The key word "sustainable society" has big impact on the automobile industry. There are environmental problems caused by CO2 emission from cars, while scarcity of petrol and other fossil fuels makes development of alternative energies an urgent necessity. Manufacturers are making endeavours to find solutions to those issues. For example, the hybrid engine which is promoted in Japan, while the clean diesel engine is promoted in Europe. The diesel engine has a negative image in Japan, while its share is as much as 54% of cars in Europe. We interviewed professionals in each field at DaimlerChrysler Japan Inc.

+81: What is the difference between clean diesel proposed by DaimlerChrysler and ordinary diesel?
DaimlerChrysler (DC): Since 1990s, diesel technology has made rapid progress thanks to a better fuel injection system, the introduction of electronic control and a filter for the elimination of diesel particles, and so on. The performance of DaimlerChrysler clears even the strict Euro 4 emission regulation.

+81: Is it possible to show us the difference between hybrid cars and diesel cars?
DC: Hybrid cars are efficient in stop and go traffic, especially in town with congested roads. The biggest advantages of diesel cars are fuel efficiency under normal driving conditions which includes highway driving & middle to long distances, and they are powerful & fun to drive.

+81: In Japan, there is a negative image that diesel is bad. What are you going to do to get rid of this negative image?
DC: In order to create a new image, people need to be familiar with the latest diesel cars. Presently, the current range of diesel cars that are available in Europe are not on sale in Japan. To begin with, we must put these newest models in the local market to get rid of the negative image of diesel cars being "slow", "noisy" and "polluting". In reality, you can feel that the latest diesel cars have "a good performance", "less noise", and "no black smoke or smell". In addition, if people realise that it can reduce CO2 emission on earth, the image should change dramatically. DaimlerChrysler is planning to launch a model with our latest diesel engine which currently clears the Euro 4 regulation.

+81: It is said that DaimlerChrysler recycles car bodies at a high rate. Please tell us a little more about this policy and process.
DC: DaimlerChrysler promotes environmental protection and is engaged in Life Cycle Assessment and Design for Environment in view of the whole life cycle of our products. As part of this policy, we develop parts made of recycled and natural materials.
According to the guidelines of Mercedes-Benz development, we are continually increasing use of recycled materials. For the new S-Class model, 4 % more parts were made partly from recycled plastic compared to the previous model. Moreover, in order to realise a complete circulating production, we recycle materials taken from old parts and production waste, and use them in new parts production such as wheel-arch and lining. We have increased our use of recyclable materials in our latest models to over 73% compared to the previous models. Our choice of recyclable materials are natural fibres such as wood and flax combined with various polymers.

+81: Tell us about the sustainable car society which DaimlerChrysler is aiming at.
DC: The global world is confronting the crisis of scarcity of fossil fuels and increase of CO2 density. Car society, along with other industries, must rapidly realise a new system with less dependence on fossil fuels and less CO2 emission.
Ultimately, we aim at fuel cell cars with zero emission, though I think it will take more than ten years before they are popular among consumers. For now, we need to do our best in reducing the impact on the environment by working on existing cars with the internal combustion engine; we should reduce CO2 in the emission, improve efficiency, and use more alternative fuels instead of fossil fuels. For this reason, we work not only on cars but also on the whole mobility system including the field of fuels.
Consumers should be able to make their own choice from various operation systems and fuels, according to not only environmental but also practical and economical points of view. If there is less impact on the environment as a result, that will be the ideal car society.

+81: What are your priorities when you design a car?
DC: In general, we always try to reduce fuel consumption, improve space efficiency, and increase recycling rate by using natural materials for interior and try to use parts easy to repair. As we have a wide range of products, we integrate environmental measures suitable for each product.
For example, cars in the upper grade take advantage of aerodynamics with the long body to reduce air resistance and increase mileage. We are forerunners to adapt high-performance lighting systems which consumes less energy.
The most important thing in car design is to be determined to do your best in integrating the most suitable environmental measures on the unchangeable basis of proposing and offering cars suitable to peopleﾕs lifestyles and needs.

+81: What is your most important environmental activity apart from your cars?
DC: DaimlerChrysler is developing a project of growing natural fibres all over the world including South Africa, Brazil, and the Philippines. By growing natural fibres and using them in car production, we can create local jobs and also reduce the impact on the environment.

+81: Finally, explain DaimlerChrysler in short.

DC: We aim at sustainable business, conscious of our social responsibility. We produce environmentally friendly products in a workplace with good working conditions, and in the end people are pleased with our products. This is the social role we aim to fulfill, and thus continue to be a reliable partner.

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