Many enthusiasts have been dismayed by BMW’s announcement of using diesel engines for its M-badged high-performance variants. Despite its successes in world endurance races as shown by Audi’s domineering diesel race cars, one cannot equate race-bred diesel engines and fuels with the more common everyday diesels found from econoboxes to big rig trucks. Economy, sure. High performance? Not at this point.

So it’s with a sigh of relief when we hear from AMG head Ola Källenius that diesels aren’t a consideration for Mercedes’ high performance cars. Staying committed to gasoline-powered drivetrains, Källenius went on to say that diesel engines can only compromise AMG’s lineup. Adding that petrol engines have the obvious benefits in terms of sound, weight, agility and response, he gave as an example AMG’s biturbo 5.5 liter unit, which while producing 560 horsepower, is highly efficient given its use of direct injection and forced induction.

Acknowledging that diesels are making inroads in terms of acceptability in one of the world’s largest markets, Mercedes-Benz of North America is planning to introduce a diesel GLK, concurrent with its plans to also introduce a diesel-powered C-Class. Today’s crop of diesel engines are far removed from their predecessors, which deserved their reputation as oil burners with their unmistakable clatter. Nowadays, diesel engines rival gasoline engines in terms of smoothness and power generation, while significantly offering higher levels of fuel efficiency with much lower harmful emissions.

For the 2013 model year, Mercedes’ GLK diesel model will sport a 2200 cc common rail engine with an output of 170 hp and almost 300 lb-ft of torque. To be known as the 220 CDI 4Matic, this CUV has already passed US emission laws. With the increased acceptance of diesels, Mercedes-Benz North America head Steve Cannon looks forward to sales figures in the “high 30s”, as opposed to the previous year’s sales of 24,300 units.

Stating that “at the interfaces between communication and mobility, vast potential for innovation lies dormant”, Dr. Dieter Zetsche, Daimler Chairman, announced the automaker’s intention to remove the association of electronics as mere accessories to an automobile.  With the amount of time people spend in their cars, Mercedes sees the potential for networked interfaces in cars to become indispensable tools, much like smartphones have made the leap from being mere communications tools to the information and networking portals they have become.

In this vein, Mercedes intends its cars of the future to be more than just mere transportation conveyances. With a comprehensive suite of networking and communications technologies, Mercedes will make its vehicles the equivalent of smart cars, where access to telematics and cloud-based technologies will make the car a mobile communications center that enables driver and passengers access to all modern media and services at any time.

Mercedes uses a combination of cast aluminum and hydroformed aluminum for the structure to meet the exacting crash and NVH standards that the company is known for. And since aluminum is a material that has been extensively recycled in various products, Mercedes has also introduced a few recycled aluminum components which do not in any way compromise safety or quality. The result of this adoption however is up to 80 percent energy savings for producing those parts.

The 2013 SL will introduce many firsts in using aluminum in a mass production vehicle. For-long time customers and admirers of the marque, new technologies from Mercedes are practically expected and desired.

Almost twelve months have passed since Daimler AG signed a joint partnership deal with Chinese car manufacturer BYD. The companies aimed to create an electric car tailored especially for the market in China. It wasn’t too long before the partnership was announced to the public.

Now, news has been spread straight from very first board meeting of the Shenzhen BYD Daimler Technology Company Limited joints venture. It seems that project’s research phase is finally, if not yet over, with the still unnamed electric vehicle now being pushed into prototyping phase.

To further facilitate the project, both Daimler AG and BYD have sent teams composed of their top engineers, designers, quality management and procurement officers along for the ride under one roof, which is the joint venture’s headquarters.

Right now, all that there is to know about the joint project’s EV is that it’ll take design cues fit for either a crossover or a sedan. There’s also still no word from either company what kind of power plant the car will be carrying. Will it be more similar to Mercedes-Benz’s fuel cell systems, or lean more towards BYD’s lithium-ion batteries just like on more conventional electric vehicles? It seems there are more questions than answers. Your best bet is to simply stay tuned for more info.

Source: Auto Evolution

A recent visit to Germany brought a wealth of information to the boys at Autoblog. The team was fortunate enough to bear witness to Mercedes-Benz’s plans for the future, and had gotten a treat of the technological veil that the company possesses in preparation for the future. They picked out five key innovations that they thought were the most prominent and significant and posted it with a bunch of fascinating photos.

We won’t go into detail of each five but instead will give you a sneak peek. First off is the Cam-Touch-Pad HMI. It’s basically a translucent touch pad with a camera underneath that tracks your fingers’ movements. It’s kind of like  a really high tech iPad only it has the potential of blasting away Audi’s MMI Touch system when put into the up-and-coming S-Class.

Next up is the Traffic Jam Assist which, according to Mercedes-Benz engineers, will allow you to “get up to cruising speed and take your hands off the wheel.” It’s a self-drive system that will allow your vehicle to safely follow the vehicle in front of you.

Then there’s the Magic Body Control system which uses a couple of stereo cameras integrated into the windshield. It basically ‘watches’ the road conditions and then instructs the Advanced Body Control (ABC) suspension, hence the name, on how to properly deal with terrain differences. Independent suspension at its finest.

Last but not the least is the world’s most advanced driving simulator. We don’t have to tell you that Mercedes-Benz uses this to develop truly amazing car technologies for their beloved fans and customers. That’s it, folks. You can check out the full story down at Autoblog.

Source: Autoblog

“360 Degrees – Facts on Sustainability” was the report presented by Daimler as it took full advantage of the company’s yearly general meeting in Berlin, Germany. The report is broken down into five specific parts, all of which make up the car manufacturer’s guideline measures for business to last up until 2020.

The report was given in adequate detail, divided into five sections, namely sustainability management, industrial environmental protection, employees, and the social environment. It offers a sneak peek on how the company as a whole is planning to address the current issues troubling the automotive industry.  The company made it a point to discuss the steps it is taking towards lowering carbon dioxide emissions of its vehicles, as well as improving fuel economy through advanced engine technology. Daimler set a target of less than 140 grams per kilometer driven of CO2 emission in Europe by the next two years while even less by 2016, specifically cutting the target down to 125 g/km.

Another plan that the company has is to upgrade more of its fleet with driving assistance technologies such as Active Brake Assist, setting a target of at least 20 percent of its entire lineup by the year 2015.

Meanwhile, Daimler is looking to contribute to driver education by enlarging its “Mobile Kids” road safety education program. A member of Daimler’s board, Group Research & Mercedes-Benz Cars Development head Thomas Weber shares that the “new program underlines the importance of sustainability of our company. We are adopting concrete targets and identifying the key target horizons. However, we do not see our sustainability program as a static target system – we are flexible enough to respond to new challenges, too.”

Coinciding with its F-Cell World Drive event, Mercedes-Benz has announced its plans to manufacture fuel cell stacks for the company’s future electric vehicles in Burnaby, Canada. Encompassing 2,000 meters of floor space, the plant will be operational next year.

Said Herbert Kohler, Mercedes e-Drive and Future Mobility head, “To consolidate our leading position in the field of alternative drive systems, we are ensuring direct access to the key technologies involved. Following our systematic development of battery expertise together with Accumotive GmbH in Germany, this decision is a further, major step on the road to emission-free driving.”

Fuel cell stacks are key components in Mercedes’ electric vehicles. Combined in series and parallel circuits, fuel cells are used to harness the electricity generated by the chemical reaction between oxygen and hydrogen.

Aside from F-Cell B-Class cars that have been on field tests since 2009, Mercedes is also using the technology in its Citaro FuelCell Hybrid city bus. Mercedes has also confirmed F-Cell versions of the C- and E-Class models. When and where these models will first appear is not definite because of the lack of apparent infrastructure support for the technology.

While the popularity electric vehicles has spurred the installation of charging stations to feed these EVs, manufacturers like Daimler feel the inadequate infrastructure support that the government and private sector are giving to alternative fuels like hydrogen.

As the F-Cell World Drive planners have anticipated, there are very few hydrogen refueling stations across the continental U.S. and in the 35 refueling stops that the F-Cell cars will make in the U.S. leg, only one stop can be made at a public refueling station. The rest of the fillups will be from Linde tanker trucks strategically positioned along the route.

Despite the favorable impressions and acceptance garnered from the public about the hydrogen-powered vehicles participating in the World Drive, Mercedes has seen that the short-term viability in the U.S. of the F-Cell cars is doubtful, due to the lack of infrastructure. According to Thomas Weber, Daimler member of the board for Group Research and Development, “The American market is already active in the field of fuel cell technology, but like in Europe, there is still a need for development when it comes to infrastructure. Together with our regional partners, we want to point out the potentials of this technology and to get important lead markets ready for the rollout of a high number of electric vehicles with fuel cell technology.”

With the number of electronic devices in today’s automobiles, it’s only logical that a networking technology specifically designed and meeting Mercedes’ strict quality standards be implemented in the automaker’s high-performance sedans.

In selecting SMSC’s Media Orientated Systems Transport (MOST) networking technology, Mercedes has cemented MOST as the standard network for infotainment systems used by Mercedes vehicles. The MOST system enables the integration of various infotainment systems such as DVD players, mobile phones, navigation systems and other digital-media devices. MOST sends and receives these signals to the sound processing units and video screens digitally and without static.

Said Dr. Christian Thiel, Vice President and General Manager of SMSC Automotive Information Systems group,”We are pleased that MOST has been selected again by Daimler for its line of high-performance Mercedes-Benz SLK- and CLS-Classes, which are flagships of their global fleet.”

According to Mercedes, “Daimler launched its first Mercedes-Benz model with MOST in 2002. The MOST Cooperation along with SMSC, one of its members, have continuously worked to improve the MOST technology to meet Daimler’s strict requirements for transmission performance and reliability. As a result of its performance, quality and reliability, MOST is the chosen infotainment network for these widely sold models.”