Mercedes Blue-Zero E-Cell

stopcrazypp · 12-11-2008, 03:14 PM

Mercedes Blue-Zero E-Cell:
Three versions:
E-Cell powered by li-ion battery only, 200 km (124 mi) range

E-Cell Plus adds Smart ForTwo's turbocharged three-cylinder engine with 100 km (62 mi) range battery, 600km (373 mi) total range

F-Cell uses 90 kW fuel cell and goes 400 km (248 mi), 2x as far as E-Cell.

All expected to go 0-100 kmh (62mph) under 11 seconds.

Mercedes Blue-Zero E-Cell, two more Benz electric drive concepts coming to Detroit - AutoblogGreen

Could this be the rumored third car Tesla is working on with a third party? (Though it seems a little bit soon to be the third car, given the second car isn't even unveiled yet.)

dpeilow · 12-11-2008, 03:34 PM

Interesting - perhaps this is Tesla's secret Detroit plan.

Bluestar/Blue-zero..? Surely not.

Well, there are some definite von Holzhausen touches to the lights, grill and mirrors.

Is it based on the B-class?

doug · 12-11-2008, 04:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stopcrazypp

Could this be the rumored third car Tesla is working on with a third party? (Though it seems a little bit soon to be the third car, given the second car isn't even unveiled yet.)

I wouldn't call it Tesla's third car, though they very well may be supplying the drivetrain for it. With the slow down on Model S development, Tesla has said they plan to reach profitability by focusing on two core businesses. Those were delivering the Roadster and their drivetrain business. We basically never hear any details about this drivetrain business, but it's reasonable to speculate that it might be involved here...

vfx · 12-12-2008, 06:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by doug

Tesla has said they plan to reach profitability by focusing on two core businesses. Those were delivering the Roadster and their drivetrain business.

Yeah the TEG that got so many fired. (Theoretically)

TEG · 12-12-2008, 11:22 PM

Hey watch your acronyms there!
...Tesla Energy Group, right?...

vfx · 12-13-2008, 09:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TEG

Hey watch your acronyms there!
...Tesla Energy Group, right?...

Unless you have powers we are unaware of.

graham · 12-13-2008, 06:54 PM

Never underestimate the power of TEG...

TEG · 12-13-2008, 10:54 PM

Do not taunt happy fun ball.

dpeilow · 12-17-2008, 12:05 PM

Mercedes BlueZero first pictures | Auto Express News | News | Auto Express

Quote:

The most ambitious of the three is the all-electric BlueZero E-Cell, which is powered by lithium-ion batteries and a 100kw electric motor that boasts an impressive 320Nm of torque.

Merc claims that only two hours of charge will power the BlueZero E-Cell for around 100km (62 miles). That’s might not sound like much but as the car is being aimed solely at city drivers, it should fit the bill for eco-conscious types with short commutes.

For drivers with longer distance journeys, Mercedes has developed two, longer-legged alternatives in the form of the BlueZero E-Cell Plus and the B-Class F-Cell.

...

But it’s not all about showcasing the latest eco-friendly powertrains. The exterior of the BlueZone is a big hint to what the next generation of B-Class will look like when it arrives in 2010. The flat nose, swooping and sculpted sides and peculiar headlamps could all make their way onto the new B-Class when it arrives in showrooms, and you can bet that there will be at least one alternatively-fuelled B-Class on sale in 2009.

And I doubt it will be the fuel cell one...

dpeilow · 12-18-2008, 05:25 AM

EcoGeek - Clean Technology

Quote:

If you think about it, this is kind of like a grand green car experiment. All the variables are held constant (the cars all have essentially the same parts), except for the power source. As long as Mercedes puts equal effort into each BlueZERO (and we have no reason to suspect it would not), customer satisfaction can be rated as a function of technology type. I’m curious to see how it plays out.

I'm pretty sure they said the same on the release of the original A-class in the mid 90s...