• Delivery of Mercedes-Benz Citaro LE Low-Entry city buses to begin in October 2009
• Special features for use in Germany’s capital
Stuttgart – In an EU-wide call for tenders, Daimler Buses was awarded a contract to supply the public transportation company Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe with 144 Mercedes-Benz Citaro LE city buses. The company will begin delivering the buses to the German capital in October 2009. Deliveries will take place successively over a four-year period, with 50 buses to be delivered before the end of this year. The Mercedes-Benz plant in Mannheim is producing the buses. Hartmut Schick, Head of Daimler Buses: “We are delighted about this contract from the capital. For us this is yet another indication that we continue to be successful with our high-quality and eco-friendly vehicles for the city bus business despite economically challenging times.”
The Citaro LE combines a comfortable low entry (LE) design with economical high-floor technology. The Citaro LE to be used by the BVG is a 12-meter variant with two doors. The Citaro LE’s fuel-efficient, low-emission engines feature pioneering Mercedes-Benz BlueTec SCR diesel technology and comply with the Euro 5 and EEV emissions standards.
The 144 city buses, which do not have articulation joints, come with a variety of special equipment features for use in the capital: With their low entry design, two ramps, and wider aisles, the buses are very accommodating for handicapped passengers. In addition, the buses are equipped with an enclosure to protect drivers from unruly persons and a video surveillance system to ensure the security of passengers and drivers.
With its 1,300 buses, Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe is the largest public transportation company in Germany and already has 600 Mercedes-Benz buses in its fleet. Together with other partners, the transportation company serves a metropolitan area with 3.4 million residents and a catchment area of about 1,000 square kilometers. About Daimler
Daimler AG, Stuttgart, with its businesses Mercedes-Benz Cars, Daimler Trucks, Daimler Financial Services, Mercedes-Benz Vans and Daimler Buses, is a globally leading producer of premium passenger cars and the global market leader of heavy- and medium-duty trucks as well as buses. The Daimler Financial Services division has a broad offering of financial services, including vehicle financing, leasing, insurance and fleet management. Daimler sells its products in nearly all the countries of the world and has production facilities on five continents. The company’s founders, Gottlieb Daimler and Carl Benz, continued to make automotive history following their invention of the automobile in 1886. As an automotive pioneer, Daimler and its employees willingly accept an obligation to act responsibly towards society and the environment and to shape the future of safe and sustainable mobility with groundbreaking technologies and high-quality products. The current brand portfolio includes the world’s most valuable automobile brand, Mercedes-Benz, as well as smart, AMG, Maybach, Freightliner, Western Star, Mitsubishi Fuso, Setra, Orion and Thomas Built Buses. The company is listed on the stock exchanges in Frankfurt, New York and Stuttgart (stock exchange abbreviation DAI). In 2008, the Group sold 2.1 million vehicles and employed a workforce of over 270,000 people; revenue totaled €95.9 billion and EBIT amounted to €2.7 billion. Daimler is an automotive Group with a commitment to excellence, and aims to achieve sustainable growth and industry-leading profitability.
press release: Daimler