Mercedes 2012 Annual Report Download - page 140

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In the autumn of 2012, AMG continued the almost legendary
tradition of its Black Series with the introduction of the SLS
AMG Black Series coupe. AMG will also launch its new SLS
AMG Electric Drive coupe in 2013. Getting behind the wheel
of this fascinating electric super sports car is the most
exclusive and dynamic way of experiencing what it means to
drive an electrically powered vehicle. AMG will enter the
compact class as well in 2013 with the introduction of the
A 45 AMG. Additional AMG high-performance compact
cars are also almost ready for market launch.
Continuous expansion of production network. Due to
strong demand, the production plants of Mercedes-Benz were
very well utilized also in the year 2012. To ensure that we
fulfilled all of our customers’ wishes, we implemented numer-
ous special shifts and holidays were shortened. In this way,
it was possible to produce over 1.35 million Mercedes-Benz
automobiles: more than ever before.
Important product launches such as the new A-Class and the SL
were mastered in top quality. A special prize was awarded
to the plants in Sindelfingen and East London: the renowned
J.D. Power Silver Plant Quality Award. The most important
milestone in the year 2012 was the opening of our new
Mercedes-Benz plant in Kecskemét, Hungary, which since then
has been producing the new generation of Mercedes-Benz
compact cars together with the plant in Rastatt. A total of €800
million has been invested in the Kecskemét plant, which
meanwhile employs more than 3,000 people. Production of
the B-Class started there after the plant was opened, followed
by the new four-door compact coupe CLA in January 2013.
The production network for our new compact cars allows us
to significantly enhance our flexibility.
In addition to the substantial investment in Germany, we are
also expanding our international production facilities so
that we can manufacture our products closer to our markets
and customers, especially in the growth regions. In China
for example, together with our partner BAIC, we are investing
a total of approximately €2 billion over several years in the
expansion of local car production in Beijing. Last September,
we laid the foundation stone for a plant that will produce the
new generation of compact cars. And good progress has been
made with the development of a new plant for the production
of four-cylinder gasoline engines, which will go into operation
in 2013.
As well as the systematic expansion of the production network,
the productivity of the existing facilities is also being improved
continuously. In this way, we are creating the right conditions
also in the area of production to allow us to achieve the targets
set by our Mercedes-Benz 2020 growth strategy.
Further reduction of CO2 emissions. Our new economical
engines and extremely efficient model variants once again
enabled us to substantially reduce the average CO2 emissions
of the cars we sold in the European Union in 2012 – this time
from 150 g/km to 140 g/km. We thus once again achieved an
above-average reduction in the CO2 emissions of our vehicle
fleet, simultaneously undercutting the EU targets for this year.
The new A- and B-Class models played a major role in this
accomplishment. Our overall objective is to reduce the average
CO2 emissions of our fleet of new cars in the European Union
to 125 g/km by 2016. E see pages 100 and 164 ff
The E 300 BlueTEC HYBRID, which we began offering to
customers in June 2012, is the most fuel-efficient luxury sedan
in the world. The vehicle’s modular hybrid concept, which
includes a lithium-ion battery, stands out thanks to its excep-
tional driving performance and fuel consumption of only
4.1 liters of diesel per 100 kilometers (107 g CO2/km).
E see page 165
The new highlights of 2012 also included two very environ-
mentally friendly versions of the new B-Class: the Concept
B-Class Electric Drive and the Mercedes-Benz B 200 Natural
Gas Drive model. E see page 165
In April 2012, Mercedes-Benz presented a four-door concept
coupe with an avant-garde design at the Auto China show.
The new CLA coupe, which was presented in January 2013
in Detroit, seamlessly integrates the design of the Concept
Style Coupe into a series-production model. E see page 37
Launch of the new smart fortwo electric drive. The new
generation of the smart fortwo electric drive was launched
in June 2012. The electric smart accelerates from 0 to 60 km/h
in 4.8 seconds and has a top speed of 125 km/h. The vehicle’s
powerful lithium-ion battery enables it to travel 145 kilometers
on a single charge. smart now also offers a new sales model
that makes switching over to electric driving more appealing.
With sale&care, customers can purchase, finance or lease
the car at favorable terms and rent the battery for a monthly fee.
Daimler has also been offering customers electricity from a
new wind power facility – and thus from a completely renewable
energy source – since the vehicle’s market launch. In this
way, we are ensuring that new smart fortwo electric drive models
purchased in Germany are fully CO2 neutral.
We also began offering the smart ebike to our customers in
July 2012. With its unconventional design and a highly efficient
and high-performance drive-system package, the smart ebike
occupies an exceptional position on the market. The brand will
also be expanding its urban electric mobility concept with the
introduction of the smart scooter in 2014.
We sold a total of 105,700 smart fortwo cars in 2012, an
increase of 6% compared with the prior year. The smart fortwo
was particularly successful in the United States, Canada,
Japan and China.
AMG – cutting-edge technology and a fascinating driving
experience. Impressive results in motor sports and a unique
array of high-performance vehicles continue to underscore
AMG’s reputation as the successful performance brand from
Mercedes-Benz. The brand motto of “driving performance”
has guaranteed the most sophisticated technology and a fascinat-
ing driving experience for 45 years now. As the first vehicle
developed independently by Mercedes-AMG, the SLS AMG super
sports car impressively highlights the expertise and passion
that are hallmarks of the company’s headquarters in Affalter bach.
The spectacular gullwing model was followed by the open-
top SLS AMG Roadster, two GT versions of the super sports
car and the customer sports racecar SLS AMG GT3.