MBV - the manufacturer of green cars
By Quoc Hung in HCMC
|
| The C250 CGI BlueEfficiency Mercedez displayed at the Vietnam Motorshow late last year. It is described as the most environmentally friendly sedan in Vietnam - Photo: Quoc Hung |
Mercedes-Benz has always been proactive about environmental protection and its Vietnam-based company in particular aims to be a leader in green technology, while retaining the luxury brand’s virtues.
In late 2009, the market debut of C250 BlueEfficiency and E250 BlueEfficiency at the Vietnam Motorshow marked the initiation of the first real “green” car models produced in Vietnam. The introduction coincided with the company’s “Driving green with Mercedes” campaign.
Udo Loersch, general director of Mercedes-Benz Vietnam said: “We all live and breathe in a shared atmosphere. We will receive the reactions of our behaviors to the environment. By presenting new green technologies to Vietnam, we want to assert our role as a technology leader, at the same time set the new trend in Vietnam to encourage people for a real sustainable mobility.”
Both car models are equipped with new CGI engines, the world’s first petrol engine with spray-guided direct injection. And there is more. The CGI engine under the hood of this C-class has 4 cylinders with a total displacement of 1.8L, making it 20% more powerful than similar vehicles.
They are also fuel-efficient, thanks to the innovative combustion system with piezo injection and gearshift program both models. As a result, both vehicles consume less than 8L/100km on average, emitting only 168g/km to 179g/km in CO2.
This figure is 20% less than the value attained by equivalent car models and already meets the world’s most stringent emission standard - EU5 (effective as of September 2009 in EU).
The innovative BlueEfficiency has numerous optimization measures, designed to affect all aspects of its operation, including weight reduction, higher drive ratio, tires with lower rolling assistance, an inner radiator louvre, intelligent generator management and demand-controlled ancillary units. Factory specialists have made detailed improvements to the new E-class to meet Mercedes’ lightweight construction concept, managing to shave off 25kg of weight.
Energy management is also a key factor. The vehicles’ low rolling resistance tires and intelligent operation electronic units increases its efficiency – making it more sustainable than others on the market.
The power-steering system is controlled on a needs-only basis, therefore saving considerable energy too.
The standard steering system now has an additional valve to interrupt the flow of hydraulic fluid, switching off the servo pump when the car has followed a straight course, indicating that the power supply is unnecessary. In doing so, the engine no longer needs to provide energy to drive the servo pump. Thanks to this technology, fuel consumption reduced significantly in both models.
Loersch added that one of Mercedes’ goals was to assist the government in environmental protection. “As an automaker we want to support the Government in the environmental protection aspect. With our initiative in green technology at high levels, we hope soon one day Vietnam can have all “green & clean” cars like Mercedes, reaching the latest international emission standards of Euro 4 and Euro 5,” he said.
As the C250 CGI BlueEfficiency and the E CGI BlueEfficiency comply with the latest international emission standards, Mercedes has effectively set the new benchmark for environmentally friendly vehicles produced in Vietnam.
Within two months of its introduction, Mercedes-Benz Vietnam had sold 200 of the vehicles. According to Loersch, this number will only increase.
This year, the company introduced another “green” model, the S400 Hybrid – the world’s most efficient luxury sedan with a gasoline engine.
Mercedes-Benz Vietnam always invests in the latest and most sustainable technologies as its environmental policy includes compliance with environmental standards and places an emphasis on optimal usage of resources. They aim to comply with Daimler AG’s requirements, using natural resources for electricity when able, thereby minimizing environmental impact.
For over 15 years, Mercedes-Benz Vietnam has delighted customers with a wide range of the latest car models and state-of-the-art technology. Accordingly, the company has made continual investments to build up new production lines with modern equipment for C-Class, GLK 4MATIC, E300, and recently the C250 BlueEfficiency and E250 BlueEfficiency. All products, comply with international CO2 emission standards, and exceed the requirements of the Vietnam Government – EU2. This has proven Mercedes’ long-term commitment to providing cutting-edge technology that invariably takes both customer satisfaction and environmental protection into account.
The Saigon Times Daily