Mercedes Hybrids

Exciting news. High performance and luxury appeal... in the same vehicle. A great number of drivers do not want to give up performance for the purpose of saving energy.... now they won't have to. The fact they are also using modified ... existing technologies is also significant as it will help to speed the new hybrid to market.

Next, I'd like to see Daimler next make its Smart Cars hybrids... or even plug-in electric. Many people use these vehicles for short local trips which make them ideal for being electric.

Usatoday.com 3/2/08

Daimler plans new battery for hybrid

DETROIT (AP) — Daimler AG is planning to roll out a hybrid version of its Mercedes-Benz flagship S-Class luxury sedan that uses a kind of battery already widely used in consumer electronics.

Daimler said that it has adapted lithium-ion technology to meet demanding automotive requirements. Daimler said Friday the new battery will be used in the S 400 BlueHYBRID beginning next year.

"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," Daimler Board of Management member Thomas Weber said in a statement.

Stuttgart, Germany-based Daimler's announcement indicates an increase in confidence about lithium-ion technology. Other automakers are working on lithium-ion batteries.

Toyota Motor Corp. said in December it was preparing to start mass producing lithium-ion batteries for low-emission vehicles.

Lithium-ion batteries, already widely used in laptops and other gadgets, are smaller yet more powerful than the nickel-metal hydride batteries used in gas-electric hybrids like the Japanese automaker's Prius.

General Motors Corp. is developing the Chevrolet Volt, an electric sedan to be recharged by plugging it into a household outlet. Plans call for it to be powered by an electric motor fed by lithium-ion batteries.

GM spokesman Brian Corbett said Saturday the Detroit-based automaker plans to make a major announcement Tuesday about hybrid technology at a press conference during the Geneva Motor Show.

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