue
®
exhaust gas treatment system, this unit
is one of the cleanest diesel engines in the world. Our newly
developed six-cylinder gasoline engine is now used in the CLS 350
BlueEFFICIENCY model, for example. The vehicle’s standard ECO
start/stop feature gives the model combined consumption of 6.8
liters per 100 km (159 g CO2/km).
CO2 emissions further reduced. Thanks to our new economical
engines and our additional BlueEFFICIENCY models, we were able to
reduce the average CO2 emissions of the passenger cars we sold in
the European Union in the year under review to 158 g/km. What’s
more, we achieved this feat despite a greater share of exceptionally
high-quality and powerful vehicles in our model mix. Our goal is to
reduce the CO2 emissions of our new vehicle fleet in the EU to less
than 140 g/km by 2012 (see pages 83 f and 140 ff).
Locally emission-free electric vehicles in series production. At
the end of 2009, the Mercedes-Benz B-Class F-CELL and the smart
fortwo electric drive became the first locally emission-free vehicles
manufactured under series-production conditions at Daimler. A total
of 1,500 smart fortwo electric drive cars will have been leased to
selected customers in Berlin and major European and US cities by
the end of 2011. Half of those vehicles had already been delivered
by the end of 2010. We are now manufacturing 200 Mercedes-Benz
B-Class F-CELL cars with fuel-cell drive in small-batch production;
these vehicles will be delivered to selected customers in Germany
and the United States for use under everyday conditions between
now and 2012. The third electric car from Mercedes-Benz, the A-
Class E-CELL, went into production at the plant in Rastatt, Germany,
in September 2010. This five-seater, which can comfortably meet
everyday requirements and is ideal for families, features a battery-
electric drive system. The car is based on the most recent A-Class
model and offers a spacious and versatile interior and cargo area.
Thanks to its two highly efficient lithium-ion batteries, which are
mounted in a space-saving manner in the vehicle floor, it achieves
a range of 255 km (NEDC). The approximately 500 units that have
been produced are being delivered to selected customers in several
European countries (including Germany, France and the Nether-
lands) for use as full-service rental cars (see page 141).
New-generation smart fortwo. The new model generation of the
innovative two-seater has been available at dealerships since Octo-
ber 2010. The smart fortwo has been made even more attractive
through a new interior look, an upgraded exterior design, and even
greener engines. The vehicle’s communication and entertainment
systems are equipped with state-of-the-art technology, and ultra-
modern propulsion is ensured by gasoline engines that have been
further refined and emit less than 100 g CO2/km in the 45 kW and
52 kW versions – a new record. Unit sales of the smart brand
totaled 94,300 vehicles in the year under review (2009: 113,900).
Continued success for car2go. The response to the innovative
car2go mobility concept, which we began offering in Ulm, Germany,
in March 2009 and in Austin, Texas, in November 2009, has been
very encouraging. The number of customers in Ulm increased to more
than 20,500 during the year under review, while Austin currently
has around 15,000 registered users. In view of the great success
enjoyed by car2go in Ulm and Austin, we have decided to offer the
system in other cities as well (see page 142).
Maybach sedans even more glamorous. Maybach presented its
high-end luxury sedans with significantly expanded high-class equip-
ment and customization options at the Auto China show in Beijing
in April 2010. A large new chrome radiator grille emphasizes the leg-
endary brand’s exceptional status and self-confidence, while the
output of the 12-cylinder engines in the Maybach 57 S and 62 S was
increased to 463 kW (630 hp), despite a reduction in the pollutant
emissions of all models. Unit sales of 200 Maybach models were at
roughly the same level as in the prior year.
Automotive fascination: the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG. The
Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG was the most important new-product high-
light from our AMG performance brand in 2010. The super sports
car stands for automotive fascination and high technology of the
highest order, boasting purist design, systematic lightweight engi-
neering and superior handling. The Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG has
already won many awards, such as the Design Award of the Federal
Republic of Germany in Gold, the Golden Steering Wheel from Auto
Bild and the award for “Most Beautiful Sports Car” in a survey of
readers of “auto motor und sport” magazine. In 2010, AMG also
presented a new and highly efficient powertrain with a gasoline
direct-injection biturbo V8 engine for the S- and CL-Class.
The Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG E-CELL super sports car with pure electric drive.