Source: DaimlerChrysler Media

DaimlerChrysler Partners With Ohio Soybean Growers, Biodiesel Refiner to Promote Use of Clean, Renewable Fuel in Jeep® Liberty CRD Diesel SUV

-Liberty Diesel sales near the 10,000 mark
-Nation's first mid-size diesel SUV combines power, performance, fuel economy
-Every Jeep® Liberty CRD diesel fueled with biodiesel to encourage use of clean, renewable alternative fuel


Cincinnati, Ohio, Mar 22, 2006 -
DaimlerChrysler joined today with Ohio Governor Bob Taft, the state's soybean growers and the refiner, Peter Cremer North America, to promote the use of clean, renewable, Ohio-made biodiesel fuel.

The Jeep® Liberty CRD, the nation's first diesel-powered mid-sized sport-utility vehicle, is fueled with B5 (5 percent biodiesel) fuel at DaimlerChrysler's assembly plant in Toledo, Ohio. The biodiesel fuel is made from Ohio soybeans, refined at the Peter Cremer facility in Cincinnati.

Sales of the Jeep Liberty CRD diesel are about to surpass the 10,000 mark, double the number expected when Chrysler Group launched the Jeep Liberty CRD diesel in early 2005.

The Jeep Liberty CRD diesel is part of DaimlerChrysler's program to re-introduce American consumers to the benefits of modern, clean diesel passenger vehicles. With its four-cylinder, 2.8-liter, common-rail diesel engine, Jeep Liberty CRD provides the torque of a V-8, the acceleration of a V-6 and the fuel economy of a four-cylinder engine.

"At DaimlerChrysler, biodiesel is part of our vision for an America that is less dependent on petroleum, that protects and preserves the environment, and that values a strong sustainable economy," said Deb Morrissett, Vice President – Regulatory Affairs, Chrysler Group. Morrissett participated in a program with Ohio Governor Bob Taft recognizing the biodiesel industry in Ohio.

Morrissett noted that clean, renewable, American-made biodiesel extends the benefits of clean diesel technology.

-In addition to the 30 percent improvements in fuel economy with diesel, biodiesel further reduces our reliance on petroleum for our transportation system
-While diesel reduces greenhouse gas emissions up to 20 percent, biodiesel can further improve the carbon dioxide lifecycle balance, while significantly cutting tailpipe emissions
-And it is homemade — contributing to a stronger American economy

To expand the use of biodiesel, Chrysler Group recently announced that, beginning with the 2007 model year this fall, it will approve and endorse the use of B20 in diesel-powered Dodge Ram trucks by government, military, and commercial fleet customers.

The company is also working with the biodiesel industry, other OEMS, suppliers, nonprofit organizations, and Federal and state governments to develop national quality standards for B20.

DaimlerChrysler promotes use of another renewable fuel, ethanol, with nearly 1.5 million of its vehicles capable of running on E85 fuel, a mixture of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline. The company will produce nearly 500,000 E85-capable vehicles per year beginning in 2007.

"We at DaimlerChrysler are very excited about the opportunities before us to use clean, renewable, homegrown sources of energy to strengthen our economy, preserve our environment and build a more sustainable transportation system," Morrissett said.