Mercedes Benz

OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE

Stuttgart, Germany, Jul 14, 2009

Exclusive design, the greatest possible comfort and trailblazing innovations – the latest Mercedes-Benz S-Class is once again accepted to be the pacemaker for automotive progress. During the development of the world's most successful luxury saloon, the focus was however not only on further improvements relating to the classic core values. In addition, the engineers and technicians were able to achieve decisive further progress towards optimal environmental compatibility. In this respect, the S 400 HYBRID is particularly impressive alongside the fuel-efficient versions with a V6 or V8 engine. The very latest hybrid technology makes this model the most economical luxury saloon with a petrol engine.


This comprehensive environmental commitment over the entire lifecycle of the S 400 HYBRID - from production to the operating phase and eventual recycling/disposal - has now been recognised by the independent examiners from the technical inspection authority TÜV Süd with the grant of the sought-after environmental certificate. This recognition was already accorded to the preceding S-Class model in 2005, as the first automobile worldwide, and subsequently also to the Mercedes A, B, C and E-Class. In early 2009 the GLK-Class became the first Mercedes-Benz SUV model family to obtain the coveted certificate.

With the new S 400 HYBRID, the world's first series production car to feature a hybrid drive system with a lithium-ion battery, Mercedes-Benz is emphatically underlining its claim to leadership with respect to design, comfort, innovation and environmental compatibility. The combination of a further improved V6 petrol engine and a compact hybrid module makes this model the world's most efficient luxury saloon with a petrol engine. Its fuel consumption of 7.9 litres per 100 kilometres (NEDC combined) corresponds to carbon dioxide emissions of 186 grams per kilometre. The combined output is 220 kW/299 hp, with a combined maximum torque of 385 newton metres. The S 400 HYBRID accelerates to 100 km/h in 7.2 seconds and has a top speed of around 250 km/h - environmentally compatible drive systems and outstanding performance are not necessarily a contradiction in terms.

The S-Class hybrid offers all the advantages of this drive concept: a comfortable ECO start/stop function automatically switches the engine off when the S-Class comes to a stop - for example at traffic lights. During deceleration, kinetic energy is recuperated and stored by the compact lithium-ion battery in the engine compartment. This energy is put to use when required, for example when accelerating.

During the environmental certification process for the S-Class, more than 40,000 individual processes were examined, analysed and evaluated to produce a comprehensive eco-profile. It is not only the environmental effects during the vehicle's operating phase that were assessed. Instead engineers examined every environment-related process, from development and production to operation and eventual recycling/disposal. This overall profile provides the basis for the environmental certificate. A detailed presentation of the examination results is available to the interested public in the form of the "Life Cycle" documentation series, which may be found at www.mercedes-benz.com.

High level of environmental compatibility over the full lifecycle

For the comparative assessment forming part of the environmental certification process, the S 400 HYBRID with a combined output of 220 kW (299 hp) was compared to the 200 kW (272 hp) S 350 petrol model. Even the conventionally powered S 350 impresses with good fuel consumption figures for this vehicle class: only 10.0 to 10.2 litres of fuel per 100 kilometres - depending on the tyres. This excellent figure is easily bettered by the S 400 HYBRID, which consumes just 7.9 to 8.1 l/100km. This corresponds to a remarkable 21-percent reduction. The S-Class with hybrid technology also achieves top figures when it comes to CO2emissions, which are between 186 and 189 g/km.

Taking the entire lifecycle into consideration, namely production, operation for 300,000 kilometres and recycling/disposal, the S 400 HYBRID produces 18 percent lower CO2emissions than the comparative model. This saving per vehicle corresponds to roughly 1.6 times the annual per capita emissions of the average European*. The lower requirement for energy resources caused by the lower fuel consumption during the operating phase leads to a 17-percent reduction in the primary energy requirement. This corresponds to the energy content of around 7000 litres of petrol.
*European Environment Agency: EAA Report 05/2008, Greenhouse gas emission trends and projections in Europe 2008.

Lithium-ion battery integrated into the recycling process

In the case of the S 400 HYBRID the recycling concept was produced in parallel with development of the vehicle, with the individual components and materials being analysed during every stage of the process. Aspects given close attention included the segregation and ease of disassembly of certain thermoplastic components such as bumpers and wheel arch, side member, underbody and engine compartment claddings, with a view to easy recycling.

This first use of a lithium-ion battery in a series production car also presented new challenges with respect to eventual disposal and recycling. In collaboration with suppliers and disposal specialists, innovative recycling concepts were developed which enable the valuable material constituents to be retrieved. All in all, it was possible to show a high material recycling rate of 85 percent, and an overall recycling rate of 95 percent. This means that the S-Class already complies with the overall recycling requirement coming into force from 1 January 2015.

Use of recycled components and renewable raw materials

A number of recycled parts and renewable natural materials are used in the production of the S-Class. All in all, 45 S-Class components such as wiring ducts or underbody panels with a total weight of 21.2 kilograms are made from recycled, high-quality plastics. Another aim was to obtain recycled materials from vehicle-related waste flows as far as possible, so as to create closed loops. Example: the recycled material used for the front wheel arches consists of reprocessed vehicle components such as the housings of starter batteries and bumper claddings from the Mercedes-Benz Recycling System, as well as waste material from cockpit production.
In the S-Class, 27 components with a total weight of just under 43 kilograms are produced with the use of natural materials. Wool is used in the seat upholstery, while coconut fibre and natural latex go into the driver's seat backrest for a perfect seating climate. The backrest cladding is of wood-fibre, and the attached retention points are produced directly from the waste materials during production of the cladding, thereby allowing a closed materials loop.

Further uses of renewable raw materials in the S-Class: the interior trim is enhanced with real wood veneers, and the parcel shelf lining is made from flax fibres.

The S 400 HYBRID sets new standards, not only in the fields of technology, innovation and driving pleasure. The luxury saloon offers an overall excellent environmental lifecycle assessment, with favourable fuel consumption, low emissions, a comprehensive recycling concept and a high share of renewable and recycled materials.

Copyright © 2009, Mercedes-Benz-Blog. All rights reserved.

OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE

- Study documents high customer satisfaction with the quality of newly purchased Mercedes-Benz vehicles
- J. D. Power Gold Plant Quality Award for the East London Plant
- J. D. Power Silver Plant Quality Award for the Bremen Plant
- Rainer Schmueckle, Chief Operating Officer Mercedes-Benz Cars: „Award is another proof for the high quality of our production facilities”

East London/Bremen, South Africa/Germany, Jul 13, 2009 – The Mercedes-Benz plants in East London/South Africa and Bremen/Germany are building high quality cars. That’s the result of a recently published study conducted by the U.S. based market research institute J.D. Power und Associates. On July 13, 2009, Rainer Schmueckle, Chief Operating Officer Mercedes-Benz Cars, received the J. D. Power Gold Plant Quality Award for Mercedes-Benz’ East London Plant and the J. D. Power Silver Plant Quality Award for the company’s Bremen Plant from Jacob George, Vice President, Automotive Product Solutions, J.D.Power and Associates.


„This recognition is another proof for the high quality standards within our Mercedes-Benz Cars production network. We are very proud that our plants – following the J.D. Power Award for our Sindelfingen Plant in 2008 – are on the top of the list again this year“, said Rainer Schmueckle, Chief Operating Officer Mercedes-Benz Cars, responsible for production, quality and purchasing. “Our success is a result of the company’s dedicated work force throughout our plants. The whole team is working hard every day to constantly secure and enhance the quality of Mercedes-Benz vehicles throughout the entire production process.“

The recent study by J.D. Power and Associates documents the satisfaction of Mercedes-Benz customers with the quality level of newly delivered vehicles in general, and with models manufactured in the East London and Bremen plants in particular. The East London Plant produces the Mercedes-Benz C-Class, in Bremen the C-, CLK-, GLK-, SLK- and SL-Class rolled-off the assembly line in 2008. U.S. customers of newly purchased vehicles were asked 90 days after delivery of their vehicles about the models’ workmanship. Important criteria within the study were – amongst others – exterior, interior, seats, engine, transmission and the operational controls.

The study’s category “Plants in Europe/Africa“ comprises 27 passenger car plants. With the Gold and Silver Awards the study recognizes the performance of the production teams in East London and Bremen.

Copyright © 2009, Mercedes-Benz-Blog. All rights reserved.

Source:Autobild





Copyright © 2009, Mercedes-Benz-Blog. All rights reserved.

OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE

Stuttgart/Bucharest, Germany/Romania, Jul 09, 2009

- Official handover to the Bucharest mass transit company

- Opening of new EvoBus Romania location in Bucharest

At the end of June, Daimler Buses handed the 1,000th Mercedes-Benz Citaro city bus to Bucharest’s mass transit company Regia Autonoma de Transport Bucuresti (RATB). Dr. Eckehard Stengel, Managing Director of EvoBus Romania, symbolically presented the keys to Bucharest’s Mayor Sorin Oprescu at the festive opening of the new EvoBus Romania location. EvoBus is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Daimler AG.


“The new customer and service center in Bucharest underscores our commitment to Eastern Europe. We are proud of the successes our colleagues have achieved there such as the achievements in sales and the professional handling of all full-service and maintenance service contracts,” says Holger Suffel, Managing Director of Sales at EvoBus.

Daimler Buses has been represented in Romania since April 2006. It has sold around 1,200 buses in the country over the past three years, making it the clear market leader for buses with a market share of about 50 percent.

The 1,000th Mercedes-Benz Citaro for the Bucharest mass transit company is 12 meters long and provides seating for 27 passengers. The bus is equipped with a Euro 4-compliant BlueTec engine. The most recent delivery completes the major order from 2007 for 500 Citaro city buses. The Romanian capital ordered the first batch of 500 city buses of the Citaro type back in 2005. The low-floor city bus is manufactured at the German Mercedes-Benz bus plants in Mannheim and Ulm.

Besides trams and trolley buses, the RATB fleet consists of 1,500 buses, including 1,000 Mercedes-Benz Citaro city buses. In addition to serving urban areas, the Bucharest mass transit company operates a total of 51 rural service bus lines. Last year, buses accounted for about half of the passengers transported in Bucharest.

The new EvoBus Romania location in Bucharest was primarily selected because of its better accessibility for customers. On 12,000 m² of floor space the new service provides customers with further service and maintenance for Mercedes-Benz and Setra buses such as services 24 hours a day. The after-sales area provides also offers professional driver and technology training courses for customers and service partners. Around 90 men and women are employed at the new location.




Copyright © 2009, Mercedes-Benz-Blog. All rights reserved.

OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE

Nurburgring, Germany, Jul 12, 2009

HEIKKI KOVALAINEN
- MP4-24-03
- Started: 6th
- Finished: 8th
- Fastest lap: 1m35.524s (17th)
- Pitstops: two (Op-Pr-Pr)
- 2009 points: 5 (13th)


From sixth on the grid, Heikki made a great start, out-accelerating Jenson Button and Sebastian Vettel into the first corner and then leapfrogging the delayed Lewis to hold third position for the opening stint. Some great defensive driving kept him ahead of Button, Felipe Massa and Vettel and he kept himself in the fight for the whole race, pitting on laps 15 and 40 to emerge eighth for his final stint. For the last 10 laps, he again drove with one eye on his rear-view mirrors to keep a busy train of cars at bay. Eighth position was a well-deserved result for a race driven on the car’s limit for the entire duration – particularly as he was not armed with the same aero upgrade package raced by Lewis this afternoon.

“If you’d told me on Friday that I would score points today, I wouldn’t have believed it,” Heikki said afterwards. “This weekend has been difficult – it’s been hard to get the tyres working and to find grip, but we kept pushing throughout every session and things started to turn around. Qualifying went well and our KERS hybrid helped me to move from sixth to third at the start.

“From that point on, it was all about defending: I pushed the whole time and it was a hard way to earn points but we can be satisfied about it. KERS made my race today, no doubt about it, and I’m now really looking forward to the Hungarian Grand Prix, when I’ll get my hands on the full aero upgrade package for the first time. It’s good for the whole team that we now seem to be moving forwards again.”

LEWIS HAMILTON
- MP4-24-04
- Started: 5th
- Finished: 18h
- Fastest lap: 1m35.367s (15th)
- Pitstops: two (Op-Pr-Op)
- 2009 points: 9 (11th)

Lewis made a good KERS-assisted start from fifth on the grid, quickly vaulted Sebastian Vettel and ran around the outside of duelling leaders, Rubens Barrichello and Mark Webber. Turning into the first corner, he was snagged by Webber’s front wing, the contact puncturing his right-rear tyre and necessitating a first-lap pitstop.

Heavily fuelled and switched to a two-stint strategy, he was relegated to the back and drove a lonely race to 18th, unable to perform competitively owing to suspected damage to the rear – likely caused by the flailing rubber – which negatively affected handling and tyre-wear.

“My race was effectively over at Turn One,” Lewis said. “I had quite a good launch down to Turn One, and I was braking when I felt a tap from the rear and went straight on. I think the flat tyre had damaged the rear floor and it felt like I was out there driving on ice. I suggested to the team that we save the engine and gearbox for the future because there’s a lot more potential ahead of us than we’d anticipated before this weekend.

“But that’s racing and we’ll move on. The best thing about this weekend was that our updates were successful. The team has done a fantastic job over the last few weeks and I’m already looking forward to the next race.”

COMMENTS

MARTIN WHITMARSH
Team principal, Vodafone McLaren Mercedes
“Lewis and Heikki both made great starts, assisted by KERS hybrid. In fact, Lewis could have taken the lead at the first corner if he hadn’t been hit by Mark, which collision resulted in a puncture. That was a great shame, because his car was competitive here and I’m therefore sure he would have been able to score well with it. More frustratingly still, after having to make an unscheduled pit stop as a result of that puncture, he emerged in the worst possible track position: at the front of the field. He therefore had to observe the blue flags and allow all the front-runners past, causing him to lose further time.

“Heikki showed great spirit throughout the weekend, performing consistently well despite not having access to all the aero upgrades enjoyed by Lewis, and ending up with a solid eighth-place finish and a useful world championship point. Now, though, we’re already looking forward to going to Budapest, where both our drivers will have the aero upgrades and we ought therefore to be able to put in a competitive showing with both cars.”

NORBERT HAUG
Vice-president, Mercedes-Benz Motorsport
“The first few hundred metres looked promising when Lewis put his nose in front for the fraction of a second after starting from fifth place. He ran wide after being hit before the corner and got a puncture. Heikki showed a solid performance with the old-spec underfloor and brought home a point at least. We have to further improve – but this was a good first step.”


Copyright © 2009, Mercedes-Benz-Blog. All rights reserved.

Given the fact that "Mercedes-Benz-Blog TRIVIA", our professional media section about Mercedes-Benz Heritage & Innovation, was very well received by our devoted visitors(which, obviously, we are highly thankful to), it crossed our mind that it would be even better to launch a new weblog specially dedicated to it.

This is how the new Mercedes-Benz-Blog TRIVIA was born. And, today, the 12th of July, 2009, the new weblog under the Mercedes-Benz-Blog brand is up and entirely functional. It contains all the articles posted in the Mercedes-Benz-Blog TRIVIA section on Mercedes-Benz-Blog up to the moment. And, last but not least, from now on, all the new & upcoming TRIVIA articles will be primarily displayed on the new weblog, but we will also keep in mind to highlight every single one on the parent weblog too.

So, remember >> Mercedes-Benz-Blog TRIVIA ~ A professional look on Mercedes-Benz Heritage & Innovation


Copyright © 2009, Mercedes-Benz-Blog. All rights reserved.

OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE

Nurburgring, Germany, Jul 11, 2009

LEWIS HAMILTON
- MP4-24-04
P3 programme
- 1m31.121s (16 laps, 1st)

Lewis ran the morning session e quipped with a full upgrade package of new floor, top-body and FW5 front wing. He completed three runs, refining the overall balance of the car and assessing the two tyre compounds. After setting the fastest time of the morning, Lewis declared himself thrilled with the potential of the new package: “The car behaves really well,” he said. “It feels great to have a car that you can really push into the corners.


Qualifying
- Q1 1m31.473s (4th)
- Q2 1m39.149s (6th)
- Q3 1m32.616s (5th overall)

An early Option-tyre run by Lewis in Q1 – before the shower affected track grip – secured his graduation to the second session with a 1m31.686s. Into Q2, he ran two slower laps on Intermediates before making a quick change to Options and recorded a 1m39.149s in the hectic dying seconds of the session. That placed him sixth. With the track steadily drying ahead of Q3, Lewis completed an early recce before bolting on another set of Options to set a 1m32.616s – finishing his run before the track reached its optimum. Nevertheless, he lines up fifth fastest for tomorrow’s race.

“I’m really happy to be in Q3,” said Lewis. “It’s a big difference for us this year, and the team has done a fantastic job. The conditions were up and down and they did brilliantly to make sure we were on the track with the right tyres at the right time. Also, the guys back at the factory have all worked extremely hard to get the parts to the track and they have made a big difference. Unfortunately, the track got a bit better after I set my fastest lap, when it was a bit greasy, but for Heikki and me to line up sixth and fifth tomorrow is a great result for us. We’re definitely in a position to fight for a podium, but trying to beat the Brawns and the Red Bulls will be difficult. The car is still a work-in-progress and there’s a way to go – but this is really encouraging. I don’t mind if it rains tomorrow but I’d just like a nice, smooth race!”

HEIKKI KOVALAINEN
- MP4-24-03
P3 programme
- 1m32.742s (18 laps, 18th)

Two runs for Heikki in P3 – an eight-lap run on Primes and a five-lap stint on the Option. Equipped with a second FW5 front wing, but without the top-body and diffuser upgrades for Lewis, Heikki still found it difficult to find a comfortable balance in MP4-24 but pushed throughout the morning to refine the car to his liking.

Qualifying
- Q1 1m31.881s (12th)
- Q2 1m40.826s (8th)
- Q3 1m33.859s (6th overall)

Heikki completed three early laps in Q1 before making a tyre-stop in the pits and completing another three laps, recording a 12th-fastest 1m31.881s. On a damp track in Q2, he spun on Inters at the exit of Turn Four but the car emerged unscathed and he was able to pit for Options, keep his head during a longer-than-anticipated stop and set a 1m40.826s – seeing him move into Q3 after a nail-biting session. For Q3, he completed two laps on the Option, finally setting a 1m33.859s to line up sixth – a fantastic effort and Heikki’s best qualifying position of the season.

Heikki said: “Today worked out better for me than expected: we can be very pleased with that. My tyre strategy worked really well this afternoon and I had the right tyres in Q2 when the conditions were at their trickiest. Thanks to the team for a superb job in a very tight situation. This result is very promising for everyone in the team and my car worked much better here than at previous races. The team has been working incredibly hard to make improvements to our car and, although I didn’t have the same upgrades as Lewis today, it’s really encouraging to see the step forward we’ve taken – we’re making excellent progress. Finally, it’s great to be able to produce our strongest qualifying result of the year at the home race of Mercedes-Benz – I think they’ve produced the best engine in Formula 1, and I hope they’re proud of their results today.”

COMMENTS

MARTIN WHITMARSH
Team principal, Vodafone McLaren Mercedes
“First of all, congratulations to Mercedes-Benz for having five of their engines in the top seven – what a magnificent result. Obviously, we’ve made a step forward and having both cars on the third row is a fine achievement. Everybody in this team has worked incredibly hard to bring these performance upgrades to the car and it’s hugely gratifying for everyone that we can begin to see the results of all their efforts. Lewis and Heikki did a fantastic job in extremely difficult circumstances and Heikki’s pace, in particular, was outstanding. While a position on the front row was certainly possible, our cars were not running when the track was at its fastest. Nevertheless, we must be very pleased with today’s result and we look forward to tomorrow, when we feel we have the strategy to achieve another good result.”

NORBERT HAUG
Vice-president, Mercedes-Benz Motorsport
“We had known since yesterday that a good result would be possible at our home race. Lewis and Heikki managed to put their cars on the third row – and even more could have been possible. The team and the drivers, including Pedro, have worked extremely hard since our disappointing performance at the last race at Silverstone and we have definitely made a step in the right direction. We should be in good shape for tomorrow’s race and hopefully our KERS hybrid will help us to overtake a couple of cars at the start.”



Copyright © 2009, Mercedes-Benz-Blog. All rights reserved.