What in a nutshell, is Mercedes-Benz environmental strategy?

Mercedes-Benz spends €15 million every day on research and development, with the majority spent on solutions for clean and environmentally friendly vehicles. The immediate sustainable mobility goal is to make the petrol engine as efficient as the diesel and the diesel as clean as the petrol engine. Mercedes-Benz are also developing various hybrid drive and fuel cell systems as an interim solution, as well as forging partnerships with fuel companies to develop renewable fuels including bio-fuels.

How has Mercedes-Benz engine efficiency increased over the last 20 years?

Compared to its 1990 counterpart, the new C 200 KOMPRESSOR has 51% more power, 43% more torque and accelerates 21% faster, while using 17% less fuel. Our current range of powerplants emits some seventy times less CO2 than a car from the 1970s. And the sophisticated engine in the F700 DiesOtto concept returns an incredible 53.3mpg and 127g/km of CO2 – in the car the size of the S-Class.

Tell me more about BlueEFFICIENCY technology

BlueEFFICIENCY describes the optimization of aerodynamics, rolling resistance, lightweight design and energy management on specific vehicles to boost economy and slash emissions. Our engineers have devised individual packages for each vehicle segment, to find the best solution for each individual vehicle model and then roll it out across the range.

Can you give me an example?

The new Mercedes-Benz C 180 KOMPRESSOR BlueEFFICIENCY – which arrives in the UK in November – shows just how collectively effective these measures can be. Despite being powered by a smaller engine, performance is unaffected and economy increases from 40.4mpg to 44.8mpg, whilst CO2 emissions are down 18g/km from 167g/km to 149g/km.

How are those figures achieved?

By instigating a raft of weight saving measures, reducing the car’s rolling resistance and introducing a range of small but significant engineering changes to enhance the C 180 K BlueEFFICIENCY economy and lower emissions.

What other models benefit from BlueEFFICIENCY?

The new A 160 CDI BlueEFFICIENCY arrives in showrooms next month, and next year all petrol powered A-Class and B-Class models will benefit from BlueEFFICIENCY technology. They feature an ECO start-stop function which lowers fuel consumption and exhaust emissions by automatically switching off the engine during idling phases. Returning 64.2mpg on the combined and a low CO2 figure of 116g/km, the A 160 CDI Classic SE BlueEFFICIENCY is easily the cleanest and most frugal car in its class.

What’s the next step after BlueEFFICIENCY?

Last year we announced that our future vehicles would have a hybrid option. We are currently working on a range of hybrid options – including micro, mild and two-mode hybrids – which offer CO2 savings up to 25%. The first full Mercedes-Benz hybrids, the ML 450 Hybrid and the S400 Hybrid, are currently undergoing final development.

And after that we’re talking about hydrogen power?

Although we are still someway off a commercially viable fuel cell-powered car, we already have over 100 hydrogen-powered cars and buses – the world’s largest fleet of fuel cell vehicles – out on test. In terms of emissions, fuel cell engines emit only water and are extremely environmentally friendly and since they are powered by hydrogen, they are twice as efficient as a combustion engine.

So Mercedes-Benz really is leading the way?

When the cradle-to-grave costs of a car are measured we lead the field, which is why we are still the only manufacturer to be awarded the “Green Certificate” for our C-Class, S-Class, A-Class and B-Class models by the TÜV – Germany’s independent Technical Monitoring Association.

There’s no higher environmental accolade.