Mercedes-Benz News
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Range is often discussed when the subject of electric cars comes up, but it's also relevant in the world of internal combustion. Driving the most economical car in the world would still be a pain if the tank only allowed for fifty miles between trips to the gas station. If your car could do more than 1,200 miles on a tank though, as Mercedes-Benz has just demonstrated with the E300 Bluetec Hybrid it sells in Europe, you'd probably forget what a gas station looked like. Journalist Andrew Frankel from Autocar took an example of the car all the way from Tangier in the north of Africa to Goodwood...
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2015 Mercedes-Benz B-Class Electric Car Configurator Now Live
Remember when every new electric car that launched was surrounded by a fanfare? Now, it takes something really special to create the same buzz. And that's not a bad thing--it means enough electric cars are hitting the market that we can accept them as we might any other vehicle. The 2015...
Antony Ingram -
Three Mercedes Plug-In Hybrids On Sale By End Of 2015: S-Class, C-Class, ML-Class
The first wave of electric cars and plug-in hybrids has been largely centered on smaller vehicles, mostly from mass-market brands (Tesla excepted). Four years later, German luxury makers are entering the fray--and the plug-in cars and utility vehicles they sell will markedly expand the offerings on...
John Voelcker -
Mercedes-Benz Touts Its Hybrid History From Way Back In 1906
Have you noticed how many automakers seem to have a hybrid or electric vehicle somewhere in their history files? If one were being cynical, you might think the long-forgotten knowledge has been retrieved to prove the manufacturer has always been progressive and innovative. Mercedes-Benz is the...
Antony Ingram -
2014 Mercedes-Benz B-Class Electric Drive: First Drive
Can electric cars be sexy? Look at the exclusive Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Electric Drive gullwing sports car, and that question has been answered. But put your sensible cap on for the moment, have a look at the 2014 Mercedes B-Class Electric Drive, and you'll find little of such flirtation. That's...
Bengt Halvorson -
2014 Mercedes B-Class Electric Car On Sale In Summer From $41,450
The Mercedes-Benz B-Class Electric Drive will go on sale in the U.S. this summer.
Stephen Edelstein -
In recent years—especially in the time since EPA fuel economy ratings have become more realistic—40 miles per gallon on the highway has become like a sort of high-water mark for non-hybrid cars. Even in 2014, there remain relatively few subcompact or compact sedans that top the 40-mpg mark in ratings, let alone real-world use. So it's all the more surprising—and delightful—that a big, comfortable luxury sedan like the Mercedes-Benz E-Class can top 40 mpg, easily. DON'T MISS: Five Reasons Small Diesels Won't Dominate the U.S. Car Market That's what we found this past...
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U.S. Head Of Mercedes-Benz Savages Tesla, Saying It Has 'Limited Potential'
"Don't bite the hand that feeds you" is a popular saying, but perhaps "don't criticize the company you're sharing technology with" should be another. The latter would apply to Mercedes-Benz, whose U.S. boss Steve Cannon criticized Tesla Motors [NSDQ:TSLA] at the New York Auto Show. Perhaps Cannon...
Antony Ingram -
2014 Mercedes-Benz B-Class Electric Drive Now In Production
The 2014 Mercedes-Benz B-Class Electric Drive will be the first Mercedes-badged electric car sold in the U.S.
Stephen Edelstein -
Diesel Or Hybrid? Road & Track Says Benz Beats Prius
Car shoppers today are spoiled for choice when it comes to fuel-efficient vehicles. When else in history have we had the choice between gasoline, diesel, biofuel, natural gas, hybrid, plug-in hybrid and full battery electric vehicles? When it comes to actually putting fuel in your tank, many turn...
Antony Ingram -
Daimler Plans 3-Cylinder Engines For Future Compact Hybrids
Three-cylinder engines were popular with Japanese automakers back in the 1980s and 1990s, as a way of reducing weight and fuel consumption in smaller vehicles. Now, they're making a resurgence, as low weight and improved efficiency are once again at the forefront of automakers' development tasks...
Antony Ingram -
Mercedes-Benz Could Launch Next Fuel-Cell Car In 2017
Mercedes-Benz has delved into the world of fuel-cell vehicles before, with several concepts and the F-Cell prototype from a few years back. But so far--like most automakers--there's not been a model people can actually buy. That might change in 2017, according to Motoring (via Motor Authority), as...
Antony Ingram -
Three-cylinder engines are all the rage right now. Once the preserve of basic economy cars, they're now used in everything from the latest generation of economy vehicles, through sporty hatchbacks like the 2015 MINI Cooper and Ford Fiesta 1.0 EcoBoost, to BMW's i8 plug-in hybrid sports car. Mercedes-Benz though will not be joining the three-pot party, at least for its more traditional offerings like the C-Class and the models above it. The automaker told Autocar that three-cylinder units have been considered, but rejected as they have "too many compromises". Head of engine development...
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Mercedes S-Class Electric Car Could Follow Plug-In Hybrid
So far, Mercedes' exploration of electric vehicles has been fairly diverse. It started, logically, with the Smart Fortwo Electric Drive. But then it jumped to the other end of the scale with the SLS AMG Electric Drive supercar. The next stop could be the Mercedes S-Class luxury sedan, as the...
Antony Ingram -
Mercedes-Benz S-Class Plug-In On Sale Early 2015, C-Class Hybrid Later
While Mercedes-Benz and other German luxury automakers (Audi, especially) are betting on diesel powertrains on a larger scale in helping to make their lineups more fuel-efficient, they're starting to concede that to some luxury shoppers, plug-in hybrids are seen as a 'greener'...
Bengt Halvorson -
Mercedes-Benz GLK 250 BlueTEC Diesel: Luxury Crossover Fuel Economy
This year has seen several new diesel passenger vehicles hit U.S. roads, and last fall, we were able to spend a full weekend with the 2013 Mercedes-Benz GLK 250 BlueTEC 4matic crossover. We'd driven the luxury compact utility vehicle for a day last spring, and enjoyed it--but we wanted to put it...
John Voelcker -
2014 Mercedes-Benz B-Class Electric Drive: Teaser Video Emerges From Company
The Mercedes-Benz B-Class Electric Drive is expected to hit U.S. showrooms in Spring 2014.
Stephen Edelstein -
Mercedes-Benz To Do More Projects With Tesla, Countering BMW i3?
Look closely enough at the Smart Fortwo Electric Drive, and there's probably a little 'Tesla Motors' sticker hiding within its drivetrain. Likewise, eagle-eyed car-buyers may spot the occasional Mercedes-Benz interior component in the Tesla Model S. This curious cross-pollination is a result of...
Antony Ingram -
The Smart has lost more money than any other European car, a new report says.
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2014 Mercedes-Benz E 250 BlueTEC Diesel Sedan Rated At 34 MPG
The EPA has released fuel economy ratings for the 2014 Mercedes-Benz E 250 BlueTEC, and they put it ahead of its diesel midsize luxury sedan rivals.
Stephen Edelstein -
2015 Mercedes-Benz S500 Plug-In Hybrid Live Photo Gallery: 2013 Frankfurt Auto Show
Mercedes-Benz is adding a plug-in hybrid to its redesigned 2014 S-Class range. Unveiled at the 2013 Frankfurt Auto Show, the 2015 S500 Plug-In Hybrid should be an impressive blend of performance and efficiency.
Stephen Edelstein -
Latest Luxury Diesels From Mercedes, Audi, BMW Add Stop-Start
Diesel engines and typical American-style commuting conditions are already a great match. Longer daily-driving distances get diesels up to their peak operating temperature—and hopefully out to higher highway speeds, where they return their best fuel economy. In low-speed stop-and-go driving...
Bengt Halvorson -
2014 Mercedes-Benz E250 BlueTec: First Drive
While there are a number of new diesel models for 2014, diesels are nothing new for Mercedes-Benz. Yet at first blush, making the most fuel-efficient model in the lineup—the one that packs a new four-cylinder diesel—the entry point for mainstream luxury shoppers could be seen as a...
Bengt Halvorson -
2014 Mercedes-Benz S500 Plug-In Hybrid: Plutocratic 78 MPG Plug-In
The 2014 Mercedes-Benz S500 Plug-In Hybrid may not have a catchy name, but we've been expecting it for some time--ever since the marque showed off its Vision S500 Plug-In Hybrid Concept back in 2009, in fact. No self-respecting luxury automaker can be without a plug-in model these days. Rival Audi...
Antony Ingram