Mercedes runs out of gas by 2015
Mercedes -- like a lot of other folks -- believes oil is going to run out eventually. But instead of waiting until the "Low on Oil" light comes on, the brand behind the three-pointed-star has set a goal to convert its entire fleet to run on alternative fuels by 2015. That's seven years to get off the drink we've all been addicted to for well over a century.
In the pipeline first are fuel-efficient technologies such as Stop/Start on the marque's next A- and B-Class models sold in Europe. Then come the BlueEfficiency vehicles with Mercedes' supremely parsimonious diesel engines, and eventually the Diesotto first shown in the F700.
And then come the real showstoppers: ethanol, electric, and fuel cell vehicles. There are electric smarts running trials in London right now, and the F600 Hygenius is expected to eventually spawn some sort of production variant. On the face of it, seven years to go diesel- and gas-optional for an entire fleet is somewhat hard to fathom -- but the prediction is coming from a company not previously known for wild daring. Even if they just get close to success, in only seven years, they might prove a nearby rival wrong about what's doable under the new CAFE laws.
[Source: The Sun via AutoblogGreen]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Taylor 5:26PM (7/02/2008)
Thank god. This is the best piece of car news I have heard all year.
Now we just gotta get every automaker to follow suit. Hopefully the other luxury marques will announce something similar in the next year or so, and the trickle-down will begin!
Reply
Joce03 7:14PM (7/02/2008)
I agree that this is great news. Part of me wants to say "It should have happened a long time ago", but, I'll tell that guy to shut up and be positive!
SOhp101 9:49PM (7/02/2008)
This is great news, except for the ethanol. Ethanol creates a whole new host of problems and is a inferior alternative. More pollution, lower level of energy per gallon, higher grain costs, massive riots in third world countries just to name a few...
Taylor 10:39PM (7/02/2008)
Good good point about ethanol.
We need to just throw tons and tons of money into researching and perfecting those bacteria that eat up organic matter (read-->garbage) and produce that petroleum substitute.
pmiddle5 11:15PM (7/02/2008)
Nothing wrong with ethanol just corn based ethanol is bogus.
Jeff Banks 11:38PM (7/02/2008)
Yeah, sugar cane ethanol rawks since it produces something like 8x what corn ethanol produces. BIODIESEL IS THE WAY TO GO. I met Josh Tickell a while ago (he's got a movie coming out pretty soon) and he got me pretty "pumped" on biodiesel. Cool thing is that you don't need any mods to run it in a diesel vehicle. Now we just need to get California to stop shooting itself in the environmental foot and start approving small cars equiped with diesels.
http://joshtickell.com/
Alex 12:44AM (7/03/2008)
My S550 is weeping in the garage right now :(
SimbaDogg 1:01AM (7/03/2008)
@soph101
NO...BAD point about ethanol. I guess you still think that all ethanol comes from corn? It's only in the US that were stupid enough to divert corn from feeding people which it should be grown for, to fuel. Did you know that in Brazil their ethanol has 8x more energy than the ethanol derived from corn. So truly, more bang for you buck. Wow.
SOhp101 5:57AM (7/03/2008)
Re: SimbaDogg
It doesn't matter what type of crop it is--if it can be grown to create an energy source, you can be almost certain that farmers will choose to grow that crop instead of natural staples like corn, wheat, and rice since they will reap profits that are exponentially larger.
Ethanol from sources like sugar cane are much more superior than that from corn. But guess what? You CAN'T grow sugarcane/sugar beets in the Midwest. Brazil can be independent of foreign oil because its consumption levels are nowhere near that of the US, not to mention the fact that farmers there use the slash-and-burn method to create new farmland--possibly the worst form of farming there is.
The harsh reality is that the US has taken cheap energy sources for granted and has built business models, transportation systems, etc. on wasteful consumption. It's going to take a lot more than just sowing the right kind of seed to take care of this problem.
By the way, Florida is probably the only state that could effectively grow enough sugarcane to become an influential force in this country, and we all know what happens when they're given such power i.e., November 2000.
jv2k 7:12PM (7/03/2008)
"Yeah, sugar cane ethanol rawks since it produces something like 8x what corn ethanol produces"
Yea it rawks so long as you live in a warm climate. Sugar Cane ethanol FREEZES.
J. D. Billiford 5:35PM (7/02/2008)
>>> It's a tall order, but I applaud the folks at Mercedes-Benz for taking on the challenge.
Reply
DanMan 5:35PM (7/02/2008)
God speed Mercedes, and good luck. Damn I guess I'm not going to get rich enough quick enough to own one of the most luxurious diesel powered sedans on the planet.
But it is hard to fathom. What's the old saying about the fine line between bravery and stupidity? I just hope Mercedes doesn't do a "GM" and come out in the next few days stuttering about how that's "not what we meant."
Reply
Torrent 5:35PM (7/02/2008)
Good for them....
Reply
porschedevotee 5:36PM (7/02/2008)
Wait a second... so are they entirely abandoning gasoline engines, or are these in addition to the regular offerings? Forcing their entire customer base to choose from the alternatives listed above just seems like bad corporate decision-making. I mean, I'm all for alternative energy and new technology, but I don't understand how they could expect to stay viable if that's all they offer. People are slow to adopt newness, especially when it's forced down their throats.
Reply
500 6:03PM (7/02/2008)
Exactly. If they actually do away with gasoline engines that quickly, Mercedes will "run out of gas" in a very bad way.
Dave 7:22PM (7/02/2008)
They are going to build gasoline engines that are capable of running on ethanol. And diesel engines that are capable of running on biodiesel.
They will also build several dozen EVs and fuel cells.
In other words, its a bunch of marketing BS.
Vink 5:38PM (7/02/2008)
Sweet! More gas for my 60's, no emissions cars!
Reply
Dave 9:30PM (7/02/2008)
And if that doesn't pan out, you can always convert to propane:
http://www.gotpropane.com/p4.html
YourNameHere 5:43PM (7/02/2008)
I think the whole "oil revolution" will start with the top-tier makers. they are able to swallow the cost of new technology. After a model generation or two it will all start to trickle down to more mainstream cars.
if Mercedes can do it by 2015 my guess is by 2025 Honda will be doing it as well.
Reply
DanMan 6:24PM (7/02/2008)
Interesting theory, it recalls a time when cars were "rich man's toys" that eventually came down in price and got more reliable. I'd like to see that happen, start with the premium makers and then their technology advances trickle down, revolutionizing transportation.