Even before it was officially released to the world, the all-new Mercedes-Benz C-Class was an award winner.

After careful assessment the experts of the German technical inspection authority TÜV determined that the development process of the new C-Class (model designation W204) meets the requirements of the internationally recognised ISO standard 14062. Applying the concept of “Design for Environment”, this standard governs the integration of environmental aspects into product design and development. In addition, TÜV checked and confirmed the data and statements contained in the environmental product information provided for the new C-Class.

“The new C-Class is a further milestone on our way towards sustained mobility,” says Professor Dr. Herbert Kohler, Chief Environmental Officer of DaimlerChrysler AG. “The Environmental Certificate confirms our longstanding commitment to environmentally compatible product development.” For example, through rigorous further development of the four-cylinder engines in the new C-Class the Mercedes engineers achieved fuel savings of up to six percent compared to the preceding model. With respect to exhaust emissions, nitrogen oxides are as much as 90 percent below the currently valid Euro 4 limits; hydrocarbons as much as 86 percent.

In an environmental balance verified by the TÜV experts, Mercedes-Benz specialists analysed the entire lifecycle of the new saloon - from the production of the materials and components to a car operating mileage of 200,000 kilometres - computing both the emissions and the energy requirements. Compared to the preceding model from the year 2000, the total energy requirements of the new C-Class decrease by 125 gigajoules, which corresponds to the energy content of about 3,800 litres of petrol. Emissions of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide are reduced over the entire lifecycle by nine tons per vehicle.

Volume of components made of recycled plastics increased by 34 percent by weight

Mercedes-Benz is also achieving further progress in the selection of materials. The new C-Class uses mostly materials which are distinguished by minimal consumption of resources, low energy requirements and good recycling characteristics. The saloon thus already complies with the EU recycling rules due to take effect in 2015, which call for a 95 percent recycling rate (with maximum ten percent energy recovery). As a contribution to the conservation of resources, in the new C-Class 32 components with a total weight of more than 40 kilogrammes can be manufactured from recycled plastics. This increases the volume of approved parts made of recycled materials by 34 percent versus the preceding model.

The “Design for Environment“ (DfE) principle defined by ISO standard 14062 has been firmly established in the development process for Mercedes-Benz passenger cars for twelve years. Specialists in the fields of environmental balance, dismantling and recycling planning, materials and process engineering, design and production accompany the development of new models right from the start, define the ecological requirements and ensure that the principle of “Design for Environment” is uncompromisingly applied.