http://www.autospectator.com/modules/news/article.php?storyid=815

Stuttgart, Feb 28, 2005 -- In 2004 the Mercedes-Benz Vans business unit
posted sales of 260,700 units, an increase of 13 percent on the previous
year's figure of 230,900. This success was particularly due to the
continuing high demand for the Sprinter as well as for the new Viano and
Vito models. The latter has just been voted "Van of the Year 2005" only
one year after its market introduction.

Van sales in Western Europe rose to 194,800 units, a significant
increase on the previous year's figure of 181,400. The business unit
also posted significant sales growth of 59 percent in the NAFTA region,
where the Sprinter is marketed under the Freightliner and Dodge brands.
Last year, total sales for the region rose to 18,900 units (2003: 11,800).

“In Western Europe, our business unit is the market leader in the
segment for mid-size and large vans, and it continues to build on this
lead,” says Dr. Rolf Bartke, Head of Mercedes-Benz Vans. “U.S. sales of
the Sprinter have risen continuously since its market introduction at
the start of 2002, and this is helping us strengthen our competitive
position on the global market.” Bartke also added that Mercedes-Benz
Vans had marked another major milestone on the road to penetrating the
Asian market. Bartke was referring to the contract signed in November
2004 regarding the foundation of a joint venture - DaimlerChrysler Vans
(China) Ltd. - with the China Motor Corporation (Taiwan) and the Fujian
Motor Industry Group. As of 2006, approxi-mately 40,000 units of the
Mercedes-Benz Sprinter and the new Viano/Vito van family are to be
produced each year at a new production plant in Fuzhou City in the
province of Fujian.

It is exactly 10 years since Mercedes-Benz first presented the Sprinter,
which has been manufactured at the Düsseldorf plant, DaimlerChrysler's
largest van manufacturing facility, since 1995. With accumulated sales
of more than 1.2 million units, the Sprinter is the best-selling vehicle
of its class in Europe and can today be found in more than 100 countries
around the world. The Sprinter has won numerous awards and, thanks to
continuous enhancements, is every bit as fresh and modern as it was at
the start of its illustrious career - a fact also powerfully underlined
by the record output of over 140,000 units in 2004.

The successor to the Sprinter, which is to be launched in 2006, will be
produced both at Düsseldorf and Ludwigsfelde in Brandenburg.

Development of the HYBRID Sprinter with plug-in technology is already
relatively far advanced. This vehicle, which was unveiled at the IAA
Commercial Vehicles Show in 2004, is equipped with a 70 kW electric
motor that is integrated into the drive train between the transmission
and the clutch. The motor is powered by nickel-metal hydride or
lithiumion batteries (14 kWh capacity), which are recharged from a power
socket overnight (plug-in system). In addition, the batteries are
recharged during vehicle operation by harnessing the energy made
available during braking or traveling downhill. This energy is lost when
a conventional drive system is used. When operating in pure,
emission-free electrical mode, the vehicle has a range of up to 30
kilometers. Customer tests on the HYBRID Sprinter with plug-in
technology are scheduled to begin this year.

This spring will also see the opening of the Van Technology Center (VTC)
on the site of the Untertürkheim plant. This facility will bring
together many key areas of the Mercedes-Benz Vans business unit,
including management, strategy, controlling, sales, development, and
testing and workshop facilities. “The VTC will integrate processes and
streamline communications,” said Bartke. “It will play a key role in
in-creasing quality and efficiency and therefore help us to consolidate
our market leadership as well as open up new markets."

.