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Posts Tagged ‘mercedes electric’

Daimler Charges Up EV Program: Mercedes to Get 10 Electric Models by 2022

Electrification effort accelerates as luxury maker struggles to meet CO2 targets.

by on Mar.29, 2017

A Mercedes-EQ battery-car prototype.

Daimler AG, the parent of the Mercedes-Benz and Smart brands, plans to accelerate its battery-electric vehicle program and now plans to have at least 10 BEVs on the market by 2022, about three years ahead of its earlier target.

The move was announced by Daimler CEO Dieter Zetsche during the automaker’s annual meeting in Berlin on Wednesday, and will require an investment currently estimated at around $11 billion. The decision to speed up the program comes as Daimler’s Mercedes brand struggles to meet strict new European CO2 emissions targets.

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“We attach high priority to responsible mobility across the entire value chain,” said Daimler board member and research chief Ola Kallenius. “We are continuing to systematically promote the issue of sustainability through targeted investments in environmental projects in the development and production of our vehicles.”

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Vision Mercedes-Maybach 6 Looks Back at the Future

Massive coupe offers hint of new life for ultra-premium brand.

by on Aug.19, 2016

That hood seems to stretch to the horizon - which is surprising for an electric vehicle.

Mercedes is going forward into the past with the retro-futuristic concept it has unveiled ahead of the annual Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance.

At a full 18.5 feet, and painted in a vibrant, eye-catching red, the Vision Mercedes-Maybach 6 is almost certain to be one of the stand-outs among a collection of show cars assembled for the classic car show. And while there are no plans to put the boast-tailed coupe into production, Mercedes officials hint it could influence models as the maker presses further into the ultra-luxury market.

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While the maker bridles at the term, “retro,” there is no question the Vision Mercedes-Maybach 6 delves into the brand’s past for its inspiration, said Davis Lee, the senior designer who gets credit for the concept. “Fundamental beauty never changes,” he told TheDetroitBureau.com, adding that, “This is very true” to Mercedes’ history.

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All New German Cars Must Be Emission-Free by 2030

Government hopes to boost lagging demand with new incentives.

by on Jun.20, 2016

The shape of things to come? A prototype of Porsche's Mission E battery-electric vehicle.

It may be the home of the Autobahn, with its largely unlimited speeds, but in little more than a decade, German motorists will have to manage both those highways and local roads driving zero-emission vehicles, according to a senior government official. All new vehicles registered after that date will need run on batteries or hydrogen.

While a number of countries, including the U.S., are taking steps to increase the use of battery and other alternative powertrain technologies, Germany is laying out plans for an aggressive shift away from gasoline and diesel, said Deputy Economy Minister Rainer Baake, speaking at climate forum sponsored by the Tagesspiegel newspaper in Berlin.

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“Fact is there’s been no reduction at all in CO2 emissions by transport since 1990,” said Baake. “We don’t have any answers to cut truck emissions right now but we do have answers for cars.”

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Mercedes Latest Trying to Tackle Tesla

Planning 311-mile battery vehicle.

by on Sep.08, 2015

Mercedes entered the California battery-car market with the new B-Class Electric Drive.

The list of manufacturers hoping to tackle Tesla with an extended-range battery car has just grown longer, and Mercedes-Benz apparently has more than one model in mind as it tries to outgun the upstart California carmaker.

Along with an assortment of plug-in hybrids, Mercedes’ R&D chief says it is developing a modular platform that, in at least one model, should deliver up to 500 kilometers, or about 312 miles, per charge. Among other makers looking to push into Tesla territory are Audi, BMW, General Motors and Nissan.

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“We are working on an intelligent concept for a highly attractive electric vehicle with a range of (anywhere from 228 to 312 miles),” Research and Development board director Thomas Weber told the magazine Auto Motor und Sport.

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First Drive: Mercedes-Benz B-Class Electric Drive

German automaker the latest to plug-into the battery-car market.

by on May.05, 2014

Mercedes enters the California battery-car market with the new B-Class Electric Drive.

With the debut of the new B-Class Electric Drive, Mercedes-Benz not only becomes the latest entrant into the fast-growing battery-car line-up, but also sets out to prove that everything you thought you knew about electric vehicles is wrong. Well, almost everything.

The battery-powered version of the maker’s European compact hatchback is certainly no stripped-down econobox. And you’re delivered a pleasant, neck-snapping surprise when you stomp on the throttle. As for the price tag, while significantly more than a Nissan Leaf or Ford Focus Electric, the Mercedes model is nonetheless reasonably affordable once federal and state incentives are calculated in.

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There is that little issue of range, however, that continues to plague the B-Class Electric and just about every other entry into the battery-car segment with the exception of the Tesla Model S. Ironically, Mercedes can thank that upstart start-up for some of the B-Class Electric’s most appealing attributes.

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Toyota May Supply EV Components To Daimler

Japanese maker hoping to raise cash, lower costs.

by on Sep.16, 2010

Will Toyota provide hybrid and other battery car components to Daimler for use in vehicles like the Smart Electric Drive?

Just days after announcing plans to show off a new battery car while adding a half-dozen new models to its hybrid line-up, Toyota Motor Co. reportedly plans to begin supplying battery-based components to its erstwhile rival, Daimler AG.

It would be the latest in a string of growing partnerships the two manufacturers individually have launched as they both move forward with the electrification of their various product lines.

According to a report in the Thursday evening Nikkei, Japan’s daily business paper, Daimler and Toyota also hope to begin cooperating on the development of hydrogen fuel cells, technology that many advocates hail as the ultimate form of clean powertrain technology.

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While Toyota declined to confirm the Nikkei report, it has issued a statement saying that, “As has been our ongoing stance, if we receive requests from outside companies, we will consider the requests, taking into account factors concerning our production capacity and sales,” Toyota said in a statement.

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