Mercedes Forum
01-11-2009, 12:57 PM
Filed under: Detroit Auto Show (http://www.autoblog.com/category/detroit-auto-show/), Hybrids/Alternative (http://www.autoblog.com/category/hybrids/), Green (http://www.autoblog.com/category/green/), Mercedes-Benz (http://www.autoblog.com/category/mercedes-benz/)
http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2009/01/bluezero-1280-13_opt.jpg (http://www.autobloggreen.com/photos/detroit-2009-mercedes-benz-concept-bluezero/1277124/)
Click above for high-res image gallery of the Concept BlueZero
At an off-site reception held tonight ahead of tomorrow's opening of the Detroit Auto Show, Mercedes-Benz showed off its new Concept BlueZero. The car is both an example of clean technology and a preview of the styling for the next generation Mercedes B-Class. Like the current A and B class models, this concept uses a sandwich floor design and adds a modular powertrain system. The car is envisioned with three powertrain options depending on the range requirements. The BlueZero E-Cell uses a 35 kWh lithium ion battery pack to provide a 120-mile range, while the BlueZero F-Cell variant gets a 90 kW hydrogen fuel cell for a 240-mile range. The efficiency of the fuel cell version is rated at the equivalent of 81 mpg (US).
The third flavor is the E-Cell Plus and adds a 67-hp three-cylinder engine from the Smart ForTwo mounted in the rear between the sandwich floor layers where the spare tire would normally go. The ER-EV variant cuts the battery size in half as well as the electric-only range. The range extender, however, bumps the total range to 360 miles.
Mercedes also announced that it will begin low-volume series production of the fuel cell B-Class later this year and follow that with low volume series production of a battery electric vehicle in 2010.
Gallery: Mercedes-Benz Concept BlueZero (http://www.autobloggreen.com/photos/detroit-2009-mercedes-benz-concept-bluezero/1277124/)
http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autobloggreen.com/media/2009/01/bluezero-1280-14_thumbnail.jpg (http://www.autobloggreen.com/photos/detroit-2009-mercedes-benz-concept-bluezero/1277140/)http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autobloggreen.com/media/2009/01/bluezero-1280-15_thumbnail.jpg (http://www.autobloggreen.com/photos/detroit-2009-mercedes-benz-concept-bluezero/1277139/)http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autobloggreen.com/media/2009/01/bluezero-1280-17_thumbnail.jpg (http://www.autobloggreen.com/photos/detroit-2009-mercedes-benz-concept-bluezero/1277138/)http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autobloggreen.com/media/2009/01/bluezero-1280-24_thumbnail.jpg (http://www.autobloggreen.com/photos/detroit-2009-mercedes-benz-concept-bluezero/1277137/)http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autobloggreen.com/media/2009/01/bluezero-1280-01_thumbnail.jpg (http://www.autobloggreen.com/photos/detroit-2009-mercedes-benz-concept-bluezero/1277136/)
[Source: Mercedes-Benz]
Live Photos Copyright (C)2009 Sam Abuelsamid / Weblogs, Inc.Continue reading Detroit 2009: Mercedes-Benz Concept BlueZero previews next-gen B-Class (http://www.autoblog.com/2009/01/10/detroit-2009-mercedes-benz-concept-bluezero-previews-next-gen-b/)
Detroit 2009: Mercedes-Benz Concept BlueZero previews next-gen B-Class (http://www.autoblog.com/2009/01/10/detroit-2009-mercedes-benz-concept-bluezero-previews-next-gen-b/) originally appeared on Autoblog (http://www.autoblog.com) on Sat, 10 Jan 2009 23:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds (http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/).
Read (http://www.autobloggreen.com/2009/01/10/detroit-2009-mercedes-benz-unveils-the-concept-bluezero/) | Permalink (http://www.autoblog.com/2009/01/10/detroit-2009-mercedes-benz-concept-bluezero-previews-next-gen-b/) | Email this (http://www.autoblog.com/forward/1425898/) | Comments (http://www.autoblog.com/2009/01/10/detroit-2009-mercedes-benz-concept-bluezero-previews-next-gen-b/#comments)
Read more... (http://www.autoblog.com/2009/01/10/detroit-2009-mercedes-benz-concept-bluezero-previews-next-gen-b/)
http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2009/01/bluezero-1280-13_opt.jpg (http://www.autobloggreen.com/photos/detroit-2009-mercedes-benz-concept-bluezero/1277124/)
Click above for high-res image gallery of the Concept BlueZero
At an off-site reception held tonight ahead of tomorrow's opening of the Detroit Auto Show, Mercedes-Benz showed off its new Concept BlueZero. The car is both an example of clean technology and a preview of the styling for the next generation Mercedes B-Class. Like the current A and B class models, this concept uses a sandwich floor design and adds a modular powertrain system. The car is envisioned with three powertrain options depending on the range requirements. The BlueZero E-Cell uses a 35 kWh lithium ion battery pack to provide a 120-mile range, while the BlueZero F-Cell variant gets a 90 kW hydrogen fuel cell for a 240-mile range. The efficiency of the fuel cell version is rated at the equivalent of 81 mpg (US).
The third flavor is the E-Cell Plus and adds a 67-hp three-cylinder engine from the Smart ForTwo mounted in the rear between the sandwich floor layers where the spare tire would normally go. The ER-EV variant cuts the battery size in half as well as the electric-only range. The range extender, however, bumps the total range to 360 miles.
Mercedes also announced that it will begin low-volume series production of the fuel cell B-Class later this year and follow that with low volume series production of a battery electric vehicle in 2010.
Gallery: Mercedes-Benz Concept BlueZero (http://www.autobloggreen.com/photos/detroit-2009-mercedes-benz-concept-bluezero/1277124/)
http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autobloggreen.com/media/2009/01/bluezero-1280-14_thumbnail.jpg (http://www.autobloggreen.com/photos/detroit-2009-mercedes-benz-concept-bluezero/1277140/)http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autobloggreen.com/media/2009/01/bluezero-1280-15_thumbnail.jpg (http://www.autobloggreen.com/photos/detroit-2009-mercedes-benz-concept-bluezero/1277139/)http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autobloggreen.com/media/2009/01/bluezero-1280-17_thumbnail.jpg (http://www.autobloggreen.com/photos/detroit-2009-mercedes-benz-concept-bluezero/1277138/)http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autobloggreen.com/media/2009/01/bluezero-1280-24_thumbnail.jpg (http://www.autobloggreen.com/photos/detroit-2009-mercedes-benz-concept-bluezero/1277137/)http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autobloggreen.com/media/2009/01/bluezero-1280-01_thumbnail.jpg (http://www.autobloggreen.com/photos/detroit-2009-mercedes-benz-concept-bluezero/1277136/)
[Source: Mercedes-Benz]
Live Photos Copyright (C)2009 Sam Abuelsamid / Weblogs, Inc.Continue reading Detroit 2009: Mercedes-Benz Concept BlueZero previews next-gen B-Class (http://www.autoblog.com/2009/01/10/detroit-2009-mercedes-benz-concept-bluezero-previews-next-gen-b/)
Detroit 2009: Mercedes-Benz Concept BlueZero previews next-gen B-Class (http://www.autoblog.com/2009/01/10/detroit-2009-mercedes-benz-concept-bluezero-previews-next-gen-b/) originally appeared on Autoblog (http://www.autoblog.com) on Sat, 10 Jan 2009 23:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds (http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/).
Read (http://www.autobloggreen.com/2009/01/10/detroit-2009-mercedes-benz-unveils-the-concept-bluezero/) | Permalink (http://www.autoblog.com/2009/01/10/detroit-2009-mercedes-benz-concept-bluezero-previews-next-gen-b/) | Email this (http://www.autoblog.com/forward/1425898/) | Comments (http://www.autoblog.com/2009/01/10/detroit-2009-mercedes-benz-concept-bluezero-previews-next-gen-b/#comments)
Read more... (http://www.autoblog.com/2009/01/10/detroit-2009-mercedes-benz-concept-bluezero-previews-next-gen-b/)