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$300 million investment to create 1,600 jobs in plant and 1,100 local supplier-based jobs

Daimler Trucks North America sets new benchmarks for Daimler Trucks production plants worldwide

New plant fulfills highest environmental standards

Yesterday marked the opening of the new manufacturing plant of Daimler Trucks North America LLC (DTNA) in Saltillo, Coahuila, in northern Mexico. The President of Mexico, Felipe Calderon, was on hand for the opening ceremony. The facility, which was built with an investment of $300 million, is expected to create 1,400 direct jobs and 200 indirect ones. In addition, it will generate 1,100 jobs within the local supplier industry. After breaking ground in January 2007, the facility was completed on time and within the planned budget. The plant in Saltillo covers 1.3 million square feet of space and includes a production facility, a logistics center, administration building, and a training center.

“With the new Daimler Trucks North America production plant in Saltillo, Mexico, Daimler Trucks is improving its competitive position on the North American continent over the long term,” said Andreas Renschler, member of the Daimler AG Board of Management and Head of Daimler Trucks, today during the grand opening ceremony in Saltillo.

The plant was sited in Saltillo on account of the good experiences Daimler Trucks has had in Mexico. The decision in favor of northern Mexico was also influenced by the site’s significant logistical advantages, including proximity to raw material sources, suppliers, and customers, as well as good connections with the road and rail network. The plant will produce Freightliner’s new flagship, the Cascadia heavy-duty Class 8 truck. The plant in Saltillo can produce up to 30,000 Cascadia trucks annually for sale in the US, Canadian, and Mexican markets. The Cascadia will be introduced on the domestic market in Mexico in late 2009.

The Saltillo plant is the second Daimler Trucks North America manufacturing facility to be located in Mexico, joining the Santiago Tianguistenco plant, which produces Freightliner-branded heavy and medium-duty trucks for domestic Mexico sales, as well as for export to Latin America, the United States, and Canada.

“We are confident that with the Cascadia from Saltillo we will be able to fulfill our customers’ high expectations regarding product quality, operating costs, and reliability,” continued Andreas Renschler.

“Saltillo offers both the manufacturing flexibility and the space for future expansion that will enable Daimler Trucks North America to respond to a rebound in the truck market.”

Highly efficient production processes and high environmental standards at the new production plant in Saltillo

Saltillo will set new benchmarks for efficient production processes for Daimler Trucks manufacturing facilities worldwide. The lean operations at Saltillo will also comply with high standards of quality.

The efficiency and quality standards at the Saltillo production plant are based on the Truck Operating System (TOS) of Daimler Trucks. This management system, which was introduced in all plants worldwide as part of the Global Excellence program, aims to create an extraordinarily lean plant organization. The new plant in Saltillo utilizes the most advanced lean manufacturing processes in the truck building industry today, with the goal of achieving perfect first-time quality and the highest degree of efficiency in all processes.

The highly skilled employees working at the Saltillo plant have been specially trained for their jobs in the new facility. The management team was already completely staffed two years before the construction of the facility was completed. Production personnel were selected, trained, and qualified four months before the start of production.

The Saltillo facility of course complies with the exemplary high environmental standards of Daimler Trucks North America. More than 90 percent of all residual materials and waste from the production process is recycled. Only electrically operated tugger trains are used for transportation within the plant, and energy-saving solar windows as well as an on-site water treatment center underline the high priority assigned to environmental protection at the new plant.

Source: Daimler AG

The “2009 North American Car of the Year” Hyundai Genesis sedan bolstered its resume with a “TOP SAFETY PICK” rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). Hyundai’s all-new flagship earned a “good” overall evaluation in side impact, frontal offset and rear crash tests, the highest ranking awarded by the Institute.

Maintaining Hyundai’s emphasis on delivering leading safety technology, Genesis boasts world-class active and passive safety features to help both prevent accidents and maximize the wellbeing of its occupants in the event of a collision. The Genesis continues the Hyundai tradition of standardizing key life-saving safety technology, and includes standard features like Electronic Stability Control (ESC), Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD), eight airbags and electronic active head restraints.

“Hyundai is committed to standardizing the most effective life-saving technologies and Genesis sedan is no exception,” said Michael Deitz, product planning manager for the Hyundai Genesis sedan. “From the debut of Hyundai’s first electronic active head restraint system which helps prevent whiplash, to standard Electronic Stability Control, the most effective new safety technology since the seatbelt, Genesis was designed with safety in mind.”

To qualify for a Top Safety Pick, a vehicle must earn the highest rating of “good” in the Institute’s front, side, and rear tests and be equipped with ESC. Criteria to win are tough because the award is intended to drive continued safety improvements such as top crash test ratings and the rapid addition of ESC, which is standard on the Genesis. TOP SAFETY PICK status is applicable for all 2009 Genesis models built after November 2008.

“Recognizing vehicles at the head of the class for safety helps consumers distinguish the best overall choices without having to sort through multiple test results,” says Institute president Adrian Lund.

According to IIHS, 51 percent of driver deaths in recent model cars occurred in side impacts so the Institute’s side impact test is severe. The Genesis performed well in side-impact tests and earned a “good” overall evaluation. The report notes that both driver’s and passengers’ head and neck are protected against “being hit by any hard structures,” reducing the chance of serious injury.

In the Institute’s 40 mph offset test, 40 percent of the total width of each vehicle strikes a barrier on the driver’s side, mirroring the forces involved in a frontal offset crash between two vehicles. Genesis again scored “good” in the overall evaluation. The report notes that, “Measures taken from the dummy indicate a low risk of any significant injuries in a crash of this severity.”

All new Hyundai vehicles sold in the U.S. are covered by The Hyundai Advantage, America’s Best Warranty. In addition, the Hyundai Assurance Program is now offered on all new Hyundais leased or purchased at a participating Hyundai dealership. Hyundai Assurance allows consumers to walk away from a financing obligation when certain adverse life events occur, providing protection from financial shortfalls that arise from vehicle depreciation (negative equity) up to $7,500. For a limited time, Hyundai is also offering Hyundai Assurance Plus, adding 90 days of payment relief to the existing protection plan. Hyundai Assurance Plus is part of Hyundai’s Spring Sales Event, which runs until April 30, 2009. Hyundai Assurance and Hyundai Assurance Plus are complimentary for the first 12 months of the financing or lease date for vehicles financed through any lender or financing source. The programs supplement all existing consumer incentives, and are available to any consumer, regardless of age, health, employment history or financed amount of the vehicle. Visit www.HyundaiUSA.com for details.

Source: Hyundai Motor America

Houston-based HYPERFUELS to provide fuel for the 2009 Jetta TDI Cup season

After first introducing its clean diesel technology on the race track in 2008, Volkswagen of America, Inc. announced it will use B5 biodiesel to power its race cars, transport vehicles and generators during the 2009 Jetta TDI Cup season. Houston-based HYPERFUELS will supply B5 biodiesel for the series, which is sanctioned by the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) Pro Racing.

“We are extremely pleased to have HYPERFUELS as a partner for the 2009 Jetta TDI Cup series. SynDiesel(R) B5 biodiesel has been fully approved for use in all Volkswagen TDI powered vehicles that are available at local Volkswagen dealerships today,” said Clark Campbell, Motorsport Manager, Volkswagen of America, Inc. “The addition of SynDiesel B5 biodiesel in the Jetta TDI Cup race cars further demonstrates the feasibility of biodiesel as an alternative fuel source for American consumers and supports the clean and green racing of the Jetta TDI Cup series,” added Campbell.

Performance testing has proven that diesel powered vehicles offer more low-end torque than traditional gasoline engines, providing quicker off-the-line acceleration that’s well suited for the race track. In addition, the Jetta TDI engine’s use of a “common rail” direct injection system improves fuel economy over gasoline engines and reduces sooty emissions by 95 percent, even under demanding race conditions. During the 2009 season, the Jetta TDI Cup cars will consume approximately two tanks of B5 biodiesel during race conditions and overall carbon emissions produced by the series will be reduced by 2,583 pounds as a result of the new fuel. These environmentally-friendly characteristics classify all Volkswagen TDI models as Advanced Lean Technology Vehicles, qualifying consumers for a $1,300 Federal Income Tax Credit.

“HYPERFUELS is excited that the 2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup and SCCA Pro Racing acknowledge that the addition of biodiesel creates a clean performance racing fuel,” said Jess Hewitt, President, Gulf Hydrocarbon, the parent company of HYPERFUELS. “If we can help take biodiesel awareness and performance to the next level, then everyone wins. It’s cleaner burning, yields a faster burn, produces less emissions and is easily accessible. I can’t imagine a better fuel or better cars to showcase the performance and benefits of biodiesel,” added Hewitt.

The SynDiesel B5 biodiesel that HYPERFUELS is supplying is a synthetically made diesel fuel, with a 63 cetane rating, storage life of up to 10 years and 20 percent more BTU’s than conventional diesel. The same fuel used in the 2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup racing series is available for purchase on www.hyperfuels.com

Beginning with the season-opening race on April 25 at VIRginia International Raceway, drivers will compete in ten events on eight road courses around North America in identical factory-prepared and maintained Jetta TDI’s powered by B5 biodiesel. The series champion will win $100,000. In addition, each driver who competes in the series will earn a Pro Racing license from SCCA at the conclusion of the season. The Jetta TDI Cup car is powered by a 2.0-liter, four-cylinder TDI clean diesel engine mated to a six-speed, double-clutch, automatic DSG transmission. The car is only slightly modified from stock with race suspension and brakes.

2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup Schedule
Round 1 & 2
April 24 – 26 – VIRginia International Raceway – Alton, VA (with Grand-Am)
Round 3
May 15 – 17 – Miller Motorsports Park – Salt Lake City, UT (with ALMS)
Round 4
June 19 – 21 – Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course- Lexington, OH (with Grand-Am)
Round 5
July 24 – 26 – Autobahn Country Club – Joliet, IL (with Speed World
Challenge/Atlantics)
Round 6
Aug. 14 – 16 – Road America – Elkhart Lake, WI (with ALMS)
Round 7
Aug. 28 – 30 – Mosport International Raceway – Mosport, ON (Canada) (with
ALMS)
Round 8 & 9
Sept. 11 – 13 – New Jersey Motorsports Park – Millville, NJ (with ARCA)
Round 10
Sept. 25 – 27 – Road Atlanta – Braselton, GA (with ALMS)

Source: Volkswagen of America, Inc.