skip to main |
skip to sidebar
The first Actros Euro VI was handed over to the Transalliance transport company today as part of a major order for over 500 Mercedes-Benz trucks. Ulrich Bastert, head of sales at Mercedes-Benz Trucks, handed over the vehicle to Alexandre Michel, owner and CEO of the Transalliance Group, in Wörth today. "There is a good, long-standing partnership between our company and Transalliance. We are delighted that our customer Transalliance is introducing the first Euro VI truck into its fleet, thereby highlighting the company's future-oriented approach," said Ulrich Bastert at the handover. The French company will be taking delivery of this major order in the coming months.
The new Mercedes-Benz Actros is the first truck to be designed specifically for the Euro VI standard, which will become mandatory in 2014. Its pollutant emissions have been reduced to a barely detectable range. The new Actros model also sets benchmarks in terms of fuel consumption: in comparison to the established Actros, the new Actros designed to Euro VI standard results in a further 3-4 percent reduction in fuel consumption.
"For us, economy, safe driving dynamics and greater comfort for the driver are the most important characteristics of a truck. We are proud to have the first Mercedes-Benz Actros with Euro VI technology in our fleet," declared Alexandre Michel from Transalliance. "Our efforts to support and actively promote future-oriented technologies are also being showcased in the technology days which we are currently staging at Transalliance. This event offers customers and employees an opportunity to catch up on the state of the art in our business."
Transalliance is one of the largest logistics companies in Europe. Its fleet comprises 3200 vehicles, including 700 trucks from Mercedes-Benz. Transalliance's workforce in 2011 stands at 4500. The handover of the first new Mercedes-Benz Actros complying with the Euro VI emissions standard which is to be introduced in 2014 further strengthens the level of cooperation between the two companies and demonstrates the two partners' commitment to meeting the highest possible environmental standards.
Copyright © 2011, Mercedes-Benz-Blog. All rights reserved.
More than four years after the market launch of the current generation the smart fortwo remains on the road to success. Until today over half a million models of the innovative two-seater have been sold. And sales continue to rise: since the beginning of the year 69,073 smart fortwo have been delivered to customers around the world, 6.6 percent more than in the same period last year.
"Our smart has long since evolved into an icon, which is indispensable in the cities of the world," says Dr. Annette Winkler, Head of smart.
With the third generation of the smart fortwo electric drive smart is once again setting standards. It will be available for ordering from spring 2012. Those who would like to be among the first owners will have the opportunity to make a reservation online as of the fourth quarter 2011. For the further development of the car the company was able to integrate extensive experience of about 15,000 test runs and customer feedback from various electric mobility projects. For example, this is reflected in clearly improved range and engine performance. Dr. Annette Winkler continues, "Driving with the new smart electric drive makes a lot of fun. It causes neither noise nor emissions, and yet with it you are agile and flexible on the roads in the city." The new sales model will make the introduction to electric mobility particularly attractive for customers. With the ‘sale&care’ model customers can buy, lease or finance the vehicle at an attractive price for less than EUR 16,000 before tax and rent the battery for less than EUR 60 per month before tax. As a result, production at the smart factory in Hambach, France has already been ramped up to a five-figure volume starting 2012. In Germany customers will be able to drive the new electric completely CO2-free as the company will provide additional ‘green’ electricity.
As an ideal addition to the portfolio, the smart ebike will be launched in the second quarter of 2012. As a true smart on two wheels it is exceptionally well-positioned thanks to its unconventional design in line with the style of the brand, functions appropriate for city use and high technology standards. The smart ebike, which has been developed and built in collaboration with the e-bike manufacture GRACE, will initially be distributed by smart dealers in Europe and North America. Through clever solutions such as the integrated USB port for smartphones or energy recuperation during braking the smart ebike has become a truly high-tech product, and it is being sold in Germany for a very attractive price of less than EUR 2,900.
Since January the facelifted smart fortwo continued to develop positively with growth of 6.6 percent compared to the same period last year - 69,073 vehicles were sold (64,819). Germany remains the most successful market for the smart, where 20,286 vehicles have been sold since the beginning of the year (plus 13 percent). As a result, the smart is the best-selling vehicle in its segment during the year to date. However, the smart fortwo is also developing well in many other markets – above all in China. Until May this year sales have already surpassed last year’s total sales figure; since January almost four times as many smarts have been sold than in the period from January to August 2010. In August, sales jumped another 141.5 percent.
Source: Daimler AG
Copyright © 2011, Mercedes-Benz-Blog. All rights reserved.
The new Citaro created a sensation when it was presented to the general public just a few weeks ago. The best-selling urban bus from Mercedes-Benz has been completely revamped, and experts were quick to predict a great future for the bus. This future is already becoming reality: on 19 September, a ceremony was held to mark the delivery of the Citaro to a customer, Lücke-Reisen. Konstantinos Tsiknas, head of sales for Mercedes-Benz Buses and Coaches in Germany, handed over a symbolic key to managing directors Anne and Uwe Lücke. Lücke-Reisen, based in Nordkirchen, Germany, is the first private bus and coach firm to choose the new-generation Citaro.
Ambassador for an eye-catching form of public transport
The design of the Citaro leaves no doubt that this is a fundamental, new development. The designers at Mercedes-Benz have given the urban bus a completely new look, from the headlights to the tail lights. Its friendly ‘face’ really does appear be smiling, thanks to large headlights and a curved windscreen. The low-reaching side windows convey transparency, while the striking profiles of the wheel arches embody dynamism and finesse. The rear of the new Citaro features soft lines, giving it a friendly appearance despite the modern touches.
The new Citaro’s redesigned passenger compartment has an even more spacious feel than before. Light colours and an uncluttered ceiling design create an airy and inviting interior. InterStar Eco seats have been fitted. While the grab rail suspended from the ceiling is cobalt blue, the grab poles are painted in white aluminium. The new lighting concept features well-lit entrance and exit areas plus indirect lighting of the outer ceiling flaps as a result of installing multidimensional scattering lenses in the ceiling lights.
Fit for everyday use: safe, comfortable and economical
The new Citaro’s safety concept sets the standard. Its protection in the event of head-on collisions is unique among urban buses and is based on the ECE R 29 standard. It has increased passive safety thanks to an even more rigid yet lighter frame structure. These features mean the new Citaro already fulfils the requirements of the stricter ECE R 66/01 regulation on survival space in the event of the bus rolling over, due to come into force in 2017. The new inward folding doors are lighter, making the bus more robust. Integrated LED daytime running lights also come as standard. Another new feature is the pivot-and-slide door at the front entrance. The raised driver area ensures an even better all-round view and, by putting the driver at eye level with passengers, creates a heightened sense of safety. The driver’s cockpit has been completely redesigned for the new Citaro. Its door is now hinged at the rear, enabling it to open at the front. The instrument panel meets the requirements of the Association of German Transport Companies (VDV) yet is more airy, has more knee room, features optimised ergonomics and provides far more information thanks to the colour display. Buttons on the new steering wheel offer extra convenience.
The new Citaro has inherited its predecessor’s tried-and-trusted economical and environmentally-friendly engines with BlueTec diesel technology. Lücke-Reisen’s Citaro is powered by a compact six-cylinder turbo diesel OM 906 hLA with a cubic capacity of 6.37 litres, 210 kW (286 bhp) output and 1120 Nm torque. The engine meets the Euro V emissions standard.
Lücke-Reisen
Bus and coach operator Lücke-Reisen was founded in 1966 by Otto Lücke and is now managed by the second generation of the family, Uwe and Anne Lücke. The firm’s fleet comprises around 60 Mercedes-Benz vehicles, including coaches. Lücke-Reisen’s services range from school trips and club outings to coach tours throughout Germany and Europe. The family business also runs scheduled bus services for public transport companies Regionalverkehr Münsterland (RVM) and Verkehrsgesellschaft Kreis Unna (VKU) as well as for the charity Caritasverband Kreis Coesfeld. The new Citaro will operate alongside nine Citaro buses of the first and second generation.
Source: Daimler AG
Copyright © 2011, Mercedes-Benz-Blog. All rights reserved.
