Autoblog

Mercedes-Benz has laid out a long Road to the Future, detailing its efforts to create "fuel-efficient and environmentally-sustainable premium automobiles without the need to forgo the characteristic brand features." That's fancy talk for having your German chocolate cake and eating it, too.

The three areas on which the tri-pointed star wants to focus are fitting vehicles with the latest internal combustion engine technology, including smaller engines, gasoline direct injection, turbocharging, and BlueTEC; improving vehicle aerodynamics, weight, and energy management (BlueEFFICIENCY); adding more "hybrid" technologies like start/stop functions and a fully-electric-capable 2-mode hybrid drive; and creating zero-emissions vehicles.

Mercedes wants diesels as clean as gas engines, gas engines as efficient as diesels, diesel hybrids, lighter cars, better gas mileage, leprechauns, unicorns, and rainbows for everyone. Well, not those last three, but you get the picture. To understand the full sweep of Mercedes' efforts, follow the jump for the full press release.

[Source: eGM Car Tech]

AutoblogGreen has reason to be happy, having found evidence that Toyota's recent purchase of a 5.9% stake in Isuzu will bear fruit in 2010 when the Japanese juggernaut marries its Synergy hybrid drive system with a diesel engine. Presumably such a hook up was made possible, or at least hastened, by the expertise in diesels that Isuzu brings to the table. Toyota knows its way around an oil burner too, but its Hino commercial truck division usually deals with diesels meant for trucks and buses.

Heck, even we have to admit that we're excited for such a combo, as diesel engines excel in efficiency when cruising at highway speeds, much more so than a gasoline engine, which to this point has always been the electric motor's dance partner in modern hybrids. JapanToday is reporting that a Toyota subcompact with this diesel hybrid drivetrain will be available as soon as 2010. Assuming we're not all driving EVs by then, such a car should easily grab the mpg crown in the U.S.

[Source: AutoblogGreen, JapanToday]

[Lots more information about this interesting project has surfaced since our original post. Thanks to Alex over at noonzwheels.com for the tip! Click any pic for a high rez version]

After nearly three years of development, the U.K.-based team led by specialist engineering company Ricardo has delivered a full-hybrid diesel version of the Citroen Berlingo minivan. Built in response to the U.K. Department of Transport's Ultra Low Carbon Car Challenge, the fully-equipped van emits just 99 grams/km CO2 (equivalent to more than 75 mpg), while meeting or exceeding the Euro IV emissions standards for NOx, PM, HC and CO.

The $5.6 million project started in early 2004, with the goal of producing a prototype of a viable ultra-low carbon car with uncompromised comfort and convenience features, that could be affordably mass-produced. Ricardo's partners in the project include PSA Peugeot Citroen and U.K. aerospace company QinetiQ.

Lots more details, and pics, after the jump...

After nearly three years of development, a U.K.-based team led by specialist engineering company Ricardo has delivered a full-hybrid diesel version of Citroen's Berlingo. Built in response to the U.K. Department of Transport's Ultra Low Carbon Car Challenge, the fully-equipped van emits just 99 grams/km CO2 (equivalent to more than 75 mpg).

The full-hybrid version delivers a 30 percent improvement in fuel economy and CO2 emissions over the equivalent diesel-powered vehicle. In a lighter sedan-style vehicle, the same powertrain is projected to deliver over 80 mpg-equivalent fuel economy.

The mix of technologies in the project vehicle include:

• PSA Peugeot Citroen's 1.6-liter turbo diesel
• a 23 kW 288 volt DC electric motor, fitted between the engine and the transmission, for torque assist, power generation, regenerative braking and low-speed all-electric operation
• a 5-speed manual transmission
• a 288 volt Lithium-ion battery pack and battery management system
• a supervisory control system to coordinate vehicle systems to meet driver demands while optimizing fuel economy
• electric air-conditioning, electro-hydraulic power steering, and cooling for the electrical systems

Ricardo's partners in the project include PSA Peugeot Citroen and U.K. aerospace company Qinetiq.

[Source: Ricardo]