Mercedes BLUEZERO e-cell

[blondebier]

Looks like a B class on steroids...

http://www.pistonheads.co.uk/news/default.asp?storyId=19116

I wander if they will make it?

 

[wemorgan]

some more details now released

Mercedes Pre-Production BlueZERO E-CELL PLUS Electric Car Concept Revealed - Worldcarfans

 

[blondebier]

This technology does fascinate me.

I only wish MB would start playing around with hydrogen fuel cells.

http://www.popsci.com/cars/article/2009-08/mercedes-launch-hydrogen-fuel-cell-car-production-2010

 

[wemorgan]

It certainly seems more inteligent than the majority of hybrid cars currently out now that are engine and motor driven.

Using the engine as purely a generator allows it to run at its most efficient rpm and remove unnecessary mechanical parts.

 

[blondebier]

Did you catch that Top Gear episode with the Honda FXC Clarity?

At the time I think 30 litres of hydrogen "cost" the same as 30 litres of petrol in California.

James May seemed to think that the FCX Clarity's drive system was much simpler than a normal IC engine and would therefore not need to be serviced as often.

I guess the key is getting efficient hyrdogen production delivered to the forecourt.

When we have this Honda will be on to a winner!

 

[hawk20]

Looks like a B class on steroids...

PistonHeads Headlines

I wander if they will make it?

That must be the ugliest car since the BMW 1 series.

 

[blondebier]

That must be the ugliest car since the BMW 1 series.

Agreed - if they make it in it's current form I don't think they'll sell many.

Concept's do tend to look a bit weird but most are toned down a bit when they make the real thing.

They probably do this just to grab your attention...

 

[hawk20]

Agreed - if they make it in it's current form I don't think they'll sell many.

Concept's do tend to look a bit weird but most are toned down a bit when they make the real thing.

They probably do this just to grab your attention...

Bad strategy IMO. Attractive girls grab a lot more attention than ugly ones.

 

[Robbo]

Strangely, I think it looks alright!

 

[The Boss]

A BOSS "SILLY THEAD" SPECIAL - Mercedes moves e-car concept closer to the forecourt

Mercedes moves e-car concept closer to the forecourt BlueZero E-Cell Plus design tweaked
By Alun Taylor • Get more from this author
4th September 2009 16:02 GMT
Leccy Tech Like BMW, Mercedes-Benz just couldn't wait until the opening of the Frankfurt Motors Show to reveal its latest thinking on the leccy car front.
The E-Cell Plus is a range-extended plug-in hybrid cobbled together from the current Mercedes-Benz A and B Series parts bin, and the Smart.

Mercedes' E-Cell Plus: A Class meets B Class meets Smart

Part of the BlueZERO concept range, which also includes pure leccy and hydrogen fuel-cell versions of what is essentially the same car, the E-Cell Plus was first announced at the Detroit Motor Show earlier this year, but now Mercedes-Benz have issued a revised spec and new images.

Moving from concept to production?

The E-Cell Plus will be driven by an electric motor with a continuous output of 70kW (94bhp), a peak of 100kW (134bhp) and 320Nm (236lbft) of torque. The motor sits under the bonnet and drives the front wheels while power is provided by a 18kWh capacity lithium-ion battery pack that sits sandwiched between the car's double floor.

The petrol engine's under the boot - but where's the spare tyre?

Mercedes says that a fully charged battery should be good for around 62 miles of leccy-only travel. Once the battery pack is exhausted, a small petrol engine in the back fires up to recharge it thereby extending the car's range by a further 300 miles.

The motor takes you 62 miles, the engine a further 300

The engine is a three-cylinder 1000cc turbo-charged unit lifted from the Smart. In the E-Cell Plus, it puts out 50kW (67bhp) at 3500rpm.
Top speed is limited to 150kph (92mph), while the 0-60 dash takes just over ten seconds.

Curvy design

Mercedes-Benz is calling now the BlueZERO E-Cell Plus a “near series” concept, which means something very similar could be available to buy in the not too distant future. ®

 

[AANDYY]

Why do they always have to make these 'Eco' cars look silly ?

 

[verytalldave]

A white carpeted boot lining ?

How practical is that?

That alone is enough to warrant ridicule.

 

[chord]

Looks like the bast**d love child of a civic and a bmw 1 series!

 

[grober]

In the meantime the reality seems to be little more distant with the Smart ForTwo Electric Drive scheduled To Enter Series Production In 2012! going to be built in Hambach France evidently.
Smart ForTwo Electric Drive To Enter Series Production In 2012 | eMercedesBenz - The Unofficial Mercedes-Benz Weblog


Daimler AG today announced that it selected the smart plant in Hambach, France, as the location for future series production of the smart fortwo electric drive. As of 2012, the highly innovative electric vehicle, equipped with the most modern lithium-ion-battery, will roll off the assembly line in large-scale production and will be offered to customers through the smart sales network. ------Dr. Dieter Zetsche, Chairman of the Board of Management of Daimler AG and Head of Mercedes-Benz Cars: „The smart fortwo electric drive proves that emission-free driving in an urban environment is already feasible today. The initial series production will begin now with 1,000 vehicles, the first of which will be delivered to customers by the end of this year. As of 2012, the smart fortwo electric drive will then be part of the regular product program of the smart brand. With our decision to locate production here at the parent plant in Hambach, we are setting the course both for series production of electric vehicles and for the future of this highly innovative assembly plant“.
Daimler will invest a double-digit million euro amount at the Hambach plant for production of the next generation of the smart fortwo electric drive with lithium-ion-battery.
In November 2009, the plant will start to produce a small series of about 1,000 units of the smart fortwo electric drive. In a first step, these vehicles will be provided to customers participating in various mobility projects in major cities in Europe and the U.S., in order to generate additional feedback from the use under everyday conditions.

As of 2012, the smart fortwo electric drive will be produced in significantly larger volumes as a regular part of the smart product portfolio and will be sold through the smart sales network. smart thus emphazises its pioneering role on the way to individual mobility with local zero-emissions in cities and urban areas.