Daimler to display its strength as the world market leader at IAA

Another vehicle, the Mercedes-Sprinter NGT, runs on natural gas as standard, thus reducing not only emissions and noise, but also operating costs. This van is particularly appealing to customers on the German market, where natural gas fuel is not only less expensive than diesel, but where the vehicle itself will also be subject to a lower tax rate until 2018.

The focus of the Mercedes-Benz Buses stand is the new-generation Mercedes-Benz Travego coach with its safety systems Active Brake Assist and Front Collision Guard. Other motor show highlights include the fuel cell-powered Mercedes-Benz Citaro and the Mercedes-Benz Citaro G BlueTec Hybrid. The latter is an articulated bus equipped with a technologically very advanced series hybrid drive. The bus can run solely on battery power for some stretches, emitting no pollutants and very little noise. Customer testing of the Citaro G BlueTec Hybrid, which is on display in the outdoor area, will begin at the beginning of next year.

Two of the ten Setra brand buses exhibited in Hall 16 are particularly notable: the low-floor Setra S 415 NF intercity bus, which was named Bus of the Year 2009, and the TopClass 400 luxury travel coach. The TopClass 400 is the first Setra brand travel coach to be available with the automatic emergency braking system Active Brake Assist.

In line with its “efficiency in transportation” theme, Mitsubishi Fuso is presenting the Canter delivery truck in numerous variants. One of the highlights is the Canter Eco Hybrid. More than 350 units of this parallel hybrid truck have already been delivered to customers. The vehicle went into series production in Japan in 2006. In Europe’s largest fleet test, ten Canter Eco hybrids have been on the road in the UK since August 2008. The Fuso stand is also the site of the European premiere of the Canter Eco D, a concept dump truck featuring a futuristic design and cutting-edge hybrid technology.