Mercedes 2012 Annual Report Download - page 159

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New buses with impressive fuel economy. In the Record Run
Buses 2012, the new Mercedes-Benz Citaro urban regular-
service bus and the new Setra ComfortClass 500 travel coach
demonstrated that fuel consumption can be reduced in Euro
VI-compliant buses and coaches as well. During the Record Run
Buses, five buses were monitored by neutral parties over a
distance of almost 18,000 kilometers in October 2012. As it
turned out, the anticipated fuel savings of four to six percent
were noticeably exceeded, with the new Euro VI-compliant
Citaro consuming 8.5% less fuel than its certified fuel-efficient
predecessor. The new Setra ComfortClass S 515 HD also
performed outstandingly, consuming 21.0 liters/100 km on
average over a distance of 7,000 km – 8.2% less than a
comparison model. Development engineers achieved these
reductions by closely examining not only the drive systems
of the Mercedes-Benz Citaro and the Setra ComfortClass 500,
but also their auxiliary components. Whether alternators,
battery management systems, radiator fans or air compressors
– these and other components significantly affect fuel con-
sumption and were therefore optimized down to the last detail
in both model series. Aerodynamics also plays a key role in
fuel economy – particularly when it comes to travel coaches.
That is why we further improved the aerodynamic properties
of the new Setra ComfortClass 500. The result is an outstand-
ing drag coefficient of just 0.33. The drag was also reduced
by a technology that is without parallel in the bus industry and
lowers the vehicle’s height by 20 mm at speeds above 95 km/h.
Predictive Powertrain Control lowers fuel consumption.
Predictive Powertrain Control, which has been available
in the Mercedes-Benz Actros since May 2012, reduces the fuel
consumption of our heavy-duty trucks by a further 3%. This
new driver assistance system recognizes the topography of the
road ahead and can then react in a manner that optimizes
fuel consumption. It is particularly effective when a truck is
traveling uphill. In such a situation, the world’s first GPS-based
cruise control system not only regulates vehicle speed and
braking, but also intervenes in gear-shifting operations. The
system thus increases the effectiveness of the fuel-saving
EcoRoll function, which is standard in the Actros. It can also
initiate a single or double downshift if it determines that
such action is needed. All in all, this intelligent cruise control
system helps to achieve the type of driving performance
that could only be matched by an extremely motivated truck
driver with an exceptional level of concentration.
Our Road to Accident-Free Driving. Vehicle safety is one
of our core areas of expertise and a key component of our
product strategy. For over 60 years, our engineers have been
ahead of their time when it comes to developing new safety
technologies. With our Road to Accident-Free Driving strategy,
we are striving to make mobility as safe as possible for all
road users.
The new S-Class with all-round vision. What began ten years
ago with PRE-SAFE® and continued with DISTRONIC PLUS
is now leading to a new dimension in driving at Mercedes-Benz
that will open up new perspectives for both drivers and auto-
mobile developers. In the future, all of our fully networked and
intelligent driver assistance systems will be combined into
our Mercedes-Benz Intelligent Drive package, which will begin
making driving safer and more comfortable in the new
S-Class and already in the new E-Class, approaching the goal
of auton omous driving. The features involved include the
new DISTRONIC PLUS adaptive cruise control with Steering
Our broad spectrum of electric vehicles now on the road is
being supplemented by economical hybrid models that meet
a range of demands. They include the new Mercedes-Benz
E 300 BlueTEC HYBRID. Hybrid technology also offers major
advantages for distribution transportation involving light
trucks. For example, the new Fuso Canter Eco Hybrid, which
is now also manufactured in Portugal for sale in Europe,
requires about 25% less fuel than a comparable Canter model
equipped with a conventional drive system. The Freightliner
M2e Hybrid truck boasts up to 30% lower fuel consumption,
and that figure for the Atego Bluetec Hybrid is between 10%
and 15%. There are currently more than 3,000 Daimler hybrid
light-duty trucks and walk-in vans on the road worldwide.
Economical heavy-duty trucks for Europe and North
America. We have also continually reduced the fuel consump-
tion of our heavy-duty commercial vehicles over the past
few years. Our success here is due to engines that are even
more efficient, improvements we have made to tires and
aerodynamics, and the use of an axle drive ratio in line with
vehicle requirements. Our BLUETEC technology has also
made a major contribution to this development.
The new Actros is the world’s first truck to comply with the
future Euro VI emission limits. Extremely economical engines,
a sophisticated aerodynamic concept and services such as
the Fleetboard telematics system make our heavy-duty Actros
and Antos trucks among the most efficient and environmen-
tally friendly vehicles in their respective classes. For example,
despite their sophisticated exhaust gas treatment systems,
our new heavy-duty Euro V truck engines consume up to 7% less
diesel fuel than their predecessors, while the fuel consumption
of the Euro VI variants is as much as 4% lower. Our goal for the
complete Daimler truck fleet in Europe is to reduce fuel con-
sumption by an average of 20% per ton-kilometer for the period
2005–2020. We continue to work hard to develop the tech-
nological innovations that will allow us to achieve this reduction.
This year, we will also set a new benchmark for fuel efficiency
in the North American truck market with the launch of our
new heavy-duty Freightliner Cascadia Evolution, whose fuel
consumption is up to 7% lower than that of the current model.
This increase in fuel economy was measured in the course
of a one-week real-life test drive across the United States and
was confirmed by an independent agency. At the beginning
of 2012, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) certified
Daimler Trucks North America’s (DTNA) complete range of
Freightliner and Western Star trucks as fully compliant with the
Greenhouse Gas 2014 (GHG14) regulations. DTNA is thus a
pioneer in the US commercial-vehicle sector, since it already
complies with the EPA and National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration (NHTSA) standards that will go into effect at
the beginning of 2014.