Environmentally friendly mobility in a large touring sedan the size of the S-Class? What at first seems like a contradiction in terms is now a reality in the F 700 research vehicle, whose new drive system concept reduces fuel consumption and CO2 emissions to unprecedented low levels. The car also has plenty of other hightech features, including an active chassis that registers road conditions and drives safely over bumps and potholes, an interactive voice-controlled instrument operating system, and a variable rear seat.
Dr. Thomas Weber, Daimler AG Board of Management member responsible for Group Research & Development Mercedes-Benz Cars, explains how the company aims to combine fascinating vehicles with responsibility.
Model-based development enables the creation of safety-critical software — like control systems for assistance functions — in an error-free manner at just the push of a button. What's more, rigid tests can be conducted long before any hardware prototypes exist.
This new type of gasoline engine with diesel genes is both powerful and extremely economical. The revolutionary drive concept it employs is made possible by high-tech components such as a variable crankshaft drive and a controlled auto ignition system that dramatically reduces nitrogen oxide emissions.
India's economy is booming, especially in the IT and service sectors. What significance does this growth market have for automakers? The answer can be found in various scenarios with which researchers are trying to predict future developments.
Thanks to BlueTEC exhaust treatment, diesels are now as clean as a gasoline engine with a threeway catalytic converter. The Mercedes-Benz E 300 and the E 320 are the first two production cars equipped with BlueTEC to hit the road in Europe and the U.S.
Mercedes-Benz Cars has documented its goal of sustainable mobility with its “Road to the Future” strategy. The first phase of this strategy involves hybrid drive concepts based on combustion engines and electric motors. Initially, the hybrids are being implemented in three variants.
In the HyFLEET:CUTE project, Daimler engineers are working on the second-generation fuel cell bus. Like its predecessor, it will be completely emission-free and very quiet. It will also use the energy it consumes more efficiently.
Automatic and ultra-precise check of the installation quality of telematics equipment: Currently, a total of 15 so-called CTS units are being used in three Mercedes-Benz plants, where they check the telematics equipment of the C and S-Class as well as the infotainment equipment of SLK and SL roadsters.
A bird’s-eye view of the route for the driver; Internet access so that the front-seat passenger can find a good restaurant on the way; and films, music, and videos for the passengers in the back seat? Researchers and developers at Daimler are working on that vision of a telematics, information, and entertainment system.
“A sustainable energy economy is the basis of the third industrial revolution” - Jeremy Rifkin outlines his energy policy visions for Europe in this interview, focusing on the central economic role of renewable energy sources and a hydrogen economy.
