Don't ignore clean diesel, says DaimlerChrysler

Today at the Washington D.C. Auto Show, Dr. Dieter Zetsche, Chairman of the Board of DaimlerChrysler and the head of its Mercedes Car Group, called the nation's attention to the new generation of clean diesels - branded BLUETEC - while encouraging U.S. lawmakers to set regulations that support a diversity of approaches to reducing the country's dependence on foreign oil.

He did so while introducing new 2007 versions of the company's Dodge Ram trucks, the first heavy duty trucks to meet stringent 2010 truck emissions standards in all 50 states, and one based on a clean, light-duty turbodiesel engine.

With fuel economy improvements of 20 to 40 percent and a reduction of oxides of nitrogen (NOx) by as much as 90 percent, Zetsche stressed that clean diesel technology is a viable solution to reducing dependence on oil and improving air quality.

The new 2007 Dodge Ram Heavy Duty engine uses a diesel particulate filter to virtually eliminate particulate matter emissions and an absorber catalyst to reduce NOx by as much as 90 percent and virtually eliminate particulate matter emissions, the company claims.

Zetsche also urged U.S. policymakers to stimulate greater demand and consumer choice for fuel-saving technologies - such as diesel - by providing equal incentives on powertrains that achieve lower fuel consumption with clean emissions.

"American policy-makers must adopt a new and unique formula ... that encourages more technologies and more (customer) choice," said Zetsche. He said "trying to sell people what they don't want is not a winnable business proposition."

Zetsche offered that the automotive companies should "look to innovation, and to increasingly substituting petroleum products with biofuels." He pointed to the modern diesel engine which has "plenty of the former, and great potential for the latter."

DaimlerChrysler's new BLUETEC diesel vehicles are the cleanest diesel vehicles in the world, the company says, providing their owners with clean and economical performance. The Mercedes brand has been pioneering BLUETEC in Europe, where it's been on the road for several years. Since 2005, the company has sold more than 40,000 BLUETEC Mercedes-Benz trucks and buses in Europe.

In addition to the recently introduced Mercedes E 320 BLUETEC, three additional BLUETEC models will join the line-up, the R-Class, the ML-Class and the GL Class that will all be assembled at the Company's plant in Alabama.

He also submitted that DaimlerChrysler "is not pursuing diesel to the exclusion of other alternate fuel technologies." Zetsche listed many on-going initiatives including the Company's fuel cell activities where DaimlerChrysler has invested more than $1 billion and "has more fuel-cell vehicles on the road today than any other manufacturer."

The new Dodge Ram Heavy Duty truck will be the first BLUETEC vehicle from the Chrysler Group, and will be available in dealerships in March, the company said.