Benz plug-in hybrid for production

Mercedes-Benz will take the battle up to Chevrolet's plug-in hybrid Volt when it unveils its latest version of the BlueZero eco-friendly concept in Frankfurt this month. The German manufacturer has already showcased full electric and fuel cell versions of the BlueZero, but this new plug-in hybrid concept for the Frankfurt motor show features a diesel three-cylinder engine to recharge batteries and extend the vehicle's range.

With the debut of the plug-in version -- named the BlueZero E-cell Plus -- Mercedes-Benz has locked into place the final piece of its three-pronged BlueZero strategy. The range-extending battery-electric powertrain will go into production before 2015, according to Daimler sources.

Built around the patented sandwich-floor chassis of the existing B-Class, the BlueZero sees Mercedes mate up a 1.0-litre, 50kW three-cylinder diesel engine directly to a generator, which then drives the car's electric motor. Known as a "Series" hybrid, it is a step more advanced than the "Parallel" hybrids offered by Lexus and Honda, which drive the wheels through either the electric or the petrol motors.

Like the BMW Vision ED, the BlueZero at Frankfurt is 'powered' (or recharged, actually) by a three-cylinder diesel engine, but whereas the BMW engine is all-new, the Benz engine is the powerplant lifted from the smart fortwo.

The BlueZero E-cell Plus hybrid might only offer a nominal 70kW of power, but there's an astonishing, big-diesel-esque 320Nm of torque and, as it is coming from an electric motor, the maximum torque is available almost instantly, at any time.

Benz sits the diesel engine inside the sandwich floor at the back of the car, the 18kW/hour Lithium-ion battery pack sits inside the middle of the floor and the electric motor sits in the engine bay, driving the front wheels.

As yet, there are no official fuel consumption numbers, because the diesel engine only ever charges the battery pack and never directly drives the wheels, but Benz suggests it will emit around 32 grams of CO2 per kilometre.

Even so, it will still cover the zero to 100km/h sprint in less than 11 seconds and will hit 93mph as a top speed. On the flip side of the performance coin, Benz claims the five-door hatchback will stretch to 100km on a single battery charge, while the advanced battery pack can be fully recharged in under half an hour. Coupled with its diesel engine, the BlueZero E-cell Plus has a range of almost 600km.

The cementing of the car's future means Benz will also retain the expensive sandwich floor architecture, while the next generation A- and B-Class cars can move to cheaper single-floor designs when they go on sale in 2011. Insiders say that the Benz concept will definitely go into production. Whether that is limited or series production remains to be seen.

-- with staff

Read the latest Carsales Network news and reviews on your mobile, iPhone or PDA at www.carsales.mobi