Mercedes S-Class PHEV could achieve 81 mpg

Gone are the days when environmentalists shouted themselves hoarse demanding small and mid-sized cars that could give better mileage than luxury sedans. A recent report says that the new Mercedes S-Class Plug-in Hybrid could achieve a mind blowing mileage of 81 miles per gallon (2.9 l/100 km) in the European hybrid cycle.

Mercedes development director Dr. Thomas Weber, in an interview with Car and Driver, has said, “Three years ago, everyone thought that there would only be small cars and that there would be no more large cars. But our plug-in concept demonstrated that an S-class could make 78 mpg (3.0 L/100km), so those questions stopped. With the next generation of S-class we are talking 81 mpg (2.9 L/100km), using a new-generation 3.0-liter V-6 gasoline engine-direct injection and piezo injectors-integrated with a 60-hp (44 kW) electric motor. In pure-electric mode, the car would have a range of just over 20 miles (32.2 km) at speeds of up to 68 mph (109 km/h). It is clear that we will have a plug-in hybrid in the next-generation S-class.”

Apart from talking about the S-Class, Weber also discussed about the SLS AMG e-drive. He said that the company is looking to come up with an electric SLS. Since people don’t normally use SLS for long-distance driving, a range of 125 miles (201 km) is good enough for this car, he reported. He also said that this is the beginning of what the future sports car will look like. “Hybridization doesn’t work because it adds additional weight and we don’t feel that’s right for a sports car. If we have to add weight, then using powerful alternative drivetrains makes sense: with 590 pound-feet (800 Nm) of torque from four wheel electric motors, driving the SLS is a sensational feeling, one without noise. We should continue with such ideas,” he reported.

In spite of all these notable achievements, Weber still sees several hurdles on the way. He said that batteries have very low energy density as compared to diesel or gasoline, along with long charging time. “Batteries are the perfect solution for the inner cities, but not for long distances or for customers who have just one car,” he stated.

Source: NitroBahn, March 11th, 2010