Freightliner Trucks Equipped with DaimlerChrysler Engines and Transmissions as Standard for the First Time

Phoenix, Arizona / Stuttgart, Germany, February 21, 2002

Freightliner, the US truck subsidiary of DaimlerChrysler AG, is now introducing the new "Business Class M2" truck series. The new series replaces the previous Business Class with which Freightliner first started its activities in the medium weight segment of the short-range distribution truck market in 1991. More than 180,000 trucks in this series have meanwhile been sold, achieving a market share (Class 6/7) of 27.3% (up 2.9% compared with last year) in the USA by the end of 2001. All of which has meanwhile made Freightliner, the market leader in heavy-duty trucks, also the second largest supplier in the medium-heavy segment.

For the first time Freightliner is now using major assemblies such as engines and transmissions from the Daimler-Chrysler component supply network as standard equipment. "As with the new Mercedes-Benz Axor truck series introduced just recently, the new Freightliner Business Class M2 is another example of the efficient utilisation of synergies within the Commercial Vehicle Division. "Alongside the cost reductions as part of our restructuring programme announced back in October 2001, the new Business Class M2 will also contribute to Freightliner's revenues over the long term", says Dr. Eckhard Cordes, the member of the DaimlerChrysler AG Board of Management responsible for commercial vehicles.

The new truck is equipped as standard with four and six-cylinder in-line engines from the Mannheim-produced 900 series, which have also proved their worth in Mercedes-Benz trucks, buses and Unimog vehicles. The four-cylinder unit with a displacement of 4.3 litres develops 110 to 130 kW, while the six-cylinder engine with a displacement of 6.3 litres covers the range from 140 kW to 220 kW. Electronic engine management and a modern pump-line-nozzle high-pressure fuel injection system ensure excellent fuel economy and low exhaust emissions. The synchronised, six-speed manual transmissions with a hydraulically assisted clutch system also improve comfort and convenience in short-radius distribution operations. Alternatively, engines and transmissions from US suppliers are also available for the new Freightliner trucks on request.

The new Business Class M2 truck from Freightliner is specifically configured for the wide range of operations in the short-radius distribution sector, from food deliveries to breakdown services. Among other things the cab-behind-engine trucks feature a completely newly developed cab made of aluminium. This makes high payloads and a low diesel fuel consumption possible in conjunction with service intervals of up to 30,000 kilometres.

The vehicle will be shown to the general public at the Mid America Trucking Show, from March 21 to 23, 2002 in Louisville. Production will start in mid-2002 at the Mt. Holly plant in North Carolina.