Nextourer

Yeah but think about it. You can have your cake and eat it too! It can efficient if you want it to be or it can be powerful and sporty (GS450h) if you feel like it.

Or think about it this way. When I'm commuting to work, it's efficient and saving me money so that I can spend it on the race track and throw it into corners and run with the big boys.

Overclocker

The Mercedes-Benz S-Class Hybrid, first seen at the Frankfurt show last year, will go into production in 2008. It's the leading edge of an extensive lineup of hybrids Mercedes is working on.

Date posted: 07-18-2006

STUTTGART, Germany — Mercedes-Benz plans to begin sales of a gasoline/electric hybrid version of the S-Class in early 2008, which will be followed by several other hybrid Mercedes models.

That's according to comments made by Thomas Weber, Mercedes-Benz's head of R&D, in an interview published by German business magazine Wirtschaftswoche on Monday.

The new car, previewed at last year's Frankfurt Motor Show, will be the first hybrid model sold by Mercedes-Benz. It is expected to be the first of a lineup of advanced gasoline/electric models including specially adapted versions of the E-Class, M-Class and GL-Class. All are currently under development at the German carmaker's headquarters in Stuttgart. Weber said in the interview that this new lineup will be launched "well before 2010."

The new S-Class is described by Weber as a "mild hybrid." It is expected to be powered by Mercedes' 295-horsepower 3.5-liter V6 direct-injection gasoline engine, as recently unveiled in the CLS350 CGI. With it will be an 8.2-hp electric motor, mounted within the gearbox housing, which will be powered by electricity obtained during braking. A stop/start function will help reduce fuel consumption in city traffic.

Similar to the system employed by the Honda Insight, the S-Class's gasoline engine provides the primary propulsion, with the electric motor providing assistance whenever extra power is required — during hard acceleration or on steep gradients, for example. The electric motor can not operate independently of the gasoline engine, meaning the new Mercedes-Benz will not be compatible for zero emissions. It can generate electricity for the battery or consume electricity from the battery, but not both at the same time.

Mercedes-Benz has formed an alliance with General Motors and BMW to develop a "direct hybrid" system in which the electric motor can propel the car independently of the gasoline engine over long trips. No time frame has yet been announced for the introduction of a direct hybrid Mercedes, though. Weber says both systems have advantages and eventually should sell concurrently in the Mercedes-Benz lineup.

What this means to you: Toyota may have a head start in hybrid technology, but Mercedes-Benz is spending big to ensure it is not left behind.

Source: http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do...cleId=116150#2

4TehNguyen

iTrader: (1)

you freaking kidding me 8.2 hp electric motor, thats not going to do jack on a car the size of a S. The electric motors on a GS450h alone produce up to 200 hp

PhilipMSPT

iTrader: (5)

Actually, 292 hp comes from the engine, and 47 hp come from the hybrid system. Total: 339 hp.

But the MB system is still rather crappy...

4TehNguyen

iTrader: (1)

on hybrids the power curves of the gas engine and electric motors are different you cant simply add them up, alone they said the two GS electic motors can produce almost 200 together. Also they arent operating all the time together

spwolf

8.2 hp... thats basically enough to start the engine, which is why they are using it. It is basically start/stop system and thats it.

Trexus

At least Mercedes is playing the game but they are following the leader at this point. We know that Toyota is the leader in this hybrid game. The new hybrid S class will be no match to the 600h L and I can't wait till one of the car magazines does a comparison test between the two. It will be imortalized that the 600h L will dominate any luxury hybrid that the other luxury manufacturers can dish out. Good luck to Mercedes...

rominl

iTrader: (4)

well if it's just 8hp then they might just as well drop it though, why follow the leader when you are doing almost nothing except trying to put the word "hybrid" on paper?!

Trexus

It appears that Mercedes is trying to piggyback or capture some of the market by putting "hybrid" on paper to sell and appeal to the public so that Mercedes can say they are thinking greener as well. I'm not sure why Mercedes is trying to follow the leader but they are following the leader none the less...

4TehNguyen

iTrader: (1)

i bet the 8.2 hp motor is just going to start the engine after a stop the car itself wont actually be propelled by electric motoring, all its going to eliminate is the gas wasted during idle

rominl

iTrader: (4)

lol, maybe it works the other way, it only comes on when you are crusing on freeway?

Nextourer

What you guys said.

An engine start/stop is NOT a hybrid feature. A regular car can have the start/stop feature (like the mid 90s VW Polo or the new Vitz 1.0 litre). If anything, 8.2hp is less than the Insight's motor.

cloudnine

8.2 hp from the electric motor! Maybe this was meant to be put into the Smart hybrid that will be coming out in 2015, but they want to test it out on the S class first? After reading about the electronic nightmares MB owners deal with, unoccupied power seats that move back and forth by themselves, automatic headlights that shut off at night, etc., the complex software that make the engine and electric motors work together should be a real challenge to MB engineers. So, Mercedes Hybrid = ten years late, about ten billion dollars short?

Trexus

If Mercedes wants to be a leader in a new game they should fully develop and come out with a fuel cell hybrid vehicle that is state of the art, dependable, reliable, patent every technology they develop, keep costs down and be easy to operate by the user... That sounds like a tough game. I guess some games are easier to play than others...

RX_330

Whatever happened to the diesel/electric hybrid? I personally like that better than the gas/electric hybrid.