Autoblog

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]

Click on the image to view high-res shots of the Mercedes F700 concept

Massive amounts of money are being spent in the alternative energy sector of the automotive industry. Last year, Daimler spent $6 billion in research and development and another $2.7 billion on environmental protection. Expect those already rather large sums to increase in the coming years. Daimler CEO Dieter Zetsche says that the company will "increase these budgets even more and by 2010 we'll invest $21 billion in research and development." Daimler has invested heavily in hydrogen technology and holds twenty-five patents protecting new battery technology for automobile use. Further development will continue to cost a large chunk of change.

Of particular interest is the fact that Daimler intends "to offer at least one model in each of the Mercedes-Benz core model series that is a leader in fuel consumption," according to Zetsche. Despite looming legislation that will require more fuel efficient vehicles, Mercedes-Benz plans on continuing to offer vehicles that will meet the size, performance and luxury demands prospective buyers have come to expect from the premium German marque. Otherwise, it won't be $21 billion well spent.


[Source: The Car Connection]

If you'd suspected that Mercedes' F700 show car was a preview of cues we'd soon see on production cars, there's a Schulte Design rendering to bolster your theory. The current S-Class debuted in 2005, so we won't see its replacement for a couple of years, but there's already lots of development underway. The new sheetmetal will be a full redesign, not a freshening, and the rendering depicts a car that takes inspiration from the F700, but tones the cues down a bit. The shape of the front end is very similar, with the headlights and grille echoing what Mercedes showed us in Frankfurt. Along the flanks, the arcing line at the base of the windows has been toned down. Of course, while it's a good rendering, it's still an unofficial composite image, so we should just wait and see.

Solid word on powertrains has come down from on high, though. Mercedes is looking at a hybrid version of the S-Class to compete with the Lexus LS600hL. Our current S-Class will get a mild hybrid for 2009, and there's a Bluetec Hybrid under development packing 224 horsepower/560Nm and returning 44mpg. The engines we know and love in the current S-Class will largely carry over, though we'd expect that attention to efficiency and the hybrid powertrains will be more important because of the new CAFE standards.

[Source: eGMCarTech, Rendering: Schulte Design]

click above image for high-res gallery of the Mercedes-Benz F700 Concept

After a bit of a song and dance routine, sans the song, Mercedes-Benz finally drove out its new F700 Concept at the 2007 Frankfurt Motor Show. Looking something like an S-Class cross-bred with a Mazda RX-8, it still managed to wow the assembled horde. The debut itself was a wild enviro-mechanical fusion of dancers emulating trees and geckos that formed a vehicle out of their prop tree branches and then fit themselves inside. It was a clever way to show green and machine can coexist beautifully. Sitting next to Lewis Hamilton and all of the Mercedes brass made it an even more interesting experience.

The car itself is being described as a "magic carpet ride" by Mercedes folk. It's depicted as a future luxurious touring sedan with good performance and exceptionally low fuel consumption. Big and luxurious, the F700 is also the first car in the world that can recognize and predict road conditions to manage bumps using a new PRE-SCAN active suspension M-B is developing. It also features the new DIESOTTO powertrain. It's a 1.8-liter four that rivals the efficiency of a diesel but runs on gas. It also addresses the all-important CO2 emissions head-on, with a rating of just 127 grams per kilometer or about 44.3 mpg.

There's a huge gallery of live shots and official pics in the gallery below, plus the abridged press release after the jump.

Click image to enlarge

The Mercedes-Benz F 700 concept car will headline the automaker's presence at next week's Frankfurt Motor Show, and we've now been given a Lutz-style sneak peek at the low-consumption, low-emissions luxury liner. Equipped with both DIESOTTO and hybrid technology, the F 700 boasts fuel economy of 44 mpg and CO2 emissions of 127g/km, both of which is are very low numbers for a large premium luxury sedan. Mercedes points out that its fuel economy is equal to what is regularly achieved in diesel-powered small cars, and the F 700's 44 mpg represents the best economy number for a car of its type in the history of motoring. We don't have any more on the F 700 to give you at this time, but you can read up on the DIESOTTO tech here for now. Our Frankfurt team will provide comprehensive coverage of the F 700 concept's unveiling next week.

[Source: Mercedes-Benz]

The Frankfurt Auto Show is still a month away, but that hasn't stopped the car companies from dropping previews and tip-offs of new concepts they have planned for the show. Mercedes-Benz will have one of the biggest presentations at the event, showcasing no less than 18 new models and concepts cars, and the underlying theme for the show will be its new green initiative.

One of the concepts it has planned will be a 'radical' proposal for a large luxury car labelled the F700. Though this doesn't sound very green, the concept will feature Mercedes' new 1.8L turbocharged DiesOtto engine. The tiny motor is said to deliver an amazing 238hp and 295ft-lb. of torque, while returning fuel consumption of around 39 mpg in a large S-class saloon.

Other cars planned for the show include the new C-Class estate, more Bluetec diesel cars and the automaker's new electric hybrid range.

[Source: 4Car]