BlueTec® has been highly successful in Mercedes-Benz trucks since 2005, and this technology is also already used in the Vario to reduce the emissions of its large-displacement engines even further: here BlueTec® is the ecologically and economically attractive solution for compliance with the Euro 5 standard. The technology combines in-engine measures designed to reduce emissions with a downstream aftertreatment process known as SCR (Selective Catalytic Reduction), which considerably lowers emissions of harmful nitrogen oxides.

This is done by injecting an odourless urea solution known as AdBlue into the stream of hot exhaust gases. The nitrogen oxides react with the added ammonia in the catalytic converter, forming harmless nitrogen and water vapour. Thanks to the improved combustion process, emissions of particulates (fine dust) are also significantly reduced.