Posts with tag: Technology

Five key innovations for the future

01 merc mind blowing 597x378 Five key innovations for the future

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

Daimler reports plans for the next ten years

daimler presents action plan for the decade 34155 1 597x447 Daimler reports plans for the next ten years

“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.”

Mercedes Announces Fuel Cell Production In Canada

cellstack Mercedes Announces Fuel Cell Production In Canada

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.

U.S. Leg Of F-Cell World Drive Reveals Poor Infrastructure

hydrogenpump U.S. Leg Of F Cell World Drive Reveals Poor Infrastructure

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.”

Mercedes Announces MOST Implementation In SLK And CLS

CLS MOST 597x426 Mercedes Announces MOST Implementation In SLK And CLS

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.”

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