2004

  • 10 - 19 January 2004
  • Mercedes-Benz presents a new variant of the "Vision GST" (Grand Sports Tourer) at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit (NAIAS), Michigan/USA. The new vehicle study, the first version of which was shown two years earlier at the same event, demonstrates the evolution from vision to series.
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  • 1 February 2004
  • Karl Koch GmbH is renamed Mercedes-Benz Minibusse GmbH after being taken over completely by EvoBus GmbH on 1 January. The headquarters of the new company is moved to the Dortmund plant.
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  • 16 February 2004
  • DaimlerChrysler assists victims of the disastrous earthquake in the Iranian city of Bam with a relief convoy. Five Actros heavy-duty trucks carrying goods from the THW technical relief organisation set off from corporate headquarters in Stuttgart-Möhringen on their journey to Iran, partly using the TRACECA route, the "new Silk Road".
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  • 23 February 2004
  • Mitsubishi Fuso introduces the Aero Non-step HEV Hybrid Bus to the Japanese market. This first series-produced hybrid regular service bus in Japan combines a diesel engine with an electric motor and a high-capacity lithium-ion battery. Fuel consumption is 40 % less than that of a comparable diesel-engined bus.
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  • 4 - 14 March 2004
  • Mercedes-Benz unveils the R 171 series roadsters to the public at the Geneva Motor Show. This is the second-generation version of the globally successful SLK. The 265 kW / 360 hp SLK 55 AMG expands the model range of the SLK-Class with the first addition of a V8 model. The innovative AIRSCARF neck-level heating system also makes open-top driving possible even when the outdoor temperature drops. The production version of the CLS (C 219 series) and the revised 203-series C-Class model range also celebrate their world premiere. New top-of-the-range C-Class model is the 270 kW / 367 hp C 55 AMG. Another new product is the G 55 AMG, which has been given a supercharged engine with 350 kW / 476 hp so that it has appreciably better performance than the previous model of the same name.
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  • 7 March 2004
  • The SLK 55 AMG makes its first appearance as official Formula One Safety Car at the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne. The C 55 AMG Estate also makes its debut as the new Medical Car.
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  • 20 March 2004
  • The express airfreight and courier service company FedEx Express put the first of two delivery vehicles featuring a hybrid drive into regular daily use in Sacramento, California/USA. The FedEx OptiFleet E700 is based on the proven FedEx W700 standard delivery van, which FedEx operates in large numbers. This vehicle combines a Freightliner MT-45 SR chassis with a Utilimaster panel van body. The hybrid variant is equipped with a 125 kW / 170 hp Mercedes-Benz OM 904 diesel engine and a hybrid-electric drive train from the American firm Eaton, consisting of a 44 kW / 60 hp electric motor and an automated manual transmission. 18 more vehicles will be put into service in the course of the year as part of a pilot project.
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  • March 2004
  • DaimlerChrysler AG increases its stake in Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corporation (MFTBC) from 43 % to 65 %. MFTBC, a leading commercial vehicle manufacturer in Japan with a strong market position in Southeast Asia, will be fully included in the consolidated balance sheet as of 31 March and forms a business unit of its own within the Commercial Vehicle Division.
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  • 8 April 2004
  • The Untertürkheim plant officially opens its new logistics centre in the port of Stuttgart. The Central Overseas Shipping department is tasked with supplying on schedule the growing number of production sites around the globe with engines, transmissions, axles and parts kits.
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  • 9 - 18 April 2004
  • At the New York International Auto Show (NYIAS), Mercedes-AMG presents the SL 65 AMG with V12 engine and twin turbochargers as the new top-of-the-range SL model. With 450 kW / 612 hp and 1,000 Nm it has the most power and torque of any production roadster in the world.
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  • 18 April 2004
  • At the curtain-raiser to the DTM season on the Hockenheimring, Gary Paffett posts his first DTM victory and a first win for the new AMG-Mercedes C-Class racing touring car.
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  • 22 April 2004
  • The Board of Management and Supervisory Board of DaimlerChrysler AG decide at an extraordinary meeting not to participate in the capital increase planned by Mitsubishi Motors Corporation (MMC) and to cease further financial support for MMC. Contractually agreed projects will be continued.
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  • 30 April 2004
  • In the Mercedes-Benz CLK DTM AMG, AMG presents an exceptional high-performance sports car inspired by the racing version of the Mercedes-Benz CLK. The first cars of the small series, a limited edition of 100 units, are delivered to customers starting in autumn 2004.
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  • 3 May 2004
  • During the visit of Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jibao to Germany, signatures are placed under a project proposal of DaimlerChrysler AG and Beijing Automotive Industry Holding Company Ltd. (BAIC) for the production of Mercedes-Benz C-Class and E-Class saloons in China. The vehicles are to be manufactured in a new factory in Beijing, which has an initial annual production capacity of 25,000 units.
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  • 12 May 2004
  • DaimlerChrysler and Hyundai Motor Company jointly announce the restructuring of their strategic alliance. Hyundai takes over the 50 % DaimlerChrysler share in the commercial vehicle engine company DaimlerChrysler Hyundai Truck Corporation, and talks on a commercial vehicle joint venture are terminated. All other projects are to be continued: these include the joint development and production of a four-cylinder petrol engine family (the so-called World Engine Project), joint procurement activities and the delivery of engines of the OM 906 medium-duty series to Hyundai. Against this backdrop, DaimlerChryslerAG announces it will sell its 10.5 % share in Hyundai Motor at some future time.
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  • 24 May 2004
  • The Mercedes-Benz G-Class celebrates a special anniversary. The cross-country vehicle series has been in production for 25 years, making the G-Class one of the vehicles with the longest production runs in the history of the automobile. Since the start of production in 1979, about 175,000 units of the G-Class have rolled off the assembly line at Magna Steyr in Graz, Austria, on behalf of DaimlerChrysler AG and its predecessor companies.
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  • 26 May 2004
  • At the Engine Expo 2004 in Stuttgart the M 275 6.0-litre V12 biturbo engine developed at Mercedes-AMG receives the "International Engine of the Year Award" in the category "Best Performance Engine". The 450 kW / 612 hp twelve-cylinder is used in the S-Class, the CL and the SL.
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  • 18 June 2004
  • DaimlerChrysler hands over the first fuel cell powered passenger cars to German customers at Mercedes World on the Salzufer in Berlin. Partners Deutsche Telekom and BEWAG/Vattenfall Europe receive in all four A-Class F-Cell cars for their fleets. Under the joint Clean Energy Partnership project, the first regular service station for fuel cell cars in Europe commences operation.
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  • 21 June 2004
  • Mercedes-Benz launches Mixed Tape, an internet platform for free music downloads designed to promote promising young musicians. A new selection of 15 tracks is made available every eight weeks.
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  • 29 June 2004
  • On the club ship AIDA-aura in Greece, Mercedes-Benz presents the new A-Class from the 169 series to the press for the first time. The second generation of the innovative compact vehicle is available as a four-door saloon and two-door coupé. DaimlerChrysler has invested € 900 million in expanding the Rastatt plant where the A-Class is built, creating 1,600 new jobs.
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  • 23 July 2004
  • The top management and employee representatives of DaimlerChrysler AG conclude an agreement entitled "Future Safeguarding 2012". It enables annual cost savings of € 500 million in the medium term and makes an important contribution to job security in Germany.
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  • 16 August 2004
  • DaimlerChrysler sells its 10.5 % share in Hyundai Motor Company (HMC) for around € 740 million. The disposal of the shares is part of the restructuring of the strategic alliance between DaimlerChrysler and Hyundai Motor already announced in May.
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  • 26 August 2004
  • In Los Angeles, California/USA, a Dodge Sprinter with fuel cell drive begins practical testing in everyday commercial service with United Parcel Service (UPS). The Sprinter uses compressed hydrogen and has a range of about 250 kilometres.
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  • 16 September 2004
  • Under the "Sustainable Transport Energy for Perth" (STEP) project, three Mercedes-Benz Citaro fuel cell buses commence trial operation in regular service in the Western Australian city of Perth.
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  • 23 - 30 September 2004
  • Mercedes-Benz presents a number of new products at the International Commercial Vehicle Show in Hanover, including the completely revised and restructured Atego and Axor truck series, the special Actros "Black Edition" model and the new BlueTec diesel technology. Delivery of the first Actros trucks equipped with BlueTec takes place in January 2005. Also shown for the first time is a Sprinter test vehicle with "plug-in" hybrid drive. A 70 kW / 95 hp electric motor is integrated in the drive train between the diesel engine and transmission. It draws its energy from nickel metal-hydride batteries, which it recharges during braking and on downhill stretches. When parked the hybrid Sprinter also can be recharged from a power outlet thanks to "plug-in" technology. Based on the Sprinter, the "Safety Innovation Vehicle" demonstrates tomorrow’s safety levels with adaptive ESP, Lane Assistant and adaptive cruise control. EvoBus presents the Setra S 415 GT, which adds to the ComfortClass an economical com
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  • 25 September - 10 October 2004
  • The sports tourer concept is the highlight of the Mercedes-Benz presentation at the Paris Motor Show: alongside the European version of the Grand Sports Tourers "Vision R", for the first time the Compact Sports Tourer "Vision B" is shown, which will come on the market in 2005 as the B-Class. Other new products include the CLS 55 AMG and a special CLK Convertible model, designed jointly with Italian couturier Giorgio Armani.
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  • 3 October 2004
  • Bernd Schneider wins the DTM season finale in Hockenheim ahead of Martin Tomczyk in an Audi. Schneider's brand colleague Gary Paffett, also competing in an AMG-Mercedes C-Class, takes third place and is runner-up overall behind champion Mattias Ekström in an Audi.
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  • 12 November 2004
  • At the opening of the world's biggest hydrogen filling station in Berlin, DaimlerChrysler hands over five more fuel cell cars to customers for testing in everyday operation. With ten Mercedes-Benz A-Class F-Cell, the company is the biggest mobility partner in the Clean Energy Partnership (CEP), of which it was an important co-initiator. DaimlerChrysler plans to operate some 100 fuel cell vehicles worldwide by the end of the year, including 33 buses in Europe and Australia, fuel cell Sprinters in the USA, and 60 Mercedes-Benz A-Class F-Cell vehicles in Berlin, Japan, Singapore and the USA.
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  • 26 November 2004
  • DaimlerChrysler AG and its partners Beijing Automotive Industry Holding Company Ltd. (BAIC), Fujian Motor Industry Group (FJMG), and China Motor Corporation (CMC) sign the contracts at the Bremen passenger car plant to establish two new joint ventures for the production of Mercedes-Benz cars and vans in China.
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  • 26 November 2004
  • The first fuel cell-powered vehicle in the world, the A-Class F-Cell, successfully passes a 24-hour endurance test. On the Idiada test track outside Barcelona, three vehicles cover just under 8,500 km at an average speed of 120 km/h.
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  • 13 December 2004
  • DaimlerChrysler AG and General Motors Corporation (GM) announce a cooperation to develop hybrid drive systems. The two companies want to jointly push the development of a two-mode hybrid drive which will specifically be used in models of GM, the Chrysler Group and the Mercedes Car Group.
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  • 15 December 2004
  • Toll Collect GmbH, formed as a joint venture of Deutsche Telekom, DaimlerChrysler AG and France's Cofiroute in March 2002, receives a special preliminary operating permit for satellite-based toll collection from the German Federal Office for Freight Transport following a successful trial operation phase. Electronic toll collection for trucks over 12 tonnes in Germany starts on 1 January 2005.
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  • 16 December 2004
  • Mercedes-Benz presents the new OM 642 V6 diesel engine which will supplant the five- and six-cylinder in-line engines from the OM 612, OM 647, OM 613 and OM 648 series as of spring 2005. With an output of 165 kW / 224 hp and peak torque of 510 Nm, it is one of the most powerful engines in its class. Exhaust emissions comply with the stringent EU 4 standard; in addition, in Germany the V6 is fitted with a particulate filter as standard.
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