Mercedes 2012 Annual Report Download - page 157

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1. We are continuing to develop and further optimize our
vehicles with state-of-the-art combustion engines
in order to achieve significantly lower fuel consumption
and emissions.
2. We are achieving clear further increases in efficiency
through customized hybridization, i.e. the combination
of combustion engines and electric motors.
3. Our electric vehicles with battery or fuel cells are making
locally emission-free driving possible.
Further reductions in fuel consumption and CO2 emissions.
We have significantly reduced the fuel consumption and
CO2 emissions of our cars in recent years. This reduction was
largely due to our new and extremely efficient combustion
engines, our downsizing/supercharging concepts, and our new
transmissions. In 2012, we were able to further reduce the
CO2 emissions of our fleet of new vehicles in the European Union
by 10 grams per kilometer to an average of 140 g/km. We
thus achieved an above-average reduction in the CO2 emissions
of our vehicle fleet once again in 2012, while undercutting
the EU targets for this year. The use of new engines and our
7 G-TRONIC PLUS automatic transmission enabled us to
lower the fuel consumption of our new 2011 and 2012 models
by up to 30% compared to their predecessors. This achieve-
ment underscores our determination to consistently implement
fuel efficiency technologies in all our vehicle segments. Our
goal now is to reduce our fleet consumption and CO2 emissions
in Europe to 125 g/km by 2016. Our new and highly fuel-
efficient compact models and our rising volumes of vehicles with
hybrid and electric drive systems will play a key role here.
Environmental certificate for the A-Class. The new A-Class
from Mercedes-Benz uniquely combines driving pleasure,
efficiency and environmental compatibility. Its low emissions –
starting at 92 g CO2/km –and a Cd value starting at 0.26
are leading the way in the compact segment. What’s more, all
gasoline-engine variants of the new A-Class already meet
the EURO 6 emission standard that will not take effect until 2015.
The direct-injection gasoline-engine models (A 180, A 200 and
A 250) already boast particulate emissions per kilometer that
are below the extremely stringent limit which will become
compulsory when the second stage of EURO 6 goes into effect
in 2017. The outstanding environmental compatibility of the
new A-Class was confirmed in October 2012 by neutral auditors
from the TÜV Süd technical inspection authority, which
awarded the model an environmental certificate in accordance
with ISO standard TR 14062. The certificate was awarded
following a comprehensive evaluation of the car’s environmental
Innovation, Safety and the Environment
Innovations have always been the driving force at Daimler. Our goal is to offer our customers
fascinating products and customized solutions for safe and sustainable mobility. During the year
under review, we made substantial progress in reducing the CO2 emissions of our vehicles.
We also further expanded the range of vehicles we offer with alternative drive systems. In addition,
our trend-setting innovations underscored our pioneering role in vehicle safety.
A tradition of innovation. Innovations have played a key role
at our company ever since Carl Benz and Gottlieb Daimler
invented the automobile. This is truer than ever today. After all,
we must now reinvent the automobile if we are to cope with
the accelerated pace of technological progress and the challenges
posed by climate change and environmental protection mea-
sures. Our customers expect safe, comfortable and powerful
vehicles that are increasingly fuel-efficient and environmen-
tally friendly. In order to meet these requirements, we are forging
ahead with the work in our research and development units.
At a total of €5.6 billion, Daimler’s investment in research and
development once again reached the very high level of the
prior year in 2012. At the end of the year, approximately 21,100
men and women were employed at Group Research and the
in development departments of Mercedes-Benz Cars, Daimler
Trucks, Mercedes-Benz Vans and Daimler Buses. We were
also able to offer interesting employment opportunities to highly
qualified staff – particularly at our international research and
development facilities.
Our company’s innovative prowess is demonstrated by our
extensive portfolio of intellectual property rights, which includes
more than 21,000 patents and a broad range of trademarks
and protected designs. Daimler registered 2,200 patents in 2012
(2011: 2,175), most of them for drive systems and safety.
More than 1,000 of those patents involved emission-free mobility,
especially in relation to electric drive systems with batteries
or fuel cells.
On the road to emission-free mobility. Finite petroleum
reserves, rising energy prices, a growing population – especially
in cities – and the unabated demand for mobility require
new solutions for all aspects of road transport. Our aim is
to offer an intelligent mix of drive systems for every need.
In this way, we want to significantly reduce the fuel consumption
and pollutant emissions of our vehicles today, while striving
to eliminate the use of fossil fuels and emissions entirely
in the long term. We are now implementing this intelligent mix
of drive systems for our cars and commercial vehicles as
part of our “Road to Emission-free Driving” strategy. In doing
so, we are focusing on the following areas: