SEPTEMBER 12, 2013 0 COMMENTS
Frankfurt show ? Mercedes says future is not just electric
Mercedes-Benz is showing a plug-in version of its latest S-Class saloon at Frankfurt, and company management believe the future isn"t entirely electric.
It will be two or three decades before we start to see the demise of the internal combustion engine, according to the man responsible for research at Daimler and the development of Mercedes-Benz cars.
Professor Dr Thomas Weber believes large cars will become plug-in hybrids like the a 69g/km, 94mpg version of the new S-Class on display, while medium-sized cars will be full hybrids or dual-fuel powered by petrol and natural gas.
Only small city runabouts will be pure electric, Weber argues.
"Electrication will take place, but not without a combustion engine for 20 or 30 years ? what will go down is (sales of) the pure combustion engine, though it is an open question as to how fast this will happen," Weber tells Headline Auto.
"We definitely have enough oil and it will remain relatively cheap. The only thing which can change the game is discussions about climate change ? storms and so on," he adds.
Long-term, Weber is pinning his faith on the hydrogen fuel cell as the answer to long-range, clean mobility. Mercedes had planned to introduce a fuel-cell version of the B-Class next year, but has since postponed it following the signing of a collaboration deal on fuel-cell research with Ford and Nissan.
"Our decision was based on the infrastructure situation. We have shifted it a few years to 2016 or 2017," says Weber.
"Technology-wise we are nearly ready, but where are the fuel stations?
"This gives us time to develop a common drivetrain, which makes a lot of sense because the volumes will be higher and the costs lower, and push on the infrastructure situation.
"Toyota will step in and now Volkswagen has said it is no longer against the fuel cell. In the long run it is the best solution because range is no longer a topic."
1309MercConceptScoupeAlso on the Mercedes-Benz stand is the Concept S-class Coupe, a car seen as a strong pointer to the look of the next flagship CL model.
This is a big car, more than five metres long and almost two metres wide.
Whether the concept"s completely glazed roof will reach production is open to question, but the design without a central door pillar suggests it could also be offered as an open-top convertible.
Words by: DrivenData Reporter
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