Annual Report 2019

New mobility is taking shape and is becoming a reality

The automotive industry is undergoing a profound transformation. As the inventor of the automobile and a provider of personal mobility solutions ranging from smart vehicles to the broad range of Mercedes-Benz cars and Mercedes-Benz vans, we seek to shape and lead this extensive transformation. Technical challenges still exist with regard to linking the four key fields that are decisive for the future of mobility — connectivity (Connected), automated and autonomous driving (Autonomous), flexible use and services (Shared & Services) and electric drive systems (Electric). In the meantime, our electric mobility offensive in the field of cars is being consolidated under our EQ technology and product brand, which represents an important component on the road to emission-free driving and an effective instrument for achieving ever more ambitious global CO₂ reduction targets.

Connected: MBUX and Mercedes me

The Mercedes-Benz User Experience, MBUX, was expanded in 2019 to include several new features. In addition, the system was introduced in numerous new model series for the first time. The new features include the “In Car Store,” which can be used to order navigation services, digital radio or smartphone integration functions. MBUX also makes it possible to pay street parking fees quickly and easily. Experience with the A-Class shows that customers like to invest in entertainment and connectivity features. Two out of every three customers now order the high-end version of the MBUX system.

Since it launched Mercedes me in 2014, Mercedes-Benz has developed more than 80 mobility-related digital services. New services are also constantly being introduced and made available in more and more markets. Mexico, Malaysia and India have recently been added, which means that Mercedes me can now be used in 47 markets. The activation rate for Mercedes me in new Mercedes-Benz vehicles is over 90 %, which translates into approximately four million active users at the moment.

EQ models equipped with Mercedes me offer important functions for electric mobility today and in the future, including navigation, the display of the remaining vehicle range, and an auxiliary climate control system. The features can be programmed directly via MBUX or the Mercedes me app. The EQ-specific content in MBUX includes the display of the state of charge and the energy flow. Drive programs, charging current and departure time can also be controlled and set via MBUX.

The ENERGIZING comfort control unit connects the various comfort systems in the vehicle. A new feature that is now available offers intelligent recommendations via the ENERGIZING COACH system. This service uses an intelligent algorithm to recommend one of the ENERGIZING comfort control programs suited to the given situation. The aim here is for the occupants to feel comfortable and relaxed even during demanding or monotonous journeys.

The Bertha tank app allows drivers to quickly and easily locate the nearest or cheapest service station, or the one best suited to their needs in the immediate area or at a desired location. Drivers can also use the app’s integrated payment function to pay for fuel directly at the vehicle.

At the end of 2019, together with the district of Zollernalb, we announced that we would run a pilot project to determine how car-to-X communication can be used to enhance safety on wintry roads and improve the efficiency of municipal winter services. Car-to-X is a term used to describe communication between vehicles, as well as communication between vehicles and the transport infrastructure. Mercedes-Benz passenger cars that are equipped with car-to-X technology, and whose owners have activated the Live Traffic Service, are providing the necessary data for the pilot tests. When the ESP® or ABS sensors in these vehicles detect slippery road conditions, this information, including the associated GPS data, is sent to the Daimler Vehicle Backend in real time via the mobile phone network. The anonymized information is displayed in real time on digital maps in the Zollernalb district’s two road-maintenance depots.

New forms of automated driving

We have teamed up with the BMW Group in order to reach a milestone on the road to automated driving. We plan to work together with BMW to develop the next generation of technologies for driving assistance systems, automated driving on highways and automated parking systems. The partnership is open to other vehicle manufacturers and technology partners. In addition, the results of the partnership will be offered to other OEMs for licensing purposes.

We are also working with Bosch on the development of an automated driving system operating at SAE Level 4/5 and designed especially for urban traffic. In December 2019, we began offering a select group of users a ridesharing service using automatically driving Mercedes-Benz S-Class vehicles in the Silicon Valley city of San José. Daimler Mobility AG is operating and managing the test fleet and the associated app-based mobility service.

Shared & Services: a joint venture with the BMW Group

Daimler AG and the BMW Group are combining their mobility services in the YOUR NOW joint ventures with the goal of creating a new global player that will introduce sustainable urban mobility solutions that consistently focus on customer utility. Together we are investing more than one billion euros in the further expansion and close interconnection of existing services in the areas of ride hailing, multimodal platforms, car sharing, parking and charging. The products and services of the joint ventures are being further systematically aligned with customer requirements and have been consolidated into three units: 1. FREE NOW & REACH NOW. 2. SHARE NOW. 3. PARK NOW & CHARGE NOW.

Electric mobility offensive - new products and highlights at IAA 2019

Mercedes-Benz is forging ahead with the electrification of its vehicles. We plan to electrify the entire Mercedes-Benz Cars portfolio as soon as 2022, which means that various electric alternatives are to be offered in every segment — from compact cars to SUVs. We expect all-electric vehicles to account for up to 25 % by 2025.

We have also set other goals within the framework of our “Ambition 2039” strategy. For example, plans call for the Mercedes-Benz Cars business division to offer a completely CO₂-neutral new vehicle fleet by 2039. In addition, we want more than half of our vehicle sales in 2030 to consist of vehicles with electric drive systems, i.e. all-electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles. By 2030, nearly all of our production sites in Germany will use electricity generated exclusively from renewable sources. We are also looking to achieve CO₂-neutral production throughout Europe as of 2022, while our long-term plans call for the value chain to be transformed into a value cycle that will incorporate the entire supplier chain. As we move ahead here, electric mobility will become our core business, and future vehicle architectures will be designed for electric mobility from the very beginning.

The Mercedes-Benz VISION EQS had its world premiere at the press conference for the 2019 IAA International Motor Show in Frankfurt. This show car offers a preview of the future of sustainable modern luxury. It is a premium electric sedan that emphasizes sustainability as its central theme. That’s because the VISION EQS show car is based on a new and fully variable electric drive system platform that is scalable in a variety of ways and can be used in different vehicle models.

Plug-in hybrids offer customers the best of two worlds: they can be driven in the all-electric mode in cities, while on long journeys they benefit from the combustion engine’s range. Plug-in hybrid technology makes vehicles more efficient overall - it allows for braking-energy recovery on the one hand and the use of the combustion engine at more favorable operating points on the other.

At the end of 2019, Mercedes-Benz had more than ten plug-in hybrid models on offer — an attractive portfolio ranging from compacts to the Mercedes-Benz S-Class flagship model. Our goal here is to offer our customers well over 20 hybrid model variants by 2020.

With the A 250 e (fuel consumption combined: 1.6 - 1.4 l/100 km; CO₂ emissions combined: 36 - 32 g/km; power consumption combined: 15.3 - 14.6 kWh/100 km)¹, the A 250 e sedan (fuel consumption combined: 1.5 - 1.3 l/100 km; CO₂ emissions combined: 35 - 31 g/km; power consumption combined: 15.2 - 14.5 kWh/100 km)¹ and the B 250 e (fuel consumption combined: 1.6 - 1.4 l/100 km; CO₂ emissions combined: 36-32 g/km; power consumption combined: 15.4 - 14.7 kWh/100 km)¹, three compact-family models equipped with the third-generation hybrid system were unveiled for the first time.

The electric mobility offensive is also being systematically implemented in the SUV segment. The new GLE 350 de 4MATIC (fuel consumption combined: 1.3 - 1.1 l/100 km; CO₂ emissions combined: 34 - 29 g/km; power consumption combined: 28.7 - 25.4 kWh/100 km)¹ has a battery with a capacity of 31.2 kWh, which gives it an all-electric range of more than 100 kilometers, assuming an appropriate driving style.

The GLC also enters its new model year with an even more striking design, the MBUX infotainment system and the latest driving assistance systems. As an all-wheel drive SUV, the GLC 300 e 4MATIC (fuel consumption combined: 2.5 - 2.2 l/100 km; CO₂ emissions combined: 58 - 51 g/km; power consumption combined: 18.3 - 16.5 kWh/100 km)¹ is also an ideal towing vehicle.

Solutions for the electric charging infrastructure

Our electric mobility offensive also includes the latest solutions for the electric charging infrastructure. Studies estimate that about 70 to 80 % of the energy required for charging processes in the EU and the USA will be covered at home or at the workplace, and only about 20 to 30 % at semi-public or public installations. We offer the right solutions in all of these areas. Such solutions include charge@home for fast and safe recharging at home with the new Mercedes-Benz Wallbox, and Mercedes me Charge for easy and convenient charging on the road. With the charge@Daimler project, we are consolidating our activities relating to the establishment of an intelligent charging infrastructure at all Daimler locations in Germany, while with charge@highway we are forging ahead with an adequate infrastructure for battery charging on long journeys. Through the joint venture IONITY, we are working together with several other vehicle manufacturers to establish a powerful fast-charging network for electric vehicles in Europe. In addition, our charge@fleet project offers an intelligent charging solution for companies and fleet operators.

Modern combustion engines remain indispensable

Combustion engines should continue to form the backbone of global personal mobility for many years to come. This makes it all the more important to further improve the efficiency and environmental compatibility of combustion engines. As planned, we continued and expanded our engine offensive at Mercedes-Benz in the year under review. Our new highly efficient four and six-cylinder engines are already available in diesel or gasoline versions in numerous models. We are convinced that diesel will continue to be a firm element of the drive-system mix in the future, not least due to the low CO₂ emissions of diesel engines.

Significantly reduced NO_x emissions are a characteristic feature of vehicles that are certified in accordance with the Euro 6d-TEMP standard. All Mercedes-Benz passenger cars that can be ordered as new vehicles now comply with this standard.

2019: a year of safety anniversaries

Vehicle safety is one of our core areas of expertise and a key component of our product strategy. Our vision of accident-free driving will continue to motivate us to make mobility as safe as possible for everyone in the future. This year we once again presented an Experimental Safety Vehicle: the ESF 2019. This new ESF offers an insight into the ideas that our safety-research experts are currently working on. The vehicle features more than a dozen innovations including both near-series developments and developments that look well into the future. Examples here include the PRE-SAFE® child seat concept and a new holistic safety concept for the automated drive program. The ESF also features a new type of driver airbag and a unique steering-wheel and pedal system.

The year 2019 was a special year for safety milestones as well, as it marked the 50th year that our experts have been examining serious accidents involving current vehicles bearing the three-pointed star. The knowledge gained at Mercedes-Benz Accident Research is used to improve updated and new models and their design. Mercedes-Benz Accident Research also established itself on an international scale several years ago by bringing together its German experts with colleagues in India and China. Here, the accident researchers in Asia benefit from the expertise from Sindelfingen. Augmented reality glasses enable the colleagues to exchange information with one another directly and in real time, and thus to conduct joint analyses, even though the German accident research experts are at a different location. The first crash test in the brand’s history was conducted 60 years ago, thus ushering in a new era for safety research at Mercedes-Benz. The Technology Center for Vehicle Safety (TFS) in Sindelfingen can performs approximately 900 crash tests each year, as well as about 1,700 sled tests. In the latter, a test mule (body shell or test assembly) is mounted on a test sled and subjected to the forces arising during a real vehicle crash. We have repeatedly set new standards for crash test procedures and testing facilities that have been adopted across the industry and have resulted in improved vehicle safety in the interests of all road users on a lasting basis. Mercedes-Benz’ vehicle safety unit is currently testing the use of X-ray technology in crash tests in cooperation with the Fraunhofer Institute for High-Speed Dynamics and the Ernst Mach Institute (EMI) in Freiburg. This method enables us to investigate the behavior of safety-relevant components by taking a look inside the parts.

STARTUP AUTOBAHN begins its seventh program round

Launched in Stuttgart, successful worldwide: STARTUP AUTOBAHN was launched on the initiative of Daimler AG, which in 2016 wanted to create an innovative connection between the world of startups and that of the well-established corporations in manufacturing sectors such as the automotive industry. Daimler founded the innovation platform STARTUP AUTOBAHN in cooperation with the startup accelerator Plug and Play, the University of Stuttgart, and the research factory ARENA2036. Daimler organizes two three-month pilot programs annually, each of which concludes with an EXPO DAY.

In the summer of 2019, STARTUP AUTOBAHN launched its seventh program under the motto “THE NEXT GREEN THING” - with a clear focus on sustainability. During the round’s scouting phase, Daimler examined ideas from more than 500 startups worldwide in the areas of climate protection and air quality, conservation of resources and livable cities. Around 30 of these ideas were then analyzed in detail by numerous experts, after which a few were selected for further development in specific collaboration projects. The range of topics is varied, providing an indication of the wealth of ideas available in the startup scene. One startup, for example, extracts CO₂ from the air and uses it to produce polymers that can then be utilized as either soft or hard foam materials in car seats.

Daimler Trucks & Buses: moving the world - sustainably

Transport is the backbone of our economy and our modern way of life. Without trucks and buses, factories could not manufacture anything, supermarkets couldn’t sell anything and people’s mobility would be severely restricted. In other words, the world would come to a standstill. Our customers move the world - and our goal at Daimler Trucks & Buses is to offer our customers the products and services that increase their business success. In the future, we will focus in particular on the CO₂-neutral transport of goods and people in driving operation (tank to wheel) and on accident-free driving. Both of these fields are part of the sustainable corporate strategy pursued at Daimler Trucks & Buses, which is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of commercial vehicles. Within the framework of this strategy, the company is developing vehicles and services that move our society forward efficiently and electrically, automatically, in a reliable network of connected vehicles and infrastructure.

Daimler Trucks: efficient and electric

Daimler Trucks & Buses aims to offer only new vehicles that are CO₂-neutral in driving operation (“tank-to-wheel”) in the major markets of Europe, Japan and the NAFTA region by 2039. As early as 2022, the company plans to have a vehicle portfolio comprising series-produced vehicles with battery-electric drive systems in the main sales regions of Europe, the United States and Japan. Plans also call for all Daimler Trucks & Buses plants in Europe to be CO₂-neutral by 2022. All of the company’s other production facilities will then follow. Light-, medium- and heavy-duty trucks equipped with battery-electric drive are already being tested extensively by customers: the light-duty FUSO eCanter in large cities around the world, the heavy-duty Mercedes-Benz eActros in Germany and Switzerland, and the medium-duty Freightliner eM2 and heavy-duty Freightliner eCascadia in the United States.

All-electric FUSO eCanter distribution trucks have now been driven for more than one million kilometers in locally emission-free urban distribution haulage. This figure is rather remarkable given the fact that a FUSO eCanter generally only clocks up around 30 to 80 kilometers each day in local distribution operations. Around 150 vehicles are now being operated by customers in New York, Tokyo, Berlin, London, Amsterdam, Paris and Lisbon. In March 2019, Penske Truck Leasing, one of the biggest fleet operators in the United States, also began using FUSO eCanter models. The FUSO eCanter is thus the third electric truck model series from Daimler Trucks in the Penske fleet (the company already uses the eCascadia and the eM2 from the Freightliner sister brand).

The Mercedes-Benz eActros all-electric truck has been proving its worth for customers under tough real operating conditions since autumn 2018. As part of the eActros “Innovation Fleet,” Mercedes-Benz Trucks began to hand over a total of ten 18 and 25-ton trucks to customers in Germany and Switzerland in the fall of 2018 for testing under real conditions. The analysis of tens of thousands of kilometers driven by customers, as well as close communication with drivers, dispatchers and fleet managers, have enabled the experts at Mercedes-Benz Trucks to obtain extensive knowledge about the trucks and their operation. The findings are directly incorporated into the further development of the eActros as it moves toward series production, which is scheduled to begin in 2021.

Daimler Trucks is also further expanding its field tests for medium and heavy-duty electric trucks in the United States. The Freightliner eCascadia and eM2 are scheduled to be launched on the market in 2021.

In November 2019, the E-Mobility Group at Daimler Trucks & Buses introduced a new service for truck customers that offers a comprehensive ecosystem for launching an electric transport logistics system. The service includes consulting and the creation of a suitable charging infrastructure for electric trucks. The modular program covers not only personal and individual consulting but also digital applications that make it easier to get started with electric mobility. The first step will focus on the markets of Europe, North America and Japan.

By the second half of this decade, Daimler Trucks & Buses plans to extend its range of models to include hydrogen-powered production vehicles. With this in mind, Daimler Trucks presented the Vision F-Cell fuel-cell prototype from FUSO at the Tokyo Motor Show in Japan at the end of October 2019, thus systematically intensifying its efforts to step up activities in the area of hydrogen technology.

Automated Daimler Trucks: aiming for more safety

The vision of accident-free driving has been guiding the activities at Daimler Trucks & Buses for decades now. State-of-the-art active safety systems hold the key to transforming the vision into a reality, and the company has already done a great deal of pioneering work in this regard. For example, numerous safety systems that are now the industry standard were first introduced in Mercedes-Benz trucks. Close cooperation within the Group means that these new technologies quickly make their way into other brands from Daimler Trucks.

At the beginning of 2019, Daimler Trucks presented the new Freightliner Cascadia - the first partially automated (SAE Level 2) series production truck for North America - at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas. With Detroit Assurance 5.0 featuring Lane Keeping Assist in the new Freightliner Cascadia and with Active Drive Assist in the Mercedes-Benz Actros and the FUSO Super Great, Daimler Trucks began offering partially automated driving features (SAE Level 2) in production trucks to customers in the United States, Europe and Japan in 2019. The new systems can assist the driver with braking, accelerating and steering the vehicle. Unlike systems that do not go into action until a certain speed is reached, Active Drive Assist/Detroit Assurance 5.0 can assist the driver with partially automated driving functions in all speed ranges for the first time in a production truck. Since November 2019, customers in Asia who purchase a new FUSO Super Great (SAE Level 2) have also been benefiting from our global expertise in the area of automated driving.

In addition to developing active safety systems, Mercedes-Benz Trucks is now introducing such systems even more systematically on a broad basis. For example, starting in January 2020, the premium truck manufacturer will offer the latest generation of its emergency braking system (ABA 5) as standard equipment in its heavy-duty model series throughout Europe. The Sideguard Assist system, which was presented for the first time in 2016, is now available not only ex works but also as a comparable retrofit solution. In this manner, Daimler Trucks & Buses is meeting its social responsibility to prevent accidents involving commercial vehicles to the greatest possible extent through the use of active safety systems.

Developing and testing highly automated trucks (SAE Level 4)

In the transportation industry, SAE Level 4 is the next logical step after Level 2 to increase efficiency and productivity for customers and significantly reduce costs per kilometer. Daimler Trucks is thus skipping the intermediate step of conditional automation (SAE Level 3). Level 3 does not offer truck customers any significant advantage over the current situation, as the higher costs of the technologies required for it are not matched by corresponding benefits in practice.

In order to accelerate this development, in March 2019 Daimler Trucks entered into a partnership with Torc Robotics, a pioneering US company in the field of automated driving. The partners plan to jointly develop and market highly automated production trucks (SAE Level 4) in the United States. In June 2019, Daimler Trucks combined all of its global expertise and activities in the field of automated driving into the Daimler Trucks Autonomous Technology Group. The new unit is responsible for the formulation and implementation of an overall strategy for automated driving, including all research and development activities and the establishment of the required infrastructure and network for vehicle operation. Daimler Trucks’ goal for the Autonomous Technology Group is to bring highly automated trucks (SAE Level 4) to market maturity within a decade. In September 2019, Daimler Trucks and Torc Robotics began testing highly automated trucks with SAE Level 4 technology for the first time on selected public roads in southwest Virginia. The trials on public roads were preceded by months of extensive testing on closed tracks. Over the long term Daimler Trucks plans to focus strategically on the operation of highly automated trucks (SAE Level 4) for long-distance Hub2Hub haulage between logistics hubs.

Daimler Trucks: reliable and connected

Reliability is a core brand value at Daimler Trucks. As the world’s largest manufacturer of trucks above 6 metric tons gross vehicle weight, Daimler Trucks continuously works to reduce unnecessary vehicle downtimes and thus continuously increase vehicle availability for customers. This is important because downtimes impair customers’ business success. In today’s digital age, innovative connectivity solutions and software services have become a part of the core business of Daimler Trucks as never before. Along with the management of its current portfolio of services, Fleetboard is also now working systematically on the development of new digital solutions for its customers. In the first quarter of 2019, for example, Fleetboard acquired the habbl logistics application. The software developed by habbl enables customers to easily integrate Mercedes-Benz trucks into their scheduling processes and make order data available in order to simplify communication with drivers.

As of 2019 anyone who gets behind the wheel of a new Mercedes-Benz Actros or Arocs with “Multimedia Cockpit interactive” is just a click away from an innovative, fully networked world of vehicles, drivers and logistics. An overview of all the installed apps can be seen simply by pressing the “Connect” button on the main screen of the navigation system. In addition, transport companies can use the new Mercedes-Benz Truck App Portal to take advantage of new networking opportunities and equip their trucks with efficiency and comfort-enhancing apps. The Mercedes-Benz Truck App Portal offers three types of apps: in-house apps from Daimler, which include apps from Mercedes-Benz Trucks and Fleetboard; selected apps from third-party providers - for example for the digital management of process steps or for processing transport requests; and apps from customers themselves. These apps make it possible to effectively integrate trucks into the digital business processes of the transport company. The aim here is always to make the everyday lives of dispatchers, fleet managers and drivers as easy as possible.

Data-based and networked services also form the foundation of the latest initiative from Daimler Trucks that is designed to take service and the customer experience to a new level in North America. Since June 2019, Daimler Trucks has been utilizing its new customer experience (CX) organization to ensure that customer requests and suggestions can be responded to and implemented in an even faster and more customized manner. An important role is played here by services that enable customers to make their core business safer, more efficient and more successful through the use of Daimler Trucks products in a wide variety of situations. The idea is that the entire service process - from vehicle reception and maintenance to post-maintenance pick-up - should be made significantly more efficient for customers. To this end, Daimler Trucks in North America has introduced new app-based communication channels that enable customers to interact intuitively with service reception and workshops while on the move. The overall objective here is to guarantee service-order processing within 24 hours in every case.

Mercedes-Benz Vans: vans with electric drive

Mercedes-Benz Vans is systematically forging ahead with the electrification of its product portfolio with locally emission-free electric drive systems that help ensure more sustainable mobility for people and goods in cities. The first step in this direction was made with the eVito panel van, which was followed by the eVito Tourer (electricity consumption in combined test cycle: 24.2 – 20.2 kWh/100 km; combined CO₂ emissions: 0 g/km)². Production of the eSprinter was launched in Düsseldorf at the end of 2019. Also in 2019, Mercedes-Benz Vans presented our first purely battery-electric premium full-size MPV: the EQV (combined electricity consumption: 27.0 kWh/100 km; combined CO₂ emissions: 0 g/km, preliminary figures)³. The vehicle offers a range of up to 405 km³ without compromising the usability of its interior space.

Well connected: making transport safer and more efficient

Along with personal mobility, the transport of goods also plays a key role in urban traffic. Mercedes-Benz Vans offers digital solutions in this area with Mercedes PRO connect. The service from Mercedes PRO includes providing the responsible fleet customers with data that they can use to analyze the driving style of their drivers and its effect on fuel consumption or vehicle wear and tear, for example. Drivers can then receive training in line with the results of these analyses. Such training courses can help reduce fuel consumption and the risk of accidents. Mercedes PRO connect is currently available in 19 European countries and in the United States. The web-based service benefits fleet operators ranging from small businesses to major clients.

The eDrive@VANs strategy involves not only the electrification of the vehicle fleet but also a customized overall system solution for each individual fleet. This includes advice on vehicle selection, assistance with tools such as the eVAN Ready app, and an overview of the total cost of ownership. Equally decisive for potential electric van users is the analysis of the organizational and technical circumstances at commercial customer sites. Finally, the integration of an intelligent charging infrastructure lays the foundation for conserving resources with a commercial fleet while remaining economically competitive.

digital@Vans bundles innovative solutions in the field of digitalization. Under the web-based brand Mercedes PRO, Mercedes-Benz Vans combines all digital services and solutions for the daily requirements of its customers, from small businesses to major clients. For example, Mercedes PRO optimizes communication between fleet managers, vehicles and drivers. In addition, it enables the online control of jobs and the retrieval of vehicle information such as location, fuel level or maintenance intervals almost in real time. Mercedes-Benz Vans also develops tailored digital solutions for various sectors, while its VAN2SHARE and In-Van Delivery & Return services allow customers and the company itself to employ entirely new business and service models.

Mercedes-Benz Vans is presenting Vision URBANETIC under autonomous@Vans as a supplement to its electrification solutions. This is an innovative mobility concept showing how autonomous mobility might work in the future. Vision URBANETIC removes the separation between passenger and goods transport by utilizing an innovative body-switching approach that enables the needs-based, sustainable and efficient movement of people and goods. In this manner, Vision URBANETIC meets the requirements of cities, companies from diverse sectors, urban residents and travelers in an innovative way. The concept reduces traffic flows, eases the strain on inner-city infrastructure and helps to improve the quality of life in cities.

Efficient passenger transport

Buses from the Mercedes-Benz and Setra brands are an indispensable part of local public transport and play a key role worldwide in reducing the impact of traffic, pollution and nitrogen oxide pollution close to our roads. Our aim is to enable more efficient mobility in cities and help reduce the negative impact caused by traffic in urban areas in particular. At the same time, we are focusing on keeping the total cost of ownership (TCO) low and reducing emissions even further. As a result, Daimler Buses offers a complete range of highly economical and innovative vehicles, all tailored to customer requirements and specific intended applications. We do this because our goal is to provide customers with the right solution for every type of public transport system - in small towns and large metropolitan areas, and on smooth or rough terrain.

On the move with environmentally friendly public transport

We continue to work hard on the electrification of our vehicles, focusing particularly on vehicles that operate in cities. With the all-electric Mercedes-Benz eCitaro, Daimler Buses has been offering a locally emission-free city bus since 2018, thereby contributing to environmentally friendly local public transport in cities and metropolitan areas. The battery-electric eCitaro is a series-production model. Products such as the eCitaro make an important contribution to climate protection and air quality in cities.

We also continue to develop our environmentally friendly technologies and expand their use. Beginning in 2020, for example, we will also be offering the eCitaro as an articulated bus, and at the end of the same year it will also be available with solid-state batteries (lithium polymer batteries). The launch of the eCitaro with the next generation of batteries is scheduled for 2021. In 2022 we plan to begin equipping the battery-electric bus with a range extender in the form of a fuel cell.

The eCitaro is part of Daimler Buses’ overall eMobility system. In order to support our customers during their transition to electric bus fleets, we offer advice on different use scenarios, taking into account bus route lengths, passenger numbers, energy requirements, range calculations, charging management and other aspects. We also offer an Eco Training program for bus customers and drivers that promotes an environmentally friendly driving style.

Safety at Daimler Buses: the vision of accident-free driving

As a bus pioneer, Daimler Buses has traditionally focused on the safety of city and intercity buses and touring coaches. We want to significantly increase safety in road traffic by means of state-of-the-art driver assistance systems and vehicle-based protection systems, with the ultimate objective of enabling accident-free driving. Our pursuit of this goal will also help the European Union achieve its target of reducing traffic fatalities to nearly zero by 2050. Our strategy here is also helping to improve the quality of life in cities. The overall aim of the integral safety concept is an ambitious one: to make the vision of accident-free driving a reality.

At Daimler Buses, safety does not consist of individual measures. Instead, it is the result of a comprehensive integral safety concept. Its central component comprises a large number of innovative safety features that are employed in line with the vehicle in question and the way it is to be used. The general objective here is to continually improve active and passive safety. This is supported by additional measures such as driver training programs that teach drivers how to identify and avoid hazards in a timely way and react correctly in the event of an accident. The concept also involves informing passengers on how to use the onboard safety equipment - starting with putting on their seat belts. It goes far beyond that, however, and also includes responsible vehicle maintenance and the use of certified original replacement parts when the vehicle is serviced. The objective of the integral safety concept is to make the vision of accident-free driving a reality.

The continuous further development of our safety and assistance systems demonstrates our commitment to moving closer and closer to this vision. For example, in 2019 the Active Brake Assist 4 emergency braking system became standard equipment in all Mercedes-Benz and Setra touring coaches. The system warns the driver of potential collisions with pedestrians and automatically initiates emergency braking when it detects stationary or moving obstacles ahead of the vehicle. Preventive Brake Assist - the first active emergency braking assistance system for city buses - has been available as an option for the entire Mercedes-Benz Citaro model family and the Mercedes-Benz Conecto since 2019. Sideguard Assist, which is a radar-based turning assistant with pedestrian detection for buses, supports bus drivers during right turns, which can be dangerous in certain situations. Sideguard Assist is available for all variants of the Mercedes-Benz Citaro, the Tourismo and all Setra ComfortClass 500 and Setra TopClass 500 touring coaches.

¹ The stated figures are the measured “NEDC CO2 figures” within the meaning of Art. 2 No. 1 Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2017/1153. The fuel consumption figures were calculated on the basis of these figures. The range and the electrical consumption were determined on the basis of Commission Regulation (EC) No. 692/2008. A different value is applied in accordance with the German Electric Mobility Act (EmoG). A higher figure may apply as the basis for calculating the motor vehicle tax. Further information on official fuel consumption figures and the official specific CO₂ emissions can be found in the guide “Information on the fuel consumption, CO₂ emissions and electric power consumption of newcars,” which is available free of charge at all sales dealerships and from Deutsche Automobil Treuhand GmbH at www.dat.de.

² Energy consumption was determined on the basis of Directive 692/2008/EC. Energy consumption is dependent on the vehicle configuration, and in particular on the selected maximum speed restriction.

³ Figures for electrical consumption and range are provisional and were determined by the technical service for the certification according to UN/ECE-regulation 101. EC type approval and conformity certification with official figures are not yet available. There may be differences between the stated figures and the official figures.