More than 2,600 Mercedes-Benz Atego medium-duty trucks with the automatic engine start/stop system were sold in the first half of 2009. That corresponds to a sales increase of about 1,500 units or 130% compared to the total recorded in all of 2008.
| The Atego. Click to enlarge. |
In Germany alone, 2,000 Mercedes-Benz Atego trucks with engine start/stop system were sold; an increase of 1,100 trucks or more than 110% compared to the sales for all of 2008. Of all the delivered Mercedes-Benz Atego trucks in which the fuel-saving system can be installed, the share of vehicles equipped with engine start/stop system was 46% overall and 61% in Germany.
The automatic engine start/stop system is available as an option in the Mercedes-Benz Atego with manual transmission. The system shuts off the engine whenever the truck is stationary for at least three seconds, the transmission is in neutral, and the clutch is not engaged. As soon as the driver steps on the clutch, the engine automatically starts up again.
The result is a reduction in fuel consumption of up to 3%, and the savings are even greater when the truck is used exclusively for city driving. There also is a corresponding decrease in CO2 emissions. For a Mercedes-Benz Atego used in short-distance service, the added cost of the system is thus recovered in just a few months.