Mercedes-Benz S400 BlueHybrid will be first with lithium ion battery

We have in the past written that internal combustion engines are not going to disappear overnight, despite what battery and electric vehicle companies want you to believe. Unavoidably, one by one, all established car companies will enrich their model ranges with hybrid versions. Mercedes-Benz could not of course be left behind and has released initial details of its new S400 BlueHybrid, the first model to be equipped with lithium ion batteries, planned to be released in 2009.

Mercedes-Benz likes the name “blue” whether it is related to hybrids or high mileage diesels. The S400 will combine a 3.5 liter petrol engine with a 15 KW electric motor generator. Mileage will be 29.8 mpg, a figure not bad at all for a chassis of the size and weight of the S-class. Lithium ion batteries are certainly going to be much better than their traditional Ni-MH counterparts and the difference will be in higher performance during driving, as well as longer life.

Be sure that the S400 BlueHybrid is not going to come cheap and the choice of petrol over diesel fuel makes me wonder if it will really be worth the extra tag. Bear in mind that when the petrol hybrid Lexus LS600h was compared to equivalent diesels from Audi and Mercedes-Benz it got slightly better mileage in city driving but lost majestically in intercity roads. I have the impression that with marketing tricks manufacturers will initially try to get along with mild petrol hybrids and will only gradually move on to full diesel hybrids which will be all the money…

Mercedes-Benz also plans a two-mode hybrid ML450, as well as diesel hybrids. Unless you want to be one of the first to appear as a less polluting greener customer you better wait for the real tests and model comparisons when more manufacturers have released several models and real competition has kicked in…

Link: AutoblogGreen