On 23.03.2012 the first Travego Edition 1 was delivered to the customer during the Swedish International Travel & Tourism Trade Fair in Gothenburg. Gunnar Jörs, a salesman at Mercedes-Benz Buses EvoBus Sverige AB, handed the vehicle over to Lennart Brunosson, General Manager of Lidbergs Buss AB. The Travego Edition 1 with a Euro VI drive system celebrated its world premiere at the Busworld show in Kortrijk in October 2011.Travego Edition 1 is the first touring coach to meet the Euro VI emission standard
The Travego Edition 1 is the first touring coach to meet the future Euro VI emission standard, which comes into force from 2014. The vehicle features the new range of BlueEfficiency Power engines, a new transmission with new gearshift, a further upgraded, ergonomically optimised cockpit and new safety features. Customers with an eye to the future who opt for the Mercedes-Benz flagship can thus become trailblazers in terms of environmental friendliness.
High-torque Mercedes-Benz engine from the new BlueEfficiency Power engine generation
The Travego Edition 1 is powered by a vertically installed in-line six-cylinder engine from the new OM 471 series. From a displacement of 12.8 l it develops 350 kW (476 hp) at 1800 rpm. The high maximum torque is 2300 Nm at 1100 rpm. The engine features a unique common-rail injection system with pressure booster (X-PULSE). This delivers extremely precise fuel injection with cylinder-selective control, high injection pressures of up to 2100 bar and freely modulated injection – the prerequisites for low fuel consumption, low exhaust emissions and smooth engine operation.
Additional advantages result from the highly effective three-stage exhaust brake and the asymmetric turbocharger. Despite exhaust gas recirculation, this ensures rapid response to accelerator movements for an agile driving performance. The torque characteristics of the new engine permit unusually low, fuel-saving engine speeds.
Conflict between emissions and fuel consumption resolved
The particularly stringent requirements of the future Euro VI emission standard for nitrogen oxide emissions (NOX) generally stand in contradiction to the demands for further reduced particulate emissions and low fuel consumption. Mercedes‑Benz resolves these conflicting objectives with its unique new X-Pulse injection technology, in conjunction with a complex emission control system. This involves BlueTec engine technology with SCR and AdBlue injection, which has already proved its worth in more than 100,000 units, combined with exhaust gas recirculation and a particulate filter.
All in all, Euro VI in the Travego Edition I leads to a further dramatic reduction in pollutant emissions - without the increase in fuel consumption that was initially feared. At the same time AdBlue consumption is reduced by around 40 percent.
Ergonomically optimised driver's cockpit redesigned down to the last detail
The steering-column lever used to operate the gearshift is one of the most conspicuous modifications to the cockpit. This lever replaces the previous joystick on the dashboard. It is used to control all functions and yet, because of the intuitive nature of its operation, remains extremely user-friendly.
But the developers have also realised many more new ideas to optimise the ergonomics for the driver, for example a redesigned display concept. The use of pictograms, along with structured menu navigation via the new multifunction steering wheel, makes it appreciably simpler to access the various functions and displays.
The ignition and the engine start/stop system are controlled by a two-stage pushbutton switch. The switches in the cockpit have been rearranged according to function, and their number noticeably reduced by assigning them multiple purposes. In the Travego Edition 1 the place of the previous joystick shift lever is taken by an open stowage tray.
New safety system Attention Assist warns of drowsiness
The Travego Edition I is the first coach for which Attention Assist is available as a special equipment item. This is a system that registers parameters such as steering angle, speed, longitudinal and lateral acceleration, travelling time, control signals and driver changes. By correlating the data, Attention Assist draws inferences about the driver's alertness. If the data indicate a lack of concentration and drowsiness, a coffee cup symbol appears in the display to indicate that it is time to take a break.
Lidbergs Buss AB
The Swedish bus operator Lidbergs Buss AB is celebrating its 90th anniversary this year. In addition to coach tours with its own travel agency, the company operates regular service and school buses. With the addition of the new Travego Edition 1, the company's Daimler-only fleet will total eight Mercedes-Benz coaches and one Setra coach. Lidbergs Buss AB is represented throughout Sweden, and also operates tours to other European countries such as Denmark and Germany.Credits: Daimler AGCopyright © 2012, Mercedes-Benz-Blog. All rights reserved.
Daimler Buses achieved its second-best sales result ever in 2011, selling a total of 39,740 vehicles or 2% more than in the previous year. The division achieved this result despite difficult sales conditions for complete buses. The only time that sales were even higher was in 2008, when almost 40,600 units were delivered. As a result, Daimler Buses continues to be the world’s leading supplier of buses weighing more than 8 tons GVW.
311,000 buses were sold worldwide, an increase of 2% compared to the previous year. Whereas business was booming particularly in Latin America, the bus market in Western Europe remained in a slump because of the financial and debt crisis. Market development was similarly negative in North America, which, like its Western European counterparts, suffered from public sector budget constraints and therefore from substantially fewer calls for bids.
Strong sales increase in growth markets
The main reason for the rise in sales at Daimler Buses was the increased demand in Latin America, where the division boosted sales of Mercedes-Benz brand chassis by 8% to 25,000 units. Sales were also buoyed by purchases made earlier than planned due to the introduction of the Euro V emissions standard in Brazil in 2012. The market share of Daimler Buses in Latin America remained at a high level of around 43% in 2011. Substantial increases were posted in Mexico as well. Business was also good in Turkey, where sales rose by 55% to the record figure of 1,100 buses.
By contrast, Daimler Buses was unable to buck the downward trend in Western Europe and North America. As a result, sales dropped in Western Europe by 17% to 5,900 vehicles and chassis. Sales of city buses once again declined steeply, as the public sector continued to be negatively influenced by budget restraints. The division sold 600 buses in North America, or almost one third less than in 2010. Budgetary constraints were also the defining factor in this market.
“In 2011 we kept pace with the global market as a whole,” says Hartmut Schick, Head of Daimler Buses. “We captured an impressive 12% of the global market, which makes us the world’s Number One bus supplier. More specifically, we clearly maintained our leading position in the core markets.”
Daimler Buses’ revenues and earnings both declined in 2011. At €4.4 billion (2010: €4.6 billion), revenues were slightly lower than in the prior year. These figures are the result of two contrary developments. Whereas the demand for chassis rose substantially, it dropped considerably for complete buses, which generate significantly more revenue per bus. This development therefore had an even bigger impact on earnings than on revenues, and EBIT declined from €215 million to €162 million. “2011 was clearly a chassis year, while the business with complete buses was very sluggish, particularly in Europe,” comments Schick.
"We've got the right strategy"
Even though Daimler Buses’ return on sales dropped to 3.7% in 2011 (2010: 4.7%), the division’s target for 2013 remains at 6%. “We have the right strategy, and we will systematically pursue it,” says Schick. A key element of this strategy is the GLOBE 2013 growth and efficiency offensive. This “fitness program” will be rolled out at all locations and along the entire value chain. “We will leave no stone unturned and make sure that nothing is omitted,” states Schick.
One of the aims of this strategy is to more strongly interlink the European production network, which has locations in Germany, Turkey, and the Czech Republic. The two German bus plants in Mannheim and Neu-Ulm will remain an integral part of this network, which is why the division invested extensively there in recent years as well as in Hosdere, Turkey.
“GLOBE 2013 will further increase the competitiveness of the German locations. We are making Mannheim and Neu-Ulm sustainably fit for the future. Daimler Buses is the only major bus manufacturer to remain faithful to Germany as a production location,” says Schick.
As part of GLOBE 2013, Daimler Buses will exploit existing growth potential in its traditional markets and further expand its business operations into new ones. In response to the introduction of the Euro VI emissions standard, the division is launching a product offensive in the city bus segment as well as in the coach market. Daimler Buses’ Travego Edition 1 is the first Euro VI-compliant coach. “Our products precisely meet our customers’ wishes, and we will systematically exploit growth potential,” says Schick.
City buses in India — chassis in China
Big growth opportunities are also offered by new markets such as India and China. After having introduced two travel coach models in India since 2008, Daimler Buses is now launching the first Mercedes-Benz city bus there. India is the world’s second-largest bus market, with a current volume of about 46,000 buses per year. Experts predict that this volume will grow to around 80,000 units in 2020.
By then, the bus market in China is expected to increase from its current level of more than 100,000 units to around 150,000 units. Daimler Buses is taking a multi-track approach in order to exploit the opportunities in China. The division will begin selling chassis in the country this year. In addition, Daimler Buses will talk with the Chinese company Foton about joint projects. Foton and Daimler are already cooperating in the truck sector. The two companies are partners in the joint venture company Beijing Foton Daimler Automotive Co., Ltd., which produces Auman brand medium-duty and heavy-duty trucks in China.
Daimler Buses expects sales to be negatively affected by the introduction of the Euro V emissions standard in Brazil this year, whereas business will probably improve slightly in Western Europe.
Credits: Daimler AG
Copyright © 2012, Mercedes-Benz-Blog. All rights reserved.
The new Head of Sales at Daimler Buses/EvoBus GmbH is to be Till Oberwörder (41). Subject to agreement by the board of management at EvoBus GmbH, the long-standing Daimler Manager will take over the management of Marketing, Sales & Aftersales on 1 April 2012. “In Till Oberwörder, we’ve gained a real sales professional for the bus market who has many years of experience in the commercial vehicles segment”, states Hartmut Schick, Head of Daimler Buses.
After having studied business administration, Till Oberwörder began his career in 1998 at Daimler in Stuttgart. Since then, he has carried out a variety of leadership functions in the Sales department of the company, both within Germany and abroad. In the Trucks division, he was responsible for Sales Management and Market Management in Central and Eastern Europe, before taking over the management of Mercedes-Benz Ceská in the Czech Republic in 2006. In February 2011, Till Oberwörder returned to Stuttgart and has since been in charge of Mercedes-Benz Vans Sales and Market Management.
As Head of Marketing, Sales & Aftersales, Till Oberwörder succeeds Angela Titzrath-Grimm (45), who left Daimler in January 2012 to join the Board of Management at Deutsche Post/DHL.
Credits: Daimler AG
Copyright © 2012, Mercedes-Benz-Blog. All rights reserved.
The brand with the star shines: A new major order for 221 Mercedes-Benz Conecto articulated buses has been placed by the public transportation provider IETT to update its fleet of city buses in the metropolis on the Bosphorus. The new order allows Daimler subsidiary Mercedes-Benz Türk to strengthen its partnership of over forty years with IETT, more than 50 percent of whose vehicles are Mercedes-Benz products. With its fleet of around 3,000 city buses, IETT is dedicated to providing reliable and environ-mentally friendly passenger transport in the metropolis, Istanbul. IETT, which was established in 1871, operates light rail systems, subways, regular-service buses, and utilizes the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) mobility concept.
Hartmut Schick, Head of Daimler Buses, underscores the importance of the three-figured order for the Daimler subsidiary in Turkey, “This latest major order is further testimony to Daimler Buses' dynamic growth in Turkey and thereby contributes to the strengthening of our global presence.” Schick also reiterates Daimler Buses’ claim to leadership, “Every day, we are working diligently to expand our leadership position in the bus sector, and we are delighted by what we have achieved to date.”
At the ceremony for the signing of the contract by Wolf-Dieter Kurz, President and CEO of Mercedes-Benz Türk, and Hayri Baracli, Managing Director of IETT, the long-standing Daimler customer commented about the follow-up order, “With a tradition of more than 140 years, IETT is generating new momentum for the creation of a modern Istanbul. We are investing in an updated fleet consisting primarily of Mercedes-Benz city buses for public passenger transport in Istanbul. This way, we are making a significant contribution to comfortable transportation in Istanbul.” IETT operates Mercedes-Benz Conecto city buses for regular service operations. For the urban mobility concept Bus Rapid Transit, IETT uses the high-capacity articulated bus Mercedes-Benz CapaCity. By utilizing lanes separate from private transport, BRT is noticeably assisting the relief of city traffic.
The 221 Mercedes-Benz Conecto articulated buses are being produced at the Mercedes-Benz bus plant in Hosdere and will be delivered to the customer until September 2012. The 18-meter low-floor bus can carry up to 160 passengers. The low height of the entrances ensures that passengers can get on and off the bus quickly. The Mercedes-Benz Conecto meets the EU’s environmental standard Euro V with its BlueTec diesel technology, which reduces pollutant and particulate emissions.
Mercedes-Benz Türk
The Daimler subsidiary Mercedes-Benz Türk was established in Istanbul in 1967. It began producing buses for the Turkish market in 1968. The Aksaray plant launched truck production in 1986. The facilities in Aksaray and Hosdere are key elements of Daimler’s global production network.
Credits: Daimler AG
Copyright © 2012, Mercedes-Benz-Blog. All rights reserved.
Daimler FleetBoard is the first supplier of telematics solutions to offer a fleet management and driving analysis app for the Apple iPhone and iPad. Operators can use it to control their fleet of buses or coaches at any time and from any location. The trip recorder also makes it possible to display the most recent journey made. The app enables operators to monitor how their vehicles are being used, their drivers' working hours, the fuel consumption of their buses and coaches and the drivers' driving style. It is even possible to show the status of doors and loading ramps. To use the FleetBoard app it is necessary to have a vehicle equipped with FleetBoard, with a FleetBoard service contract. The new FleetBoard app is available for a limited period free of charge from the App Store. The app has already been available for some time now for trucks and vans.
Until now, the telematics system for buses has been known as Omniplus BusFleet. The bus-specific telematics system for rural-service buses, touring coaches and urban buses from telematics provider Daimler FleetBoard GmbH has been available and undergoing further development for some weeks now. Trust is important but, as fleet operators know, transparency is even better - and an indispensable factor if a company is to operate economically and efficiently. The bus-specific FleetBoard fleet management system provides effective support here. Fleet operators are able to take advantage of the FleetBoard app for buses, even if they are out and about themselves.
The FleetBoard system can be fitted ex factory in any fully equipped Mercedes-Benz and Setra bus or coach, or – as also in the case of buses and coaches made by other manufacturers – retrofitted. Several bus and coach companies are already working successfully with FleetBoard and making extensive use of the bus telematics system in their daily operations. "We have more than ten years' experience of working with commercial vehicle fleets. Especially when diesel fuel prices are high, our customers also appreciate the way in which FleetBoard can help make significant reductions in fuel consumption" commented Markus Lipinsky, Managing Director of Daimler FleetBoard GmbH.
Mapping: keeping tabs on buses around the world at all times
The fleet manager can locate the current whereabouts of a vehicle on a digital map that can be called up on any computer with internet access, or track its route at 30-second intervals. It is possible to switch between map and satellite views or to select a combination of both. Mapping can also be used to show important occurrences during the course of the trip, or to display warning and status messages. A geofencing function makes it possible to define specific areas where entry and exit are monitored: as well as providing resource planning information on both the bus and the driver, this is also a significant security feature in the event that the vehicle should be stolen.
Driver analysis: evaluation of driving style and realisation of potential savings
FleetBoard can help a company to optimise its economic efficiency, as the right driving style can reduce both fuel consumption and wear and tear by up to 10%. FleetBoard interprets driver and vehicle-related data, taking the assessment of driving style and the complexity of the route into consideration in the process. The underlying data relating to vehicle speeds, engine speeds, hard braking and other such information provide an objective basis for conclusions about the way the bus or coach is being handled. Such monitoring also provides feedback for the driver as to what measures he can take to improve his driving style and, ultimately and most importantly, to become a safer driver. Internal investigations by Daimler have shown that improving driving style to a score of 9.0 or more can reduce accident rates by up to 90%.
Trip recording: transparency in everyday operations
The data thus accumulated makes it possible to ascertain precisely the times and places at which the bus has been stationary or on the move. The company can get reliable information about whether the doors were open or closed at any particular point. This information can then be used, for example, to deal with customer issues by establishing whether a specific bus was on time and available for boarding at a given stop. Similarly, bus operators are able to produce data showing the use of the access ramp by passengers with restricted mobility.
The driver is able to use preset message buttons to send standardised messages back to the bus depot. In return, the company can also send messages to the display in the bus's instrument cluster.
Time Management: automatic capture and archiving of tachograph data
The time management function facilitates optimum planning of working hours on the basis of drivers' rest periods and remaining driving time. All relevant data can then be transferred automatically into a payroll system. With FleetBoard, the download of driver card data from the bus that is a required by law can be undertaken regardless of the time of day or the location of the vehicle. FleetBoard also allows the remote transfer of mass storage data from the digital tachograph on board the bus. Particularly in cases where a bus is away from its base for longer periods, this can bring significant savings in terms of both time and costs.
Service: evaluation of operating data and optimised maintenance scheduling
All key bus operating data, such as mileage or tank fill level, are displayed via FleetBoard. The system will also send selected warning messages from the vehicle, so allowing any necessary repairs to be made in a prompt and targeted fashion. Further messages transmitted by the vehicle allow evaluation of factors such as retarder use, or how long auxiliary heating systems or air conditioning are being kept on for. This in turn allows conclusions to be drawn about the condition of the vehicle and thus of its economic efficiency and the level of comfort provided. FleetBoard allows fleet operators to plan efficiently for any services that are due, or any time-consuming vehicle checks that need to be made.
The vehicle data are recorded via a standardised FMS interface in the bus and stored in the FleetBoard on-board computer before being transmitted. The transfer of data takes place via GPRS to a central FleetBoard server. Registered FleetBoard users have secure access via the internet to the bus client containing all the data and evaluation results.
About FleetBoard
Daimler FleetBoard GmbH is one of Europe's leading companies in the field of vehicle telematics systems. Systems and services are designed for use by fleet managers, logistics managers and drivers of truck, bus and van fleets of all makes and spanning all sectors of industry. FleetBoard has a proven reputation of many years' standing as a fleet management system that offers improved economic efficiency and transparency. It provides user-friendly technology that assists drivers in their daily work. As a wholly owned subsidiary of Daimler AG, based in Stuttgart, Germany, the company has been tested and certified by DEKRA in accordance with DIN EN ISO 9000:2008.
Credits: Daimler AG
Copyright © 2012, Mercedes-Benz-Blog. All rights reserved.
