The Vision S 500 Plug-in Hybrid by Mercedes-Benz shows that the venerable automaker is blending traditional designs with green engineering. This concept hybrid made its debut on the world stage at this week’s Frankfurt Motor Show to understandable excitement. Mercedes-Benz used the Vision S 400 hybrid as a model for its latest concept though the result works little like the predecessor. The German automaker did not make clear plans to turn the S 500 concept into a production vehicle but this model seems destined for the road.
Mercedes-Benz combined a 3.5-liter V6 gasoline engine, a 44kW hybrid motor and a 10kWh lithium-ion battery to achieve greener results. The S 500 Plug-in Hybrid is capable of traveling up to 19 miles per commute on all-electric power. Mercedes-Benz claims that the S 500 Plug-In Hybrid achieves 73 miles per gallon thanks to this high-performance hybrid system. The automaker is keeping its eyes on European Union emissions standards by achieving low carbon dioxide emissions in recent testing of the S 500 Plug-in Hybrid. This concept car is said to recharge within an hour with a 20kW rapid charge and four hours with a conventional outlet.
The S 500 Plug-in Hybrid achieves the 73 MPG rating thanks to multiple drive modes and a compact battery charger. The gasoline engine does not enter the picture until the vehicle gets above a certain speed, which leads to all-electric driving in neighborhoods and low-speed areas. The ECO start/stop feature on the S 500 Plug-in Hybrid is used not only to conserve energy at full stops but boost power at high speeds. The onboard charger on the S 500 Plug-in Hybrid acts as a middle man between the charging mechanism and the exterior outlet. This device monitors charging time, electrical output and potential surges as the battery is recharged.
Mercedes-Benz has incorporated elements like the ECO start/stop feature and the lithium-ion battery in recent models. The ECO start/stop feature has been used in the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter while the battery is a beefed-up version of the battery in the S 400 Hybrid. The Vision S 500 Plug-in Hybrid is more than a Frankenstein monster of Mercedes-Benz hybrid technology; it is the automaker’s concerted effort to unite these parts within a luxury frame.
