Mercedes Benz

OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE

- Delivery of Mercedes-Benz Citaro LE Low-Entry city buses to begin in October 2009

- Special features for use in Germany’s capital

Stuttgart, Germany, Jun 15, 2009 – In an EU-wide call for tenders, Daimler Buses was awarded a contract to supply the public transportation company Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe with 144 Mercedes-Benz Citaro LE city buses. The company will begin delivering the buses to the German capital in October 2009. Deliveries will take place successively over a four-year period, with 50 buses to be delivered before the end of this year. The Mercedes-Benz plant in Mannheim is producing the buses.


Hartmut Schick, Head of Daimler Buses: “We are delighted about this contract from the capital. For us this is yet another indication that we continue to be successful with our high-quality and eco-friendly vehicles for the city bus business despite economically challenging times.”

The Citaro LE combines a comfortable low entry (LE) design with economical high-floor technology. The Citaro LE to be used by the BVG is a 12-meter variant with two doors. The Citaro LE’s fuel-efficient, low-emission engines feature pioneering Mercedes-Benz BlueTec SCR diesel technology and comply with the Euro 5 and EEV emissions standards.

The 144 city buses, which do not have articulation joints, come with a variety of special equipment features for use in the capital: With their low entry design, two ramps, and wider aisles, the buses are very accommodating for handicapped passengers. In addition, the buses are equipped with an enclosure to protect drivers from unruly persons and a video surveillance system to ensure the security of passengers and drivers.

With its 1,300 buses, Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe is the largest public transportation company in Germany and already has 600 Mercedes-Benz buses in its fleet. Together with other partners, the transportation company serves a metropolitan area with 3.4 million residents and a catchment area of about 1,000 square kilometers.

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