Meijer Places First U.S. EPA 2010 Fleet Order with Daimler Truck North America

Retail Giant Orders 40 Freightliner Cascadia Trucks with Detroit Diesel DD13 Engines Equipped with BlueTec Emissions Technology



PORTLAND, Ore., - Daimler Truck North America (DTNA) announced today that Meijer, an EPA SmartWaySM award-winning retailer, had placed the nation's first fleet order for U.S. EPA 2010 trucks with the company. Meijer purchased 40 EPA 2010 Freightliner(r) Cascadia(tm) trucks equipped with Detroit Diesel DD13(tm) engines with the new evolutionary BlueTec(tm) emissions technology.



On behalf of Detroit Diesel Corporation, Daimler and DTNA recently invested more than $2 billion toward the development and commercialization of the successful new Detroit Diesel engine family, BlueTec emissions technology and the modernization of Detroit Diesel's engine production facilities. The DD13 engine is one of a family of new fuel efficient, reduced-emission engines developed by Detroit Diesel in collaboration with the Department of Energy 21st Century Truck Partnership Program. Introduced in 2008, the new engine was designed to meet current and future emission regulations while reducing fuel consumption and dependence on foreign oil.



Meijer is a Grand Rapids, Mich.-based retailer that operates 189 supercenters throughout the Midwest. Known for its innovative approaches to retailing, the company also has recently announced a variety of green initiatives, including the installation of rooftop wind turbines on a number of its stores. In October 2007, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency SmartWay Transportation Partnership awarded Meijer its Environmental Excellence Award for leadership in conserving energy and lowering greenhouse gas emissions from its transportation and freight activities. The introduction of aerodynamic Freightliner Cascadia trucks with BlueTec emissions technology delivers near-zero tailpipe emissions and is a continuation of Meijer's green initiatives.



Detroit Diesel's DD13 engine was designed with BlueTec emissions technology and the upcoming EPA 2010 standards in mind. Detroit Diesel's BlueTec delivers a fuel economy improvement of up to 5% compared to EPA 2007 engines, and is an evolution of the selective catalytic reduction (SCR) technology developed by Daimler which is used today by more than 200,000 trucks in Europe and Japan.



SCR is an emissions technology that treats NOx emissions downstream in the exhaust so that the engine can be tuned to run more efficiently and economically. SCR technology consists of an after-treatment catalyst system that allows engine exhaust to be treated with a non-hazardous fluid known as diesel exhaust fluid (DEF) that reduces harmful NOx into simple nitrogen and water.



For 2010 heavy duty on-highway trucks, like those purchased by Meijer, BlueTec is packaged in a proprietary 1-Box(tm) system that combines SCR technology with the diesel oxidation catalyst and the diesel particulate filter. DEF is stored in a refillable tank located on the driver side of the truck that can be refilled by the truck driver at during normal refueling stops.



According to Tom McCall, vice president of logistics for Meijer, the pairing of the aerodynamic Freightliner Cascadia with the DD13 engine effectively matched Meijer's criteria for reliability, fuel economy, durability and serviceability. The first delivery of the trucks is expected to take place in the fourth quarter of this year, well ahead of the emissions regulations scheduled to take effect January 1, 2010.



"We're extremely proud to be the first company in the nation to place an order for these 21st century trucks equipped with the BlueTec emissions technology," said McCall. "While it's thrilling to be at the front end of the launch of such innovative technology, it's also exciting to partner with another Michigan-based company, Detroit Diesel Corporation, to help stimulate the economy and provide jobs right in our own backyard."



Daimler's commitment to meeting environmental challenges is reflected in the company's early adoption, research and development of SCR technologies to meet the needs of North American trucking.



"SCR is the only emissions technology in decades proven to be as good for business as it is for the environment," said Mark Lampert, senior vice president of sales for Daimler Truck North America. "Daimler Truck and Detroit Diesel lead the industry in research and development of both SCR technology and the diesel exhaust fluid (DEF) infrastructure to support it."



"We invested over a decade in the design of emissions technologies to optimize the entire powertrain system for our North American trucking customers, and we're especially pleased to be selected by Meijer as their supplier of choice for the first fleet order of U.S. EPA 2010 trucks," he added. "Meijer is at the forefront of business and environmental strategies, and we are proud to deliver Detroit Diesel's BlueTec to them as a proven technology that will deliver a significant return on their emissions technology investment and an operational advantage of up to 5% over current 2007 trucks in their fleet."



"From an operating perspective, the fuel efficiencies achieved with the Detroit Diesel DD13 engine and BlueTec emissions technology effectively return North American trucking to pre-EGR fuel economy levels while reducing dependence on foreign oil and reducing emissions to near-zero levels at the tailpipe," Lampert added. "And, with more than 25 million test miles completed in North America, including successful real-world freight hauling experience, that return on investment in BlueTec technology is more than just fuel economy...it will be proven reliability," added Lampert.



Daimler Truck North America LLC, headquartered in Portland, Ore., is the leading medium- and heavy-duty truck manufacturer in North America. Daimler Truck North America produces and markets Class 4-8 vehicles and is a Daimler company, the world's leading commercial vehicle manufacturer.



Detroit Diesel Corporation is a leading manufacturer of on-highway heavy-duty diesel engines for the commercial truck market. Headquartered in Redford, Mich., Detroit Diesel is engaged in the design, manufacture, sale and service of these products, in addition to supporting alternative and hybrid engine strategies for the commercial truck marketplace. Detroit Diesel is a Daimler company, the world's leading commercial vehicle manufacturer.