The overwhelmingly positive customer response to BLUETEC 5 vehicles can be explained by the simple fact that customers very quickly recoup the additional cost of a EURO 5-compliant engine. Many commercial vehicle operators report that using the technology paid for the additional costs it entailed, within its first year of use. Moreover, a truck like the BLUETEC 5 Actros even pays off in three ways, especially when used over long distances:

Fuel savings:

A BLUETEC 5 Actros truck consumes between two and six percent less diesel fuel than a EURO 3 Actros with a comparable engine. The level of fuel savings depends heavily on how the truck is used, the routes it travels, and how it’s driven. A normal freight-forwarding company can expect to see the following, however: the average fuel consumption is approximately 30 liters of diesel per 100 km, although this figure can vary up or down in line with payload, distance traveled, and driving style. The average annual distance traveled by a long haulage truck is around 150,000 kilometers, which in this case would correspond to consumption of 45,000 liters of diesel per vehicle per year.

Given a fuel savings range of between two and six percent, a shipping company with a BLUETEC Actros would save a minimum of 900 liters of fuel per year and a maximum of 2,700 liters. With the price of diesel fuel in Europe currently between €1.00 and €1.20 per liter, the resulting savings would be remarkable, as the figures quoted above are for just one vehicle — and some major shipping companies operate as many as several hundred trucks.

Toll discounts:

Many European countries, including Germany, charge trucks a road usage toll based on the number of kilometers they travel. BLUETEC 5 models can help save money here as well: On Germany’s highways, for example, EURO 5-certified vehicles pay two cents less per kilometer than other trucks. Tolls in Switzerland are also lower for BLUETEC 5 trucks. Naturally, annual savings will vary sharply in accordance with the regions the trucks are used in and the routes they travel on.

Resale value:

Vehicles that already meet emission limits not set to go into effect until 2009 will command higher prices on the pre-owned truck market in a few years than similar vehicles without this sophisticated exhaust treatment.

Those interested in a more detailed analysis of potential savings can visit http://www.mercedes-benz.com/. The site contains a BLUETEC Web Special with an interactive calculator that figures out expected savings on the basis of data entered by the user, including country of registration, vehicle model, type of use, countries driven in, and other relevant parameters.