MERCEDES-BENZ ATEGO BLUETEC HYBRID DELIVERED

Daimler AG handed over ten Mercedes-Benz Atego BlueTec Hybrid vehicles to DP Fleet GmbH, a subsidiary of Deutsche Post DHL, at the manufacturer's Wörth plant today. The vehicles will be deployed throughout Germany in the mail and freight segments. The trucks assigned to DHL's freight operations will operate in Wustermark and Hamburg, while the five Atego Hybrids to be used by the company's mail division will go into service in Hennigsdorf, Dortmund, Cologne-Gremberghoven, Gersthofen and Kolbermoor.

Deutsche Post DHL was Daimler AG's exclusive partner from March 2009 to October 2010 in a European pilot project involving five Atego Hybrid prototypes. This experience prompted Deutsche Post to order the ten above-stated vehicles belonging to the second generation. Delivery of the Mercedes-Benz Atego BlueTec Hybrid to its customers – primarily companies from the logistics sector – has been gradually getting underway since March 2011. An international expert jury has voted the Atego BlueTec Hybrid "Truck of the Year 2011" in recognition of its innovative technology.

At the end of last year, the Atego BlueTec Hybrid additionally scooped the prestigious "Deutscher Nachhaltigkeitspreis" (German Sustainability Award). The jury explained its grounds for choosing the Atego as follows: "With the Mercedes-Benz Atego BlueTec Hybrid, Daimler AG addresses various challenges in the area of sustainability. The adaptation of hybrid components to the vehicle's operating strategy results in a reduction in fuel consumption and CO2 emissions of between 10 and 15% – with even greater savings possible, depending on the given topography and service conditions. In braking and overrun mode the electric motor functions as a generator, feeding energy into lithium-ion batteries which are subsequently available when special load situations apply. These features make the Mercedes-Benz Atego BlueTec Hybrid an environment-friendly vehicle with which Daimler AG sets benchmarks worldwide."

The basis for the BlueTec Hybrid is provided by the Atego 1222 L Euro 5, which already meets the environment-friendly EEV standard for particularly low particulate emissions and qualifies for toll-free use of German roads. Its compact and light four-cylinder diesel engine with a displacement of 4.8 litres generates 160kW of power. This engine is backed up by a water-cooled electric motor with a maximum output of 44kW which is powered by high-energy, high-performance lithium-ion batteries.

The electric motor is installed behind the combustion engine and the clutch, but in front of the transmission. This configuration enables the truck to be powered by engine and motor together or by either of the drives on its own. The parallel hybrid drive enables start-up of the vehicle on electric power, recuperation by the electric motor and optimisation of the diesel engine's characteristic. The diesel engine's drive power is engaged via the coupling between diesel engine and electric motor.

Until it is connected to the powertrain, the combustion engine serves solely to drive the ancillary units. Apart from a marked reduction of up to 15% in fuel consumption and exhaust emissions, this also results in lower noise emissions. The automatic start/stop function for the engine reduces fuel consumption, emissions and noise to zero at traffic lights.