Mercedes-Benz concept BlueZero - Click above for high-res image gallery Without an accompanying announcement about any changes to the status of the Mercedes-Benz Concept BlueZERO, Daimler today released a bunch of new pictures of the hydrogen/gas-electric hybrid/pure electric concept car. The pictures show us ( once again ) the direction that Daimler is taking the design of the next-generation Mercedes B-Class and that the promotion folks have an apparent love of HDR . As we learned in Detroit this past January, the BlueZero concept could be made as an E-Cell variant with a 35 kWh li-ion battery pack good for 120 miles; as an F-Cell with a 90 kW hydrogen fuel cell that could carry the car for 240 miles; or as an E-Cell Plus that adds an engine from a fortwo to create a hybrid powertrain that can go 360 miles with both “tanks” full. In the new batch of pictures, we do get a shot of the clean E-Cell powertain with a strange hole in the center. We think this might be a storage space for the charging cord or, possibly, an opening for the radiator to vent. Gallery: Mercedes-Benz Concept BlueZERO [Source: Daimler] Filed under: EV/Plug-in , Hybrid , Hydrogen , Mercedes Benz , Green Daily Pics aplenty: Mercedes-Benz BlueZERO concept originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Mon, 29 Jun 2009 15:48:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink  |  Email this  |  Comments

Shortly after Tesla Motors co-founder Martin Eberhard filed a lawsuit against Tesla Motors and its Chairman, Product Architect and CEO Elon Musk, the Silicon Valley automaker had this to say: This lawsuit is a fictionalized, inaccurate account of Tesla’s early years — it’s twisted and wrong, and we welcome the opportunity to set the record straight. Incidentally, Tesla will also be filing counterclaims and in the process present an accurate account of the company’s history. The first bit of record resetting has shown up on the official Tesla blog. Not surprisingly, Elon Musk has lots to say in regards to the early years of the Roadster’s development, and he seeks to offer his side of the story, along with a number of emails to back up his claims. What does Musk say? Well, his initial response is a long, informative and extremely interesting read. Here are some choice lines: The facts are that when I requested through AC Propulsion to meet Eberhard, he had no technology of his own, he did not have a prototype car and he owned no intellectual property relating to electric cars. At the time [early 2004], “Tesla Motors, Inc.” consisted of Eberhard, Tarpenning and Wright, plus an unfunded business plan and they were looking for an initial round of funding to create a more advanced prototype than the AC Propulsion Tzero. While there was a basic corporation in place, Tesla hadn’t even registered or obtained the trademark to its name and had no formal offices or assets . There’s more after the jump. Gallery: Martin Eberhard’s Founders Series Tesla Roadster [Source: Elon Musk / Tesla Motors ] Continue reading Elon fires back at Eberhard in Tesla lawsuit’s latest twist Filed under: EV/Plug-in , Tesla Motors , Legislation and Policy Elon fires back at Eberhard in Tesla lawsuit’s latest twist originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Mon, 22 Jun 2009 15:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Read  |  Permalink  |  Email this  |  Comments

Shortly after Tesla Motors co-founder Martin Eberhard filed a lawsuit against Tesla Motors and its Chairman, Product Architect and CEO Elon Musk, the Silicon Valley automaker had this to say: This lawsuit is a fictionalized, inaccurate account of Tesla’s early years — it’s twisted and wrong, and we welcome the opportunity to set the record straight. Incidentally, Tesla will also be filing counterclaims and in the process present an accurate account of the company’s history. The first bit of record resetting has shown up on the official Tesla blog. Not surprisingly, Elon Musk has lots to say in regards to the early years of the Roadster’s development, and he seeks to offer his side of the story, along with a number of emails to back up his claims. What does Musk say? Well, his initial response is a long, informative and extremely interesting read. Here are some choice lines: The facts are that when I requested through AC Propulsion to meet Eberhard, he had no technology of his own, he did not have a prototype car and he owned no intellectual property relating to electric cars. At the time [early 2004], “Tesla Motors, Inc.” consisted of Eberhard, Tarpenning and Wright, plus an unfunded business plan and they were looking for an initial round of funding to create a more advanced prototype than the AC Propulsion Tzero. While there was a basic corporation in place, Tesla hadn’t even registered or obtained the trademark to its name and had no formal offices or assets . There’s more after the jump. Gallery: Martin Eberhard’s Founders Series Tesla Roadster [Source: Elon Musk / Tesla Motors ] Continue reading Elon fires back at Eberhard in Tesla lawsuit’s latest twist Filed under: EV/Plug-in , Tesla Motors , Legislation and Policy Elon fires back at Eberhard in Tesla lawsuit’s latest twist originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Mon, 22 Jun 2009 15:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Read  |  Permalink  |  Email this  |  Comments

Mercedes-Benz A-Class - Click above for high-res image gallery According to a report from AutoWeek.nl , Mercedes-Benz is taking a long, hard look at a new three-cylinder engine for its upcoming range of small cars and hybrids. Daimler already offers a 1.0-liter three-banger in the diminutive smart fortwo, and this new powerplant would likely be destined for the rear engine bay of both the next-gen smart as well as Mercedes’ own A-, B- and C-Class cars. In addition to the three-cylinder engine, Thomas Weber, director of group research and car development at Mercedes-Benz, says the German automaker plans to offer a hybrid powertrain option on each of its models - from minicars like the smart to its line of large luxury sedans and commercial vans. To make that goal a reality, MB is working to reduce the weight of its hybrid drivetrain by 10 percent. The last interesting little nugget from this report is that Mercedes is looking for a partner to help develop this small engine family. We can’t help but recall rumors from last month indicating that fellow German automaker BMW was working on its own new three-cylinder engine architecture . How ’bout a collaboration? Gallery: 2009 Mercedes-Benz A-Class [Source: AutoWeek.nl ] Filed under: Hybrid , MPG , Mercedes Benz REPORT: Three cylinder coming to next Mercedes-Benz C-Class, hybrids for all models originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Fri, 19 Jun 2009 17:42:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Read  |  Permalink  |  Email this  |  Comments

Mercedes-Benz builds more than fancy li-ion hybrid cars . The company’s buses, notably the Citaro series, are quite a common sight in European cities. The German company has announced that the new generation of the Citaro G model, known as “bendy-buses” in England, will include BlueTec technology (NOx reduction with AdBlue) paired up with hybrid technology, making it the first series production hybrid bus available for European markets. The Citaro G BlueTec Hybrid uses the most powerful lithium-ion battery installed in any model, totalling 320 kWh. Mercedes claims that the bus is not only green but much cheaper to operate and promises 30 percent fuel savings. Deliveries will start in about seven months. [Source: Autoplus ] Filed under: Hybrid , Mercedes Benz , Europe/EU , Germany Mercedes launches Citaro G Blue Tec Hybrid Bus originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Sat, 06 Jun 2009 14:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Read  |  Permalink  |  Email this  |  Comments

With the EURO-V emissions regulations coming into full effect this year, Mercedes Benz has updated the engine lineup for its big Sprinter vans. The Sprinter uses a range of four cylinder and V6 diesel engines all with common rail injection systems and particulate filters for smoke free operation. The four cylinder is the new 2.2-liter that debuted last year in several car models, including the latest C-class. The four is available in three power ratings of 95 hp, 129 hp, and 163 hp with torque ranging from 184 to 265 lb-ft. The 95 hp edition uses a single variable geometry turbocharger while the other two use sequential dual turbos. That’s the first such application in a Mercedes van. Topping out the range is a 190 hp version of the 3.0-liter V6 diesel also found elsewhere in the Mercedes product line. Mercedes has achieved EURO-V compliance without having to use a urea injection system thanks to its EGR installation and good fundamental combustion properties. All the engines are paired with 6-speed transmissions and fuel consumption has been reduced by 0.5-1.0 liters per 100 km for the four cylinder models to 1.5 liters per 100 km for the V6. All of the engines are also now compatible with B10 biodiesel. Gallery: 2010 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter [Source: Mercedes-Benz] Continue reading Mercedes-Benz Sprinters get new cleaner more efficient diesel engines Filed under: Diesel , Mercedes Benz Mercedes-Benz Sprinters get new cleaner more efficient diesel engines originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Fri, 29 May 2009 16:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink  |  Email this  |  Comments

2010 Mercedes-Benz S400 Hybrid - Click above for a high-res gallery The first-ever hybrid Mercedes-Benz is scheduled to go on sale here in the United States in August. The upcoming S400 will feature a mild hybrid drivetrain with a 20-horsepower, disk-shaped electric motor sandwiched between the 305-horsepower 3.5L V6 and 7-speed automatic transmission. Sending electrons to the electric side of the drivetrain will be the world’s first mass-produced lithium ion battery pack for automotive use. That’s great, but it will only be available in left-hand drive, meaning that it won’t be available in the United Kingdom. Speaking to Channel 4 , Dr Thomas Weber, an executive in charge of research and development at Mercedes-Benz, said: We do see hybrids as part of our future, so we do want to bring them to the UK eventually - and because 80% of sales in the UK are for diesel we are also looking to produce diesel hybrids too. Eventually is an awfully vague word, no? When asked for clarification, Weber responded, “It’s difficult to say when, but it’ll be within five years I would think.” So, there you have it. Gallery: Mercedes-Benz S400 BlueHybrid [Source: Channel 4 ] Filed under: Hybrid , Mercedes Benz , UK Mercedes: UK will get hybrids … eventually originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Sat, 23 May 2009 08:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Read  |  Permalink  |  Email this  |  Comments

In just a few minutes, Daimler will be starting a press conference with Dr. Thomas Weber, the head of R&D for Mercedes-Benz. Dr. Weber will be making an announcement about a new strategic partnership for electric vehicles. Most of the speculation at this point involves a possible investment in Tesla Motors. The startup is already supplying batteries and charging systems for the second generation Smart ED. 655am: We’re just waiting for Dr. Weber to come to the podium 658am: It is Tesla. They just flashed a slide up on the screen with the daimler and Tesla logos. 705am: Still waiting for the start of the press conference, wondering if Musk will join Weber at the podium 706am Now beginning. continue after the jump. Continue reading Live Blog: Daimler announces new strategic partnership with Tesla for EVs Filed under: EV/Plug-in , Mercedes Benz , Tesla Motors , Daimler Live Blog: Daimler announces new strategic partnership with Tesla for EVs originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Tue, 19 May 2009 06:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink  |  Email this  |  Comments

McLaren MP4-24 - Click above for a high-res image gallery Of the 10 teams competing in this year’s Formula 1 championship, McLaren-Mercedes is the only one that’s equipped both of its cars with a kinetic energy recovery system for every single race so far this season. Whether the 60 kW power boost has helped or not is up for debate, but it’s at least been active on both Lewis Hamilton’s and Heikki Kovalainen’s MP4-24 racers. According to Autocar , McLaren-Mercedes’ Formula 1 engineers developed and demonstrated two KERS systems, one mechanical unit using a flywheel to store power and one electric system using batteries or capacitors. An unnamed source within MB’s engineering department has reportedly said that neither KERS implementation is relevant for road cars at the moment. Regardless of its lack of relevancy to Mercedes’ road-going machinery, Anthony Sheriff, managing director at McLaren, says, “What’s important is that it’s pushing the envelope of battery technology to its limits and that has got to be good news.” Gallery: McLaren MP4-24 [Source: Autocar ] Filed under: Emerging Technologies , Hybrid , Mercedes Benz , Racing Mercedes-Benz with KERS? Don’t hold your breath originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Sat, 02 May 2009 08:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Read  |  Permalink  |  Email this  |  Comments

Mercedes-Benz plans to introduce stop/start technology sometime next year on its turbodiesel-powered E200 sedan in Europe, but don’t expect to see the fuel-saving bits on models equipped with an automatic transmission for a little while longer. According to Christoph Spengel, a powertrain engineer at the German automaker: Fitting the system to any engine and gearbox is not a problem, we can get reliability quite easily. Achieving the smoothness of the start is the real problem. Engaging the starter takes a little time, and then firing the engine takes a little time, and it is important that our system does not disturb the driver. Adapting stop/start to automatic transmissions is a priority at Mercedes-Benz, and the automaker believes it will have the technology ready by 2011. By that time, stop/start could be fitted on nearly every model rolling down the line, including those fitted with massively powerful V8 engines. [Source: Autocar ] Filed under: Emerging Technologies , Mercedes Benz Mercedes-Benz plans to have stop/start on all engines by 2011 originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Thu, 30 Apr 2009 18:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Read  |  Permalink  |  Email this  |  Comments