Mercedes Benz

OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE

- Milestone vehicle is a Mercedes-Benz Econic 2629 L with low-entry cab, BlueTec EEV and Faun Rotopress waste collection body
- Reference customer "Abfallwirtschaftsbetriebe Köln" (AWB) has purchased over 130 Mercedes-Benz Econic vehicles in ten years and already placed another new order for 76 vehicles
- The Econic is used internationally with the widest variety of bodies and in a wide range of applications in which a low centre of gravity and low entry are called for

Wörth am Rhein/Köln, Germany, Feb 03, 2011 – The Mercedes-Benz Econic, the advanced low-floor transport vehicle for municipal transportation, consolidation and distribution transportation applications, is continuing on its road to success. A shining example of this is the 10,000th vehicle which has recently been handed over to the "Abfallwirtschaftsbetriebe Köln" (AWB - Waste Management Enterprise of Köln), a subsidiary of the municipal services of Köln. With an environmentally-friendly and economical OM 906 LA BlueTec diesel engine meeting the EEV standard, this Mercedes-Benz Econic 2629 L has a power output of 210 kW (286 hp) and a fully-automatic Allison transmission as standard.


The confidence which this significant reference customer has in the Econic has now also been confirmed with a new order for delivery of 76 vehicles, which are due to be supplied by 2013. As a result of this, the Econic will make up more than half of AWB's fleet which comprises some 400 vehicles.

Managing Director of AWB, Herbert Winkelhog, listed some of the plus points of the Econic: "Initially we were impressed by the Econic's low-level entry and the aluminium finish of the driver's cab. In the meantime, however, a whole host of additional benefits have come to light during everyday use. First of all there is the high level of safety for the vehicle crew itself and also other road users: the large windscreen and side windows guarantee optimum all-round visibility, and the driver is situated at eye level with pedestrians and therefore notices them in his field of vision quicker. The automatic transmission allows optimum stop-and-go operation, which is a great benefit in terms of road safety and safe working procedures when collecting waste containers.

Michael Dietz, Head of Sales for Mercedes-Benz Special Trucks, is delighted with AWB's endorsement of the Econic: "The tremendous trust which the Waste Management Enterprise of Köln has in our Mercedes-Benz Econic is now impressive confirmation that in close collaboration with relevant customers and associations we have opted for the right design. Thanks to such pioneering flagship customers as AWB, today we have a great number of satisfied Econic operators all over the world."

Econic – a success story

The story of the Econic began in 1998. The low-entry vehicle design was ahead of its time, and today's success of the model series is testament to its suitability for a variety of applications. In the meantime, the Mercedes-Benz Econic range has come to comprise a complete modular system with 2, 3 and 4 axles. Used primarily in the disposal and distribution transportation sectors, the vehicles are equipped with environmentally-safe BlueTec diesel or gas engines meeting the EEV exhaust standard. The Econic is also used widely in large cities, both nationally and internationally - whether in Berlin, Hamburg, Köln, Paris, Stockholm, Athens, or Valencia. The design benefits of the Econic are even in high demand in Singapore and South America. Due to the increasing unit quantities and high customer demand for Econic vehicles with natural gas/biogas engines, in 2009 production was completely relocated to the Special Vehicles product division in Wörth am Rhein.