Motor Authority - blog Tag: Daimler

 

Mercedes-Benz is hoping to increase its presence in the lucrative Middle-Eastern market by establishing a pair of financial firms that are fully compliant with the specific regulations of Islamic law, or Sharia.

Islamic law prohibits its followers from charging or collecting interest fees when money is lent or accepted, or investing in businesses, goods or services that are contrary to its religious principles.

To get around this, Mercedes-Benz has launched Mercedes-Benz Finance Middle East and Mercedes-Benz Leasing Middle East. The new companies are headquartered in Dubai and offer loans and leasing to private and business customers for...

  Mercedes-Benz is hoping to increase its presence in the lucrative Middle-Eastern market by establishing a pair of financial firms that are fully compliant with the specific regulations of Islamic law, or Sharia. Islamic law prohibits its followers from charging or collecting interest fees when money is lent or accepted, or investing in businesses, goods or services that are contrary to its religious principles. To get around this, Mercedes-Benz has launched Mercedes-Benz Finance Middle East and Mercedes-Benz Leasing Middle East. The new companies are headquartered in Dubai and offer loans and leasing to private and business customers for new and pre-owned passenger cars and commercial vehicles, including the all-important Sharia-compliant Islamic finance product. There are several methods of investing that comply with Islamic law. For example, instead of offering a loan with interest to buy a car, the financial firm could purchase the car outright at an inflated price that includes the interest portion and then sell it to a customer who can then make fixed payments on a regular basis. Mercedes-Benz picked Dubai for its new offices as the United Arab Emirates, which Dubai is the most popular state in, represents the most important passenger car market in the Middle East for Mercedes-Benz. In 2008, Mercedes-Benz sold 7,800 passenger cars and 3,100 commercial vehicles in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah and the Northern Emirates. [Mercedes-Benz] Read More

Electricity is held by many in the industry to be the true way of the future, but so far only a tiny handful of companies have made serious attempts at a highway-capable production electric vehicle--and aside from the electric Smart, Daimler and Mercedes-Benz haven't been among them. But now the brand's AMG division is skipping straight over the mundane family tourer, today revealing an all-electric supercar built on the 2011 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG platform at the 2009 Frankfurt Auto Show.

As previously reported, the car bears the same name as its V-8-engined counterpart, the standard SLS AMG, but instead of pumping 571 horsepower out of a...

Electricity is held by many in the industry to be the true way of the future, but so far only a tiny handful of companies have made serious attempts at a highway-capable production electric vehicle--and aside from the electric Smart, Daimler and Mercedes-Benz haven't been among them. But now the brand's AMG division is skipping straight over the mundane family tourer, today revealing an all-electric supercar built on the 2011 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG platform at the 2009 Frankfurt Auto Show. As previously reported, the car bears the same name as its V-8-engined counterpart, the standard SLS AMG, but instead of pumping 571 horsepower out of a single engine, the electric drive SLS AMG generates a total of 525 horsepower from its four corner-mounted electric motors. Torque of the electric model tops out at a heady 650 pound-feet. By using four motors, the SLS AMG's all-wheel drive system can modulate power to each individual wheel far more precisely and efficiently than any torque vectoring solution. Two transmissions--one for each axle--help to distribute power. Mercedes intentionally skipped mounting the motors in the wheels to reduce unsprung weight. "With the SLS AMG with electric drive, we wanted to redefine the super sports car. For us, it is not just about responsibility. We attach just as much importance to excitement and classic AMG performance," said Volker Mornhinweg, Chief Executive Officer of Mercedes-AMG GmbH. Performance of the car will be very close to the combustion-engine version, with the 0-62 mph slipping by in just 4.0 seconds--0.2 seconds off the V-8 pace. Of course, the electric SLS AMG will have a good deal of weight to deal with in the form of its 400 Volt, 48 kWh total battery pack, which is located where the transmission tunnel is in the V-8 model, while the engine bay is also used for some of the electronics. Despite the addition of all the new drivetrain equipment, the gullwing body required no structural modifications, and due to the modularity of the electric drive system, it can all be positioned very low in the chassis to improve the center of gravity. Unfortunately, no clear time frame for the car's development and release was announced, so we'll likely have to wait several years before it hits the streets. Also undisclosed is the electric SLS AMG's range on a single charge. Mercedes has also confirmed today that the SLS AMG with electric drive will go on sale in 2013. Read More

Daimler and Chrysler may have gone their separate ways back in 2007 but the two companies are still closely linked, especially since several of their models share common parts. It is because of this sharing of parts that has led to the latest squabble between the two, with Chrysler accusing Daimler of refusing to honor contracts to supply components and thus threatening production at some Chrysler factories.

The latest allegations are contained in a lawsuit filed last Friday in a U.S. Bankruptcy Court in New York but so far Daimler has rejected all the claims. The claims say Daimler is refusing to supply steering columns and torque...

Daimler and Chrysler may have gone their separate ways back in 2007 but the two companies are still closely linked, especially since several of their models share common parts. It is because of this sharing of parts that has led to the latest squabble between the two, with Chrysler accusing Daimler of refusing to honor contracts to supply components and thus threatening production at some Chrysler factories. The latest allegations are contained in a lawsuit filed last Friday in a U.S. Bankruptcy Court in New York but so far Daimler has rejected all the claims. The claims say Daimler is refusing to supply steering columns and torque converters in order to pressure Chrysler to make payments for stemming from a previous dispute between the two companies. In the previous dispute, Daimler claims that Chrysler still owes it around $78 million to compensate for reduced volume for a 2.2-liter diesel engine designed for the PT Cruiser in Europe. Daimler says it is owed this amount because Chrysler didn't buy as many of the engines as it had said it would. [AutoNews, sub req'd] Read More

 

'Small' and 'luxury' don't really fit in the minds of many 'go big or go home' Americans, and, given the type of small cars we're typically exposed to, rightfully so. But there is a tradition of high-feature small cars in Europe, and it just grew one car larger with the addition of the Edition Highstyle Smart ForTwo.

The pint-sized Smart has already been lauded for its eminent ease of parking, especially in crowded cityscapes, and it's even seen its fair share of success here in America. Penske, the car's distributor, has sold so many cars that Daimler is considering U.S. production for the cars, and is exploring release of the ...

  'Small' and 'luxury' don't really fit in the minds of many 'go big or go home' Americans, and, given the type of small cars we're typically exposed to, rightfully so. But there is a tradition of high-feature small cars in Europe, and it just grew one car larger with the addition of the Edition Highstyle Smart ForTwo. The pint-sized Smart has already been lauded for its eminent ease of parking, especially in crowded cityscapes, and it's even seen its fair share of success here in America. Penske, the car's distributor, has sold so many cars that Daimler is considering U.S. production for the cars, and is exploring release of the all-electric Smart ED here too. Brabus has even confirmed its powered-up version for the U.S. So that makes the Edition Highstyle all the more interesting - though it's only officially announced for Europe at present, with a growing U.S. presence, the lux-Smart, or at least an equivalent, might eventually see U.S. sale. What exactly do you get with the latest up-spec Smart? Exclusive chocolate brown metallic paint, 12-spoke 15-inch alloy wheels and aluminum-look logos don the outside. Inside, metallic leather seats and door highlights, light and dark contrasting fabric accents, brown seams and a leather-look instrument panel give the car a premium feel, while the leather-trimmed steering wheel and gearshift enhance the driver-car interface. Matt silver trim elements finish off the treatment. Based around the Coupe Passion trim, the car also features automatic stop-start, automatic climate control, a panoramic roof and an upgraded stereo system. Optional upgrades include electric power steering, heated seats and an MP3-capable audio system. Power is delivered by the standard 71-horsepower micro hybrid drive engine and can be upgraded to the more boisterous 84-horsepower model. [Daimler] Read More

The financial crisis has made it difficult for automakers to make any profits as demand slumps for cars in major markets, especially in the luxury sector. This is a situation that German giant Daimler AG is feeling the full brunt of at the moment, having just posted a €1.06 billion ($1.51 billion) loss for the second quarter of the year.

Covering the period from April to June, the loss is not as large as some analysts were expecting but is still a far cry from the over €1 billion profit that Daimler made for the same period in 2008. The largest change has come in the lack of new car buyers, with figures putting the drop in... The financial crisis has made it difficult for automakers to make any profits as demand slumps for cars in major markets, especially in the luxury sector. This is a situation that German giant Daimler AG is feeling the full brunt of at the moment, having just posted a €1.06 billion ($1.51 billion) loss for the second quarter of the year. Covering the period from April to June, the loss is not as large as some analysts were expecting but is still a far cry from the over €1 billion profit that Daimler made for the same period in 2008. The largest change has come in the lack of new car buyers, with figures putting the drop in business at close to 25% for the car market alone. Meanwhile, the market for trucks has dropped even more dramatically, with Daimler struggling to match even half the units it sold last year compared to this year - a sobering fact considering Daimler is the world's largest manufacturer of trucks by sales. Daimler is also not expecting things to turnaround overnight, with CEO Dieter Zetsche predicting sales for 2009 to be significantly down overall. But according to Zetsche, low car sales may be bottoming out and stabilizing, and that a turnaround was possible in the next couple of years. In total, the company has lost close to €2.3 billion from the start of the year, and sales have fallen by almost a quarter across the board. Cost cutting measures and other initiatives are starting to take effect, however, and Daimler is hoping for some improvement in the second half of the year. Read More

Green isn't always green - sometimes it's blue. Or at least that's what Mercedes-Benz wants us to think when we think of efficient, environment-friendlier motoring. And to help back up Mercedes' claim to being one of the cleanest luxury carmakers, it has announced it will have 58 BlueEfficiency models on the market by the end of the year, including the new additions to the E-Class range revealed yesterday.

Like BMW's EfficientDynamics tag, the BlueEfficiency name is used to demarcate cars that combine a range of efficiency-enhancing design features and materials to yield a completely conventional car that's nonetheless up to 23% more... Green isn't always green - sometimes it's blue. Or at least that's what Mercedes-Benz wants us to think when we think of efficient, environment-friendlier motoring. And to help back up Mercedes' claim to being one of the cleanest luxury carmakers, it has announced it will have 58 BlueEfficiency models on the market by the end of the year, including the new additions to the E-Class range revealed yesterday. Like BMW's EfficientDynamics tag, the BlueEfficiency name is used to demarcate cars that combine a range of efficiency-enhancing design features and materials to yield a completely conventional car that's nonetheless up to 23% more efficient than a typical vehicle. "The success of this concept is clearly demonstrated by the new E-Class, which combines state-of-the-art engines and the world's best cd value in this vehicle class with further targeted vehicle optimization measures, including lightweight design and intelligent energy management," said Dr. Thomas Weber, Daimler board member for group research and development for Mercedes-Benz cars. BlueEfficiency shouldn't be confused with the emissions-enhancing diesel BlueTEC technology, though more of those will be joining the ranks as well. Already the GL, M and R-Class vehicles are on the U.S. market, and will soon be joining the European Mercedes fleet. The next step forward is the hybrid, however, and the S400 Hybrid claims the title of the most fuel efficient luxury sedan with a gasoline engine at 29.8mpg US (7.9L/100km) in the combined European cycle. Joining it in the lineup is the ML450 Hybrid, itself rated at 21mpg city and 24mpg highway (11.2 and 9.8L/100km, respectively. These three elements highlight the core aspects of Mercedes' strategy for efficiency: applying technology to the problems of fuel consumption and pollution. Looking to the future, Mercedes has plans to make advances in electric vehicles and fuel cell technology that promise to completely offload the emissions generation process to electrical energy or hydrogen storage plants, which by their design nature can more efficiently process and treat the harmful by-products of the energy generation process. An early preview of what an electric Mercedes will look like can be found in the shape of the recently announced SLS AMG Electric.2011 Mercedes Benz SLS AMG 'Gullwing' preview2010 Mercedes Benz E-Class2010 Mercedes Benz ML450 Hybrid Read More