Yes, ladies and gentlemen, after the staff here at eMercedesBenz was granted an extended three-day weekend (one that I personally spent at the beautiful Ocean Key Resort in Key West), we are indeed back and ready to bring you the latest and greatest from the world of Mercedes-Benz.  Kicking things off this morning:  news that the Mercedes' Manheim plant has achieved yet another milestone, producing its 7.5 millionth engine - an OM 501 series engine with BlueTec technology.  The 320 kW (440 hp) unit will be installed in a Mercedes-Benz Actros, with the truck destined to become part of the Spedition BORK freight-forwarding company fleet.

To celebrate the milestone, Hermann Doppler, head of worldwide truck engine production at Daimler AG, presented the engine personally to Wolfgang Bork, managing director of Spedition BORK.  At the ceremony, Doppler had this to say:  "In addition to today’s celebration of the 7.5 millionth engine produced in Mannheim, this year also is the 100th anniversary of the Mercedes-Benz plant at Waldhof. And I am even more delighted to have the opportunity to hand over the milestone engine to Spedition Bork, a company with a great tradition dating back more than half a century."

As for why Bork opts for Mercedes-Benz trucks to comprise his fleet:  "Having your own fleet entails lots of responsibilities. This is why we make sure our vehicles are of the highest quality and offer best reliability. What’s more, the Mercedes-Benz engines stand for the highest levels of efficiency and environmental friendliness."

To learn more about the Mercedes-Benz Manheim plant's milestone 7.5 millionth engine as well as Spedition BORK, you can find more info in the official press release below.

Enjoy.



OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE


7.5 million engines at the Mercedes-Benz Mannheim Plant

• Milestone engine is an OM 501 with BlueTec diesel technology
  
  
• Engine to be installed in a Mercedes-Benz truck for the Spedition BORK freight-forwarding company

Mannheim – The Mercedes-Benz Mannheim plant marked a milestone today when it produced the 7.5 millionth engine in its history. Hermann Doppler, head of worldwide truck engine production at Daimler AG, symbolically presented the milestone engine to Wolfgang Bork, managing director of Spedition BORK. The OM 501 series engine with BlueTec technology will be installed in a Mercedes-Benz Actros built in Wörth. It delivers 320 kW (440 hp) of power and already meets the criteria of the Euro 5 emissions standard, which will take effect in September 2009.

“In addition to today’s celebration of the 7.5 millionth engine produced in Mannheim, this year also is the 100th anniversary of the Mercedes-Benz plant at Waldhof. And I am even more delighted to have the opportunity to hand over the milestone engine to Spedition Bork, a company with a great tradition dating back more than half a century,” said Hermann Doppler, head of worldwide truck engine production at Daimler AG, at the ceremony.

BlueTec based on SCR (Selective Catalytic Reduction) technology is one of the solutions available to ensure that commercial vehicles meet the Euro 4 and Euro 5 standards, and it also delivers impressive fuel savings. Compared to the previous Euro 3 standard, at least 80 percent fewer particle emissions and up to 60 percent less nitrogen oxide are emitted in the exhaust fumes. Mercedes-Benz trucks with BlueTec engines also use between two and five percent less fuel. If the average annual distance covered by long-distance trucks is 150,000 kilometers, this means fuel savings of between 1,500 and 2,000 liters per year, which greatly reduces the burdens on truck operators and the environment alike.

“Having your own fleet entails lots of responsibilities. This is why we make sure our vehicles are of the highest quality and offer best reliability. What’s more, the Mercedes-Benz engines stand for the highest levels of efficiency and environmental friendliness,” said Wolfgang Bork, managing director of Spedition Bork, in explaining why he chooses Mercedes-Benz trucks.

Spedition BORK was founded in 1951 in Langgöns – Niederkleen. Today Wolfgang Bork manages the family business, which uses only Mercedes-Benz vehicles. The company has 400 employees and its fleet includes more than 260 semitrailers and 400 trailers.

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