Daimler’s Mercedes-Benz will offer hybrid versions of its S-, E-, and C-Class models and its off-road vehicles. Daimler is developing vehicles that can be powered with combustion engines or electric motors on the same platform.
The Mercedes-Benz S400 hybrid’s lithium ion battery pack has a 120-volt battery under the hood. When the driver demands more power to accelerate or pass, the electric motor, which also doubles as the starter motor and alternator, immediately provides 118 pound-feet of torque.
The S400 consumes an average of 9.5 litres per 100 kilometres, compared to the S550 and its 12.4 L/100 km. The car may help its owners to avoid current gas guzzler taxes in some jurisdictions.
The engine in the Mercedes-Benz E300 Bluetec Hybrid on display earlier this year in Geneva is a 2.2-liter diesel four with twin turbochargers that puts out 204 horsepower. That engine is also used in the 2011 Mercedes-Benz E250 Bluetec, shown at last year’s New York Auto Show. The company estimated its fuel economy at 28 mpg city, 39 mpg highway.
The Bluetec Hybrid lithium-ion battery pack and electric motor are similar to those used in the 2010 Mercedes-Benz S400 Hybrid. Its 15-kilowatt electric motor and turbodiesel four have a fuel efficiency of 57.4 mpg on the European test cycle. The car has carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions of 109 grams per kilometer.
The E300 Bluetec Hybrid also offers electric-only driving for short distances, as well as using the electric motor to boost the engine under acceleration.
Daimler plans to begin using carbon-fiber parts in mass production cars starting in 2012. According to spokeswoman Eva Wiese, an electric version of its SLS gull-wing sports car with aluminum and plastic components will probably be built and introduced by 2013.
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