CO2 emissions 20 percent lower than the preceding model: Environmental Certificate for the new SLK

We have been making rapid advances in efficiency, the likes of which have never been seen before in the history of the automobile. And as the inventors of the automobile, we assume particular responsibility for its future, explains Professor Herbert Kohler, Chief Environmental Officer of Daimler AG. We analyse the environmental compatibility of our models throughout their entire life cycle – from production, through their many years of usage, to end-of-life recycling. This goes far beyond mere compliance with legal requirements.

The Environmental Certificate, together with explanatory material, has been made available to the public in the Life Cycle documentation series, which can be accessed at www.mercedes-benz.com. In addition to the SLK, the A, B, C, E and S-Class models, as well as the GLK and SLK have already received environmental certification from TÜV Süd.

Over its entire life cycle – from production and operation over more than 200,000 kilometres up to recovery – the new Mercedes-Benz SLK causes 20 percent lower CO2 emissions than its predecessor at the time of discontinuation in 2010. The overall energy balance is equally positive: over the entire life cycle, the primary energy savings amount to 18 percent compared with the predecessor, which corresponds to the energy content of 4100 litres of petrol.

This is largely due to significant reductions in consumption. In the SLK 200 BlueEFFICIENCY model, for example, consumption has dropped from the preceding figure of 8.0 to 8.2 l/100 km (at the time of discontinuation in 2010) to 6.1 to 6.5 l/100 km, representing a reduction in fuel consumption of up to 24 percent.

The SLK already meets the mandatory recycling rate of 95 percent by weight that will come into force on 1 January 2015; the future requirements of vehicle recycling were already taken into account at the development stage. Closing material loops plays an important role here. The new Roadster makes use of a total of 68 components with a combined weight of 35.4 kg that are produced from high-quality recycled plastics. The mass of approved recycled components has therefore been increased by 5 percent over the previous model.

Some 24 components in the SLK with a total weight of almost 8.2 kg are made from natural materials – an increase of 67 percent compared with the previous model. In terms of natural fibres, the new SLK primarily makes use of leather, cotton and wool as standard. For the tank vent filter too, the new SLK also makes use of raw materials from nature, olive stones are employed in the production of the activated charcoal filter.