Posted on Tuesday 10 July 2007
DaimlerChrysler is set to follow the lead of BMW by making mild hybrid and engine stop-start systems available in some of its more popular models. At an announcement in London, officials announced that the first car in the DCX fold to feature the eco-friendly tech will be the Smart Fortwo Micro-Hybrid due by the end of the year.
The technology will soon flow on to the rest of Mercedes’ fleets revealed its R&D Chief Thomas Weber. The stop-start feature allows the car’s engine to be shutdown while waiting in traffic, and then can almost instantly kick it back into life as soon as the accelerator is depressed. Mercedes claims this can reduce consumption by up to 13% during heavy congestion.
Weber explained that the technology is here and that it’s only a matter of time before more models are equipped with the fuel saving tech. We could see the first hybrid Mercedes model as early as September’s Frankfurt Auto Show, reports DPA, tipped to be a V6 S-class with an electric motor.
Now the question begs, are MB just doing this because everyone else is, or do they really think this is the sure way forward?
As I’ve said many times, without a 10-15 year warranty on the batteries and the associated extra hardware, I wouldn’t buy one.
And it also begs the question: if given a choice, would you choose the latest Bluetec diesel engine or a hybrid one? The choice is clear for me.