( 540 NM from a 3 liter CDI seems much higher than non Bluetec CDI
engines )

http://www.daimlerchrysler.com/dccom/0-5-7145-1-636911-1-0-0-0-0-0-9-0-0-0-0-0-0
-0-0.html

E 320 BLUETEC: Mercedes-Benz is Launching a New Era in Diesel
Technology in the USA

Mercedes-Benz E 320 BLUETEC

Stuttgart, Germany / Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, September 06, 2006
Spiraling fuel prices have increased the demand for economical, clean
cars in the USA. Mercedes-Benz is launching the new E 320 BLUETEC on
October 15, timed to coincide with the introduction of low-sulfur
diesel fuel in the USA. This model is also one of the most economical
vehicles in its class and is regarded by experts as the pioneer of a
new diesel era.

"The introduction of clean diesel fuel in the USA represents an
opportunity we have been battling for long and hard, the sort of
opportunity we intend to utilize fully from day one", explained Dr
Thomas Weber, head of Development at DaimlerChrysler AG and at the
Mercedes Car Group, during the E 320 BLUETEC presentation in Las Vegas,
Nevada. Background: state-of-the-art diesel vehicles, which already
account for more than half of annual new registrations in Western
Europe, have not yet realized their full potential in the USA due to
excessive sulfur levels in existing fuel. All that is about to change
with the nationwide introduction of clean diesel fuel with a sulfur
content of just 15 ppm (parts per million). "Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel"
(ULSD) will be on sale at up to 76,000 US filling stations during the
initial stage and will help promote the adoption of BLUETEC. This
innovative diesel technology will also enable Mercedes-Benz to meet the
world's most stringent emission limits for nitrogen oxides, providing
the right conditions for state-of-the art diesel technology to make its
mark in the USA.

"BLUETEC power is about to win many friends in North America as soon as
US customers get behind the wheel of a car like the E 320 BLUETEC",
says Dr Thomas Weber. "Our 208 hp three-liter V6 develops
eight-cylinder-like torque of 400 pounds feet (540 Nm) combined with
the sort of economy you get from a four-cylinder engine in everyday
use." The combined consumption of just
6.7 l/ 100 km (35 miles per US gallon) provides a range of 700 miles
(around 1200 km) without having to refuel.

Ultra-modern diesel vehicles provide their owners with assured, clean
and economical driving pleasure and can potentially - given a
sufficiently large uptake - make national economies less dependent on
oil imports. An EPA study dating back to 2004 confirmed the enormous
potential savings inherent in diesel. Margo Oge, Director of the Office
of Transportation and Air Quality, came up with the following
calculation: if just a third of the light-duty vehicles in the USA were
state-of-the-art diesel vehicles, we would be looking at saving 1.4
million barrels a day, the equivalent quantity of oil the USA imports
from Saudi Arabia every day.

With no end in sight to soaring fuel prices, experts predict a greater
uptake of diesel around the globe. The recent J.D. Power study "Global
Outlook For Diesel" forecasts that the current global diesel market
share of 18 percent is set to reach around 30 percent in 2015: diesel
vehicles are expected to account for over 15 percent of new
registrations in North America.

Additional BLUETEC models in the USA and Europe by 2008

Against this background, Mercedes-Benz intends to systematically
broaden its BLUETEC portfolio. Dr Weber: "In addition to the E 320
BLUETEC we aim to have another three BLUETEC models in the line-up as
early as 2008 that meet the 50-state BIN 5 standard in the R-Class,
ML-Class and the GL Class." Following its launch in the USA,
Mercedes-Benz intends to successively roll out BLUETEC in other
markets. At present the technology is being adapted to European market
requirements and other Mercedes Benz models. The company's European
customers should have the option of BLUETEC in a passenger car by 2008
at the very latest. Meanwhile the Jeep Grand Cherokee BLUETEC concept
is a perfect example of how other DaimlerChrysler brands can also
leverage BLUETEC.

BLUETEC is a modular emission control system that reduces nitrogen
oxides. Diesel engine design means nitrogen oxide is currently the only
emissions constituent that exceeds the equivalent figure for a petrol
unit. Mercedes-Benz has developed BLUETEC in two versions: in the
E-Class an oxidation-type catalytic converter and particulate filter
are combined with an improved, extremely durable NOx trap system and an
additional SCR catalytic converter. The second BLUETEC version is even
more efficient. Here, AdBlue, a non-toxic aqueous solution, is injected
into the exhaust-gas stream, causing ammonia to be released. In the
downstream SCR catalytic converter the ammonia then converts up to 80
percent of the nitrogen oxides into the harmless natural products of
nitrogen and water. The specific vehicle concept and weight as well as
the deNOx requirements determine which BLUETEC system is used. In
principle, BLUETEC is capable of meeting the world's most stringent
exhaust emission standards.

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