Daimler Annual Report 2011 - Alle jaarverslagen

5 | Sustainability | Innovation, Safety and the Environment
The ACTIVE CURVE SYSTEM in the new Mercedes-Benz M-Class delivers more driving pleasure, comfort and safety.
from renewable sources or from biogenic waste (biomass-tohydrogen,
or BTH). These processes open up the possibility
of producing large amounts of hydrogen economically and from
renewable sources in the foreseeable future.
Lightweight construction saves fuel and resources. Comfort
and safety equipment, as well as alternative drive technologies,
increase vehicle weight. In order to nonetheless reduce
energy consumption, this additional weight has to be compensated
for. New materials and production processes, as well
as innovative component design, help to significantly reduce
the weight of our vehicles. In the SKO (soft kill option) method,
for example, computers calculate which areas of chassis
components and the vehicle body are less subject to wear and
tear so that the materials used there can be made softer and
thinner or even completely eliminated or “killed.” In contrast, the
areas that are subjected to the most stress are specifically
reinforced. In this way, the SKO method reduces vehicle weight
by up to 30%.
The potential uses of new materials are demonstrated by
the F125!, the latest research vehicle from Mercedes-Benz (see
pages 66 ff). A combination of fiber-reinforced plastics (FRP)
with a high proportion of carbon fibers (CF) and light alloys,
high-strength steels and hybrid materials, in which each
component is precisely customized to meet the requirements,
reduces the weight of the innovative vehicle’s body to approximately
250 kg, which is about 40% less than that of a comparable
series-produced vehicle at present.
On the “road to accident-free driving.” Vehicle safety is one
of our core areas of expertise and a key component of our
product strategy. For more than 60 years, Daimler’s engineering
has led the way worldwide in safety for cars, trucks, vans and
buses. We regard our commitment to enhancing road safety as
a responsibility toward society that is in the interest of all road
users. That’s why we are systematically progressing along the
“road to accident-free driving.” This endeavor is also honored
by external institutions. For example, Euro NCAP, an independent
European car-safety assessment organization, honored the
B-Class, the M-Class and the C-Class coupe from Mercedes-
Benz as the best models in their respective vehicle classes
and awarded them five stars for outstanding occupant safety.
Mercedes-Benz also received several Euro NCAP Advanced
Rewards for safety innovations, including PRE-SAFE ® and the
radar-based COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST system.
Safe cornering. The most recent innovation from Daimler in
the area of vehicle safety is the ACTIVE CURVE SYSTEM. In
the new Mercedes-Benz M-Class, it ensures smooth driving
around curves, thus delivering greater agility, more driving
pleasure and significantly increased safety, especially at high
speeds. Hydraulically operated antiroll bars on front and rear
axles balance out the roll angle that is generated by the driving
speed and curve radius when the vehicle is going around
a curve. The antiroll bars are adjusted to the current driving
conditions. As a result, the system provides a high degree
of stability during highway driving but allows better off-road
performance when driving at low speeds in rugged terrain.
Innovative safety systems in the compact segment.
PRE-SAFE ® celebrated its premiere in the S-Class in 2002 and
is now also available in the new B-Class. This anticipatory
occupant protection system from Mercedes-Benz has thus entered
the compact-car segment. In the new model series, it
comprises safety functions such as closing the side windows
and the sunroof in critical situations where high lateral forces
are generated, reversible tensioning of the front seatbelts and
automatically adjusting the power passenger seat with
a memory function.
A further innovative assistance system in the new B-Class is
COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST. This radar-based system
draws the driver’s attention to an impending collision with the
vehicle ahead. Using radar, the system measures the distance
to the next vehicle and identifies situations where there is a risk
of collision. On the basis of the calculated moment of impact,
it activates visual and acoustic warning signals. At the same time,
the brake system is prepared for the necessary deceleration
of the vehicle. If the driver reacts to the warning and forcefully
steps on the brake pedal, COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST
automatically makes the optimal braking power available. If the
driver of the vehicle ahead speeds up during the braking
maneuver, the system reduces the deceleration.
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