Even Mercedes' big cars, like the all-new 2011 version of the CLS, are getting new battery-based drivetrain technologies.
With barely 125 days to go until Mercedes-Benz marks its 125th anniversary, Daimler AG CEO is promising to unveil a significant new patent to celebrate the birth of the world’s oldest carmaker.
But what is in store he isn’t saying yet, beyond hinting that a significant development in driveline technology is in store – a fitting way to celebrate the day, in January 1886, when Carl Benz took the first critical step towards putting the world on wheels.
Daimler has been using the Paris Motor Show as a backdrop for setting in motion some grand plans for the future, starting with a wild party on the Champs Elysees at the new Mercedes-Benz Gallery.
CEO Dieter Zetsche used the occasion to lay out what some might suggest is an overly-ambitious growth plan that would roughly double Mercedes sales to 1.5 million annually by 2015.
A big surprise is coming to celebrate Mercedes' 125th anniversary, says Daimler CEO Dieter Zetsche.
Over the same time period, Zetsche proclaimed, Mercedes will nearly halve the CO2 output of its products, reaching 140 grams of the global warming gas per kilometer. The process is getting underway with products like the new CLS, the second-generation coupe-like sedan making its first appearance on the stage at the 2010 Paris Motor Show.
Along with a new line of engines, the 2011 CLS will feature start-stop technology, which permits the engine to shut off when idling then immediately restart when the driver’s foot lifts off the gas pedal.
That system is part of Mercedes’ newfound commitment to the electrification of the automobile, a critical step, Zetsche says, considering his prediction that by 2035 there will be 1.8 million vehicles on the planet, double the number today.
At the Mercedes press conference, Zetsche personally revealed the latest E-Cell battery car and made brief mention of the progess the German maker is achieving towards the launch of a battery-powered version of its SLS supercar. At the other extreme, Smart is expanding its pilot program using a battery-powered version of the little fortwo.
Nonetheless, the executive cautioned that “There is still a long way to go before e-mobility will be available for everyone…let alone affordable EV.”
Considering the pressure the maker faces to continue delivering performance and the other characteristics luxury buyers expect, the likelihood of a significant powertrain breakthrough looms for the big Daimler announcement next January.