Mercedes 2010 Annual Report Download - page 137

The Divisions | Daimler Buses | 133
In Latin America (excluding Mexico), Daimler Buses was able to
boost sales of Mercedes-Benz bus chassis by 43% to 23,200 units,
after markets there had rebounded significantly. Our unit sales
in the region therefore returned to their pre-crisis level, enabling
Daimler Buses to increase its market share in the region to 47.1%
(2009: 44.7%).
Daimler Buses resolutely continues to forge ahead with
alternative drive technologies.
A total of 16 Mercedes-Benz
Citaro G BlueTec hybrid buses have been delivered to customers
since the vehicle was first presented to the public in 2009. These
hybrid buses are being tested successfully in six European cities.
Thanks to their pioneering drive technology, they are the only buses
to date that can travel for up to five kilometers at a stretch solely
on electric power.
In addition, the Clean Hydrogen in European Cities (CHIC) project
was launched in Cologne in 2010. This EU-funded project makes
it possible to integrate 26 fuel-cell buses into regular-service opera-
tions in five European cities. Daimler Buses is one of at least three
manufacturers participating in the project and is supplying fuel-cell
hybrid buses. The project marks an important step on the path
toward the comprehensive introduction and marketing of hydrogen-
powered fuel-cell buses. The aim is to gradually create fleets of
fuel-cell buses and the required infrastructure. In the next step, the
experience gained during the project will be incorporated into the
creation of fuel-cell fleets and infrastructures in 14 European regions.
In this way, Daimler Buses is promoting the spread of locally emis-
sion-free drive technology and responding to the global challenges
we face today. As a result of climate change, global population growth
and urbanization, all modes of transport should supplement one
another in an effective and networked system. Buses play a key role
in this endeavor.
Bus Rapid Transit. With highly efficient transport solutions such
as Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), Daimler Buses is helping to meet the
rising demand for mobility in a sustainable way. BRT is an efficient
and affordable transportation system that consists of one or more
separate lanes on which high-capacity buses travel at frequent inter-
vals. They are linked to intelligent computer-controlled traffic man-
agement systems, such as those used for traffic-light prioritization.
In addition to real-time traffic management, this makes it possible
for operators to offer high-speed transportation. It is also possible
to quickly establish bus routes with BRT. These systems have been
introduced at many locations, including South Africa, where they
played a role during the 2010 soccer World Cup. At that event,
Daimler Buses contributed its expertise on intelligent transporta-
tion systems and delivered 460 Mercedes-Benz buses.
Expansion of activities in India’s promising market. Daimler
Buses is consistently expanding its involvement in India. In early
2010, Daimler Buses presented its new three-axle coach for the
luxury segment at Auto Expo in New Delhi. The coach comes with
a Mercedes-Benz chassis and the body is assembled by the Indian
partner company, Sutlej Motors Ltd. We delivered a total of around
100 buses to Indian bus operators in 2010.
60 years of Setra – the ongoing success story of the bus with a unibody construction.