Mercedes’ Electric SLS Revealed

Mercedes finally unveiled the powertrain of its upcoming SLS eCell electric, gullwing supercar … and it is all kinds of high-tech, carbon fiber awesome.

The new AMG-developed, aluminum-bodied coupe features a pushrod front suspension to minimize unsprung weight (handling’s mortal enemy) in a bid to offset the weight penalties of carrying an electric motor in each of the car’s four wheels. The layout allows the car’s computers to vary torque to each wheel – a system similar in concept to Honda’s NSX supercar – that maximizes traction off the line and in slippery conditions while keeping the car’s balance predictably neutral.

Source: Gas2.0

Mercedes to Offer 2013 GLK Crossover with Diesel Powertrain

The Mercedes-Benz GLK crossover is fairly new to the U.S. market, launching in 2009 as a 2010 model. As the least-expensive sport-utility vehicle to wear the three-pointed star, the GLK is intended as a gateway vehicle to the brand for young families.

The compact SUV will get a refresh for the 2013 model year, and Automotive News (subscription required) quotes Mercedes-Benz USA CEO Steve Cannon as confirming a diesel-engine option for the next GLK.

That makes the compact crossover the sixth Mercedes-Benz model to be offered on these shores with diesel power.

While the other five use a 3.0-liter turbodiesel V-6, the GLK will get a more fuel-efficient and cost-effective four-cylinder--fitted, like the others, with the BlueTEC emissions aftertreatment system.

Motor Authority believes that Mercedes will use its 2.1-liter, four-cylinder turbodiesel engine, which is already emissions-certified for sale in the U.S. market.

Based on Mercedes’ current success with diesel-powered ML and GL models here, expectations are high for the diesel GLK. Cannon sees the new model pushing sales into the “high 30s,” compared to 2011 sales of 24,310 units.

Mercedes-Benz currently offers a much wider range of diesel options than either Audi (which currently sells the Q7 and A3 in diesel variants) or BMW (which offers its X5 and 3-Series with diesels).

Unlike Asian automakers, the Germans aren’t eager to write off diesels in the U.S. market. They're expanding their offerings as one way to meet increasingly stringent corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) rules.

And sales of diesel passenger vehicles are growing at a faster rate than those of hybrids--although from a smaller base.

Source: Green Car Reports

Mercedes-Benz to reveal production EREV for American market

At this year’s New York Auto Show in April, Mercedes-Benz says it will unveil a production-ready version of its extended-range B-Class E-Cell Plus intended for the U.S. market.

This compact debuted as a concept at last year’s Frankfurt show. It was the result of plans announced in 2009 for it and other green cars including a hydrogen fuel cell vehicle.

The Mercedes EREV will be limited production, and part of a greater initiative by M-B to boost U.S. sales by 20 percent starting in 2013.

In question is how close to the concept it will be. Automotive News did not report specifications when it learned of these plans at the Detroit Auto Show during an interview with Mercedes’ global sales chief Joachim Schmidt.

Previous reporting of the E-Cell vehicle’s design describe it as capable of all-electric range of 62 miles, and total range of 373 miles.

The powertrain relies on a Deutsche ACCUmotive lithium-ion battery pack, electric motor and 67-horsepower, 1.0-liter turbocharged three-cylinder gasoline generator.

Total power output is 136 horsepower (100 kw). The gasoline genset reportedly operates at lower vehicle speeds to charge the battery, and at higher road speeds assists the motor in propelling the car.

Acceleration from to 0-62 mph takes about 11 seconds, according to Mercedes-Benz, with top speed of 93 mph.

So it’s no Volt killer, but with that big German star on the front grille, it will certainly offer competition to the humble bowtie.

Exact launch date, volume, prices, and production specs have yet to be announced.

It’s likely M-B is only just putting a horse in the EV/EREV race without betting the farm that it will trump all others.

Or more to the point, last year Daimler’s director of fuel cell and battery drive development, Christian Mohrdieck, explained the company’s belief that the EV movement is shrouded with a lot of “hype.”

In discussing EVs last year with plugincars.com, Mohrdieck’s sensibility sounded close to the opposite side of the spectrum from that of Renault-Nissan’s Carlos Ghosn who forecasts greater market acceptance for electrified vehicles.

“People have very high expectations in terms of quality and reliability of the car,” said Mohrdieck. “There will be an increasing number of battery electric vehicles and fuel cell electric vehicles, but it won’t just jump from zero to 100,000 cars a year.”

Well it better if Ghosn’s projection of 1.5 million Renault and Nissan EVs by 2016 is to come to pass.

In this light, you can see Mercedes’ tone contrasts markedly from EV evangelist Ghosn who in sweeping his gaze across the spectrum of world automakers, said certain competitors are “naively reacting” – bringing electrified offerings perhaps, but not with enough gusto.

Whether Mercedes will be timid, or on target is a question we’ll only know the answer for later. It would be reasonable however to expect slow roll-out and cautious proceeding in M-B’s otherwise ambitious plan to expand sales of B-Class and other classes of combustion-powered cars in the next few years.

We shall learn more about Mercedes’ first extended-range EV this April in New York.

Source: GM-Volt.com