Hybrid Technology – Destination: Zero Emissions
Interview with Andreas Renschler
Andreas Renschler, Head of Daimler Trucks, has been a member of the Daimler Board of Management since October 2004. Mr. Renschler, who joined the company in 1988, served as Managing Director of Mercedes-Benz United States International (1996-1997), where he was closely involved in the construction of the Tuscaloosa plant. He was also head of smart brand operations between 1999 and 2004.
What exactly is the Shaping Future Transportation initiative?
Commercial vehicles are the engine of economic growth and globalization. As the global market leader for such vehicles, we are committed to offering more environmentally friendly and economical products in the future. The initiative shows that we take our responsibility toward customers and the environment seriously. It also demonstrates that environmentally friendly commercial vehicles from Daimler are no longer prototypes, but real vehicles that customers are using.
What has Daimler actually accomplished here?
Daimler is the global leader on the market for hybrid commercial vehicles. In addition to 1,100 Orion hybrid buses on the road and 1,500 on order, the company can also point to more than 100 Freightliner vehicles and 200 buses and trucks from Fuso. That’s in addition to 1,500 Mercedes-Benz trucks and buses that run on natural gas, making Daimler’s fleet the world’s largest in use by customers.
How important do you believe hybrid technology is for environmental protection?
Hybrid technology represents a further step in the effort to reduce fuel consumption as we move toward the zero-emission fuel cell drive. We believe that our hybrid technology can lower diesel fuel consumption by up to 30 percent in trucks and buses.
But procurement costs for hybrid vehicles are one third higher...
It’s true that financial aspects have a big impact on whether or not commercial vehicle customers accept alternative drive systems. That’s why incentives are needed to help establish hybrid technology. This has been confirmed by the success of alternative drive systems in the U.S. and Japan, where government incentives are provided. Unfortunately, fleet operators in Europe do not yet have such inducements to purchase a hybrid vehicle.
What’s Daimler’s long-term goal with respect to hybrid trucks?
We basically have two goals: reducing the strain on the environment and gaining experience that will help us further develop zero-emission vehicles. Hybrid technology has been very suitable for local transport, particularly in stop-and-go traffic. However, it could be also used in long-haulage vehicles to power components like air conditioners. And with our Fuso Canter Eco-D, we have a truck concept with an electrically operated tipper and much lower exhaust and noise levels.
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