The Green Truck 2015 goes to the Mercedes-Benz Actros

STUTTGART/BONN -- April 24, 2015: The Mercedes-Benz Actros 1842 has impressed the editorial teams of the reputed "Trucker" and "VerkehrsRundschau" publications at this year's Green Truck Award and succeeded in taking first place in the rankings. As a result the Mercedes-Benz Actros 1842 has emerged as the most environment-friendly truck, edging ahead of the competition by virtue of its low fuel consumption. The vehicle clocked up an average fuel consumption of 22.9 l per 100 km in independent tests conducted last year for the editorial teams' Green Truck Award.

The primary assessment criterion is fuel consumption and the attendant CO₂ emissions. The fuel consumption figures are ascertained on the basis of results obtained by the automotive magazines "Trucker" and "VerkehrsRundschau" on a standardised route.

Ulrich Bastert, responsible for Sales Marketing and Services at Mercedes-Benz Trucks, is delighted to have received the award: "For Mercedes-Benz Trucks, the Green Truck provides further evidence that our trucks with their low fuel consumption lead the field in terms of economy and total cost of ownership. This benefits both our customers and the environment, as the lower the fuel consumption, the lower the CO₂ emissions. So we have the ideal trucks for our customers in our range".

The Predictive Powertrain Control (PPC) cruise control system also contributes to this sensational fuel consumption level of 22.9 l per 100 km. PPC knows the topography which lies ahead, adapting accordingly for maximum fuel efficiency. The new driver assistance system really comes into its own on gradients: as the world's first GPS cruise control, in addition to controlling vehicle speed and braking, PPC also intervenes in the transmission control system. In this way, the system complements in a sustainable manner the consumption-reducing deployment times of the EcoRoll function which features as standard on board the Actros while also initiating timely single or double downshifts as appropriate to the driving situation.

This pioneering technology can cut diesel consumption by up to five percent, thus demonstrably reducing a truck's total cost of ownership. The specification contingent for PPC currently stands at over 70 percent and rising in the Actros family. For customers who do not opt for PPC from the outset, a retrofit option for the predictive cruise control in the new Actros, Antos and Arocs has recently been introduced at Mercedes-Benz service partners throughout Europe.

With PPC, economic engines and optimised aerodynamics of the vehicle as a whole, the new Actros stands for efficiency, environmental compatibility, safety and driver-friendliness.

The economic strength of the Mercedes-Benz Actros is demonstrated to particularly striking effect in the current "Fuel Duel". This test involves the Mercedes-Benz Actros taking on all competitors in the tough conditions of everyday fleet operations.The principle behind the Fuel Duel is simple: the Mercedes-Benz Actros competes against the most economical truck from the respective participants' fleets in real-life operations. A driver swaps their non-Mercedes-Benz truck for the new Actros Euro VI for a two-week period.Following extensive instruction and a drive with the instructor, during which the acquired theoretical knowledge is put into practice, the driver carries out their standard operations with the new Mercedes-Benz Actros, under "surveillance" by FleetBoard.

Ulrich Bastert explains the essence of the "duel": "With the Fuel Duel, we from Mercedes-Benz Trucks prove that the Actros is the most efficient truck when lined up against the competition. The number of comparisons speaks for itself - so far, we have completed 984 duels in fleets all over Europe. Covering almost five million kilometres in total, our average advantage in terms of fuel savings stands at 10.5 percent".