The New Mercedes S400 hybrid

Luxury and 29 mpg

Mercedes will begin selling the S400 hybrid this August according to Mercedes.

"The S400 Hybrid is a major milestone on our road toward emission-free mobility," says Dr. Dieter Zetsche, chairman of Daimler AG and CEO of Mercedes-Benz Cars .... In this way the S-Class and the Mercedes-Benz brand are doing important pioneering work for the electrification of the automobile."

Mercedes S400 hybrid built specifically for PR

Is Dieter Zetsche stupid?

Luxury hybrid vehicles don't resonate well with me. Fuel efficient luxury vehicles might help develop technology, but they are going to have little effect on global warming or foreign oil dependency. Still, for the technology development, I do at least partially advocate for these hybrids.

So, with interest, I read MotorTrend's review of the S400 hybrid and then I read this:

Daimler chief Dieter Zetsche told me a few weeks back that the car's fate had changed with high gas prices. "At first I thought it was just a marketing tool, just so we could say we had a hybrid. Now it's hard to tell." Interest has been high. "But I'm not sure I want to sell too many, given the cost of it to us."

BMW joins the lithium mild hybrid game

The BMW 7 Series ActiveHybrid

BMW will debut the new 7 Series ActiveHybrid at the Paris Auto Show next week, a vehicle that was developed out of a joint venture with Mercedes Benz and the S400 hybrid. However, while much of the hybrid technology is the same, the gasoline engines and gearboxes are quite different according to Edmunds.

Yes, this is another luxury hybrid that most of us will never consider purchasing, but it is also another example of the growing interest in lithium-powered mild hybrid powertrains. And, soon, such lithium powertrains will make their way into much cheaper hybrid vehicles. Is that not progress?

Mercedes S400: Mild hybrids are worthy?

Coming to America next September

Slowly, but surely, most automakers are rolling out hybrid vehicles. One of the first from Mercedes, the S400 hybrid, is a lithium-powered mild hybrid. This hybrid cannot function on electric power at low speeds, however, it will increase average fuel economy from 23 mpg to just under 30 - almost a 7 mpg improvement.

In late 2010, GM plans to add lithium to their mild hybrid BAS system as well, and 20 to 30 percent improvements in fuel economy are expected.

Would a full hybrid powertrain with lithium provide even greater fuel economy? Yes, but at higher costs. Still, lithium-powered mild hybrids can provide nice increases in fuel economy at justifiable costs. Hence, are mild hybrids now worthy?

Mercedes: The Prius doesn't make sense

The future of hybrid cars?

According to a report in LeftLaneNews, one of Mercedes' top vehicle researchers claimed that the Toyota Prius doesn't make sense for manufacturers, as LeftLane itself assumed stating that Toyota "is known to have absorbed enormous losses to keep its Prius Hybrid at the forefront of the green revolution".

According to Toyota, money is made off every Prius, and I wonder how many non-hybrids Toyota sold through the years simply because of the hybrid halo? And, how much extra money are dealers making now because of the Prius, of the Camry hybrid?

Still, head of Mercedes-Benz’s Research and Development, Dr Thomas Weber, told LeftLane “Most hybrids have a price premium but the question is whether the premium is enough to earn money. On smaller cars, that answer is ‘no’ right now, but we are developing modular architecture for hybridization and we believe it will be possible to be profitable straight away.”

Maybe small hybrids aren't profitable for Mercedes, but I'll bet Toyota isn't complaining. Likewise, Honda's new hybrid religion seems quite contrary to Mercedes - so, I think I'll put my money on Honda and Toyota.

Mercedes first to lithium hybrids?

Coming to America in late 2009?

In the third quarter of 2009, Mercedes-Benz is planning to begin selling the lithium-powered Mercedes S400 hybrid vehicle. The 3.5 liter V6 gasoline electric hybrid should achieve almost 30 mpg, and it could be the first mass-produced lithium-powered hybrid.

Sometime thereafter, Mercedes will also launch a lithium powered diesel hybrid, the S300 Bluetec hybrid, a 2.2 liter twin-turbocharged 4-cylinder diesel hybrid that is expected to achieve more than 43 mpg.

According to AutoWeek, Mercedes-Benz has will control the thermodynamics of lithium "by integrating the lithium-ion batteries directly into the cooling system of the car to allow them to operate at an optimum temperature of between 59 and 95 degrees Fahrenheit. Mercedes says it has been working on the underlying technology since 1992, creating 25 patents in the process.

"What we have here is a groundbreaking key technology that is going to be a decisive factor for the future success of the automotive industry," says Thomas Weber, head of Mercedes-Benz research and development."

Mercedes - the future king of hybrid cars?

S400 hybrid: Hottest hybrid at the Detroit Auto Show?

Mercedes getting its hybrid act together

No doubt, my biggest LA Auto Show disappointment has been Toyota. Not one word about hybrid cars at their press release.

Anyway, my favorite hybrid vehicle so far - purely based upon looks and luxury - is the Mercedes S400 diesel hybrid. That's right, I said diesel.

Early reports suggest about 30 mpg for this 275 hp V6 hybrid. It's not the greatest fuel economy, but it's one hot car.

Hybrids at the LA Auto Show

Chrysler Aspen to debut at the LA Auto Show

I'll be at the LA Auto Show tomorrow and Thursday, and I am looking forward to checking out some new hybrid vehicles, such as the Chrysler Aspen hybrid and the Mercedes S400 diesel hybrid.

Later today I'll get another chance to drive GM's Chevy Equinox fuel cell vehicle, and over the next couple of days I'll be talking with a number of GM hybrid and hydrogen execs., so stay tuned.