New S Class kicks off mild hybridization of Mercedes lineup

By Bruce Brown Published June 12, 2016

mercedes benz mild hybrid s class news 2 079 48v — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Mercedes isn’t messing around when it comes to electric power in cars. The plan going forward is for even M-B models that can’t run independently on electric power to have mild hybridization for added power and improved fuel economy, according to Autocar. The first mildly hybridized models will be inline six-cylinder gas engine versions of a familiar Mercedes-Benz showcase, the new S Class coming in 2017.

Mild hybrid tech is of course a different, and smaller, animal than full hybrid tech that switches between gas or diesel and electric power, or the tech behind all-electric vehicles. The 0.9kWh 48V power in the Mercedes plan isn’t enough to power a car independently and, even if it were, there’s no way to disconnect the electric motor from the gasoline-powered engine. The electric motor serves as both starter and alternator and is connected directly to the driveshaft.

According to Autocar, the Mercedes mild hybrid electric motor will add up to 19 brake horsepower under acceleration and regenerate up to 20bhp when braking. The resulting fuel economy boost is expected to be 10 to 15 percent. The first application will be with the straight-six gas engine slated to replace Mercedes V6s, with a version for diesel engines coming later.

Mercedes has already committed to full hybrid and all-electric cars going forward. Four new all-electric vehicles are promised by 2020 — two sedans and two SUVs. The first new all-electric model, most likely the higher-end SUV, is expected at least in concept form at the Paris Motor Show this coming October.

The company is also working on full hybrid systems, with a new hybrid version of the S Class 500 getting a larger 13.5kWh battery that will increase its electric-only range to about 30 miles. A hybrid GLE Coupé 350 e is also on the way.

In just a few years, it looks like we can expect all Mercedes-Benz cars and SUVs to be either all-electric, electric-only capable hybrids, or powered by mild hybrid gas and diesel engines that gain added oomph and economy thanks to the attached electric motor.

Topics

Contributing Editor

Digital Trends Contributing Editor Bruce Brown is a member of the Smart Homes and Commerce teams. Bruce uses smart devices…

Cars

Mercedes-Maybach EQS SUV is old-school luxury — electrified

Front three quarter view of the Mercedes-Maybach EQS SUV.

Mercedes-Benz is preparing for an electric future with its EQ models, a line of EVs with futuristic aerodynamic styling and all of the latest infotainment tech. With several EQ models already in production, Mercedes is shifting focus to more traditional luxury.
The Mercedes-Maybach EQS SUV is the first all-electric vehicle from Maybach, the ultra-luxury subbrand of Mercedes. It takes the EQS SUV launched in 2022 and bathes it in opulence, adding more chrome on the outside and more creature comforts on the inside.
Scheduled to go on sale in the U.S. this fall, the Maybach is an unusual EV proposition, taking what is supposed be a forward-thinking design and wrapping it in old-school luxury. Ahead of its launch, Digital Trends got an up-close look at the Maybach EQS SUV to see how Mercedes is trying to balance those two aspects.

Germany's Rolls-Royce goes electric
The Maybach name has great historical significance for Mercedes. Wilhelm Maybach was one of the earliest automotive engineers. He designed the first Mercedes-branded car for the Daimler company (now Daimler-Benz), but struck out on his own after a falling out with company management. His eponymous company built Zeppelin engines, luxury cars, and, during World War II, engines for German military vehicles.
Daimler-Benz took control of Maybach in the 1960s, but left the passenger-car business dormant. Mercedes then revived the Maybach name in the early 2000s as a competitor to the likes of Rolls-Royce and Bentley, both of which are owned by rival German automakers. Given Wilhelm Maybach's history with Mercedes, it essentially brought things full circle.
The 21st-century Maybach brand started out with standalone models in the form of the Maybach 57 and Maybach 62 sedans (as well as the stunning Exelero prototype), but production ended in 2012 amid dwindling sales. Mercedes then switched to making Maybach-branded versions of existing models like the S-Class sedan and GLS-Class SUV, a pattern that continues with the Maybach EQS SUV.

Cars

Mercedes-Benz EQE SUV first drive review: ’90s look, cutting-edge tech

Front three quarter view of the 2023 Mercedes-Benz EQE SUV.

Mercedes-Benz is one of the oldest automakers in existence, but it's been among the quickest to launch a lineup of electric cars. It may not have the freshness of a startup, but what it does have are actual cars to sell to customers.

The 2023 Mercedes-Benz EQE SUV is the middle child of Mercedes' electric SUV lineup, slotting between the entry-level EQB and the flagship EQS SUV, and targeting electric luxury SUVs like the Audi E-Tron, BMW iX, and Cadillac Lyriq. Like the EQS, the EQE SUV is based on an existing sedan, hence the "SUV" suffix. In a previous first drive, we found the EQE sedan to be a good balance between luxury and livability, giving the SUV version a lot to live up to.

Cars

Mercedes is finally bringing an electric van to the U.S.

Front three quarter view of the 2024 Mercedes-Benz eSprinter electric van.

Mercedes-Benz might be known for luxury cars, but it also makes vans, and it's finally bringing an electric van to the United States.

Scheduled to start production this summer, the 2024 Mercedes-Benz eSprinter is an all-electric version of the Sprinter full-size cargo van that's already a favorite of delivery services like FedEx and Amazon, as well as camper van converters. While the automaker has been selling electric vans in Europe since 2010, the new eSprinter is the first one aimed at the U.S. market.