Mercedes is still working on finding alternatives in the automotive world . It already has an electric supersport , a gas-powered E-class or a plug-in hybrid limousine in its offer. These models will soon be joined by an electric B-class MPV and a car that will be able to drive without a driver .
This will soon be a reality in the form of the Mercedes S-Class Intelligent Drive. In August of this year, this research vehicle was able to drive the 100 km route from Mannheim to Pforzheim all by itself. As the press release states, it was not a closed route, but roads in and out of the city, where the autonomous S-Class had to deal with intersections, traffic lights, roundabouts and, of course, heavy traffic.
On the 100 km long journey, together with Mercedes, Nokia also participated, as a specialist in 3D map materials, which the Finnish company was able to adapt exactly to the needs of a driverless car. The S-Class Intelligent Drive is also equipped with a stereo camera, a color camera (for traffic light recognition), four radars for a short distance and three radars for a long distance. GPS data is used.
The second "alternative" novelty is the electric Mercedes-Benz B-Class Electric Drive . It is already known to American customers , but it is a novelty in Europe. Under the hood was an electric motor with a power of 177 hp and a torque of 340 Nm, which receives energy from lithium-ion batteries of unspecified capacity. The batteries are located under the floor of the car . The MPV reaches 100 km/h in 7.9 seconds, the maximum speed of the electric "B" is limited to 160 km/h and the range is approximately 200 km. Charging can take place from a 400 V socket, which takes about 1.5 hours.
Compared to the classic B class, the electric version has a slightly modified front end with LED diodes for daytime running lights, modified door sills and, above all, war paint. Inside, you can tell the electric version from the regular version perhaps only thanks to the new alarm clocks and the display on the center console, which shows information about the car's drive. A specialty is the Vehicle Homepage website, thanks to which the driver will be able to monitor the battery charge or current range using a computer or smartphone.
Source: Mercedes-Benz
