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Mercedes prepares electric equivalent to its S-Class luxury sedan
Mercedes-Benz is joining the ranks of car manufacturers working on hyper-luxurious EVs. In a chat with Autocar, the company's large car division leader Michael Kelz promised an electric car "at the level" of the high-end S-Class sedan. The exec unsurprisingly isn't providing many details, but confirmed its EQ S name (the company had trademarked the badging earlier) and noted that it wouldn't share the S-Class' underpinnings -- the conventional car just can't accommodate a pure electric design. We'd expect the EQ design language to find its way into this model as well.
Mercedes' ridesharing ViaVan service comes to London
Add another company to the list of transportation services filling Uber's London-sized void. Mercedes-Benz and Via have launched their jointly owned ViaVan service in Zones 1 and 2 of the city, giving Londoners a "ride-pooling" option that bridges the gap between plain ridesharing and mass transit. The allure, as you might guess, stems from the low cost that comes with multi-passenger rides -- for a limited time, rides into and out of Zone 1 will cost a relatively low £3 (about $4). You just have to accept that ViaVan will choose nearby pickup and drop-off points rather than offering a lift at your exact location.
Smart Fortwo EV Cabrio is the tiny car for the big city
There are cars out there that fill a need in someone else's life. Maybe you live in a large city and don't have the room or desire for a truck with a powerful diesel engine. Or you're part of a couple that has no need for an SUV with seats for eight. For me, the Smart Fortwo Cabrio EV seemed to fit the bill of cars that would be good for someone, just not me. I like electric cars, but I also need something large enough to haul gear and, well, I like going fast. Then I spent a week with the tiny EV.
Mercedes will build an electric version of its popular Sprinter van
It's all well and good to drive your own electric car, but what about the companies delivering your mail or fixing your water heater? They could stand to benefit from EVs, too -- and Mercedes-Benz is happy to help out. It's launching a refreshed Sprinter van that will, for the first time, include an eSprinter electric version. Details on the range and performance aren't available, but that's likely to vary widely as Mercedes customizes the eSprinter based on individual companies' demands. It's mainly aimed at "city centers," so we wouldn't expect hundreds of miles of driving.
Mercedes and Bosch will test self-driving taxis in a few months
Mercedes (or rather, its parent Daimler) and Bosch aren't far off from making their self-driving taxis a practical reality... in a manner of speaking. Bosch chief Volkmar Denner has informed Automobilwoche that the two companies will put test vehicles on the road within a few months. He didn't supply other details, but the mention provided a more definitive timetable for their ambitions. Until now, the two had only promised to have fully autonomous vehicles ready by the start of the next decade.
China halts production of 553 car models over fuel efficiency
The new year is proving to be a headache for some car makers in China. As of January 1st, the country has suspended production of 553 car models that didn't meet its fuel efficiency standards. Some of these come from partnerships with foreign heavyweights, including Beijing Benz Automotive, Chery and FAW-Volkswagen. It's not certain how soon those companies might restart production lines, although that likely involves finding powertrains that meet fuel consumption targets.
Honda will use targeted Facebook videos to encourage recall repairs
As the Takata airbag recall -- the largest ever US auto recall -- continues, Honda has been looking for new ways to reach customers who haven't yet brought in their vehicles for repair. And the company's next move, as Reuters reports, is to target Honda owners through Facebook. Using the tool that allows advertisers to target particular subsets of Facebook accounts, Honda will match email addresses of those with recalled vehicles to Facebook users. According to the Associated Press, at least some of the messages geared towards those Facebook accounts will be videos from Honda owners who were injured from the faulty Takata airbag systems. You can see one of the public service announcements below.
Mercedes' ubiquitous city bus is going electric in 2018
Mercedes-Benz wants an electric version of its long-running city bus to power the emissions-free mass transit future. Over a dozen cities recently pledged to make their bus fleets all-electric by 2030 (among them LA and Seattle). And, if the German auto-maker gets its way, its EV will be the one ferrying people around all hours of the day. Mercedes announced that it plans to start producing the electric "Citaro" by the end of 2018.
Apple lists the cars that can wirelessly charge your iPhone
Sure, you know that most wireless charging pads will top up the iPhone 8 or iPhone X, but what about the pad in your car? That's a little more complicated, but Apple is willing to help out. It just posted a list of manufacturers whose vehicles can charge the latest crop of iPhones, and it's mostly good news... mostly. Audi, BMW, Chrysler, Ford, Honda, Mercedes-Benz, Toyota, Volkswagen, Volvo and the PSA group (Citroen, DS, Peugeot, Opel and Vauxhall) all have cars that will charge at least the iPhone 8 (and likely X), and can charge the 8 Plus if there's enough room. Be careful if you're a GM fan, though, as you'll have to be extra-picky about your driving machine.
Mercedes-Benz spends $1 billion to make EVs at Alabama plant
Like most auto makers these days, Mercedes-Benz is investing in electric vehicles in a big way. The Daimler-owned company is fast-tracking all of its models to an electric future by 2022. It has also been showing off a slate of EV models, like the Generation EQ concept car, slated for production in 2019, an art deco-inspired, 20-foot-long Cabriolet and an adorably small Smart Vision EQ. It's looking at infrastructure, too, giving money to help support quick-charging tech made by Israeli startup StoreDot. Now Mercedes-Benz' parent company, Daimler AG, has plans to invest an $1billion in an Alabama factory to make sure it can make fully electric vehicles and battery packs here in the US.
Mercedes-Benz plans electric versions of all its models by 2022
We've seen quite a few car companies commit (and recommit) to electic vehicles recently, and now Mercedes-Benz has joined them. At Daimler's investor day today, the company's chief executive Dieter Zetsche said that Mercedes will offer electric versions of every single car it makes by 2022. Mercedes-Benz is also planning on turning its popular city SmartCar into a fully electric line by 2020.
Mercedes-Benz is giving all its customers a year of Tidal HiFi
Tidal has had a rough few months, what with Kanye leaving in a huff, having to find a third CEO in two years and exclusives like Jay-Z's 4:44 being held back from new subscribers. The streaming service continues to stay relevant, though, perhaps through corporate partnerships like the one with Sprint, which can net you six months of free Tidal HiFi service (usually $20 per month). Now Mercedes-Benz has its own Tidal promotion. Beginning in 2018, if you're a member of Mercedes' Me in-car automation and entertainment service, you will get 12 months of Tidal HiFi for free, which will revert to a regular paid account after your year is up.
Daimler and Via to launch ride-sharing shuttle service in Europe
Minivans, while not the most exciting form of transportation, could have a role to play in society's shift away from car ownership. Daimler, the company behind Mercedes-Benz, is teaming up with Via to launch a new ride-sharing service across Europe. Like UberPool, it will be an on-demand system that allows passengers to set their own pick-up points and destinations through a smartphone app. Mercedes-Benz will supply the minivans, while Via — which already runs a similar service in New York City, Chicago and Washington DC — manages the software. It's basically a bus service, but with dynamic routes and no predetermined stops.
Mercedes teases hybrid supercar with Formula 1 tech
You've seen hybrid supercars before, but likely nothing quite so exotic as this. Mercedes-Benz is teasing the debut of the Mercedes-AMG Project One, a hybrid "supersports showcar," at the Frankfurt International Motor Show beginning September 14th. While the preview image doesn't show much besides a GT-style body (complete with an air scoop on the roof), Mercedes makes much ado of the car's Formula 1 underpinnings -- both powerplants amount to race car technology adapted to "day-to-day" use.
Mercedes-Benz sees self-driving EVs as the future of car sharing
Earlier this year, Daimler announced plans to develop a self-driving, car-sharing system with fully autonomous vehicles geared towards city living. Today, the company says that the first part of that vision -- Smart's Vision EQ Fortwo concept vehicle -- will be presented at the 2017 Frankfurt International Motor Show next month.
Audi, BMW and Mercedes cars will share live traffic jam data
It's not too hard to find real-time traffic data, but it's usually specific to one car make. Wouldn't it be great if cars of all brands could regularly coordinate? They're not quite there yet, but they're getting closer. Here has unveiled a Real-Time Traffic service that has cars from Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz (all co-owners of Here) sharing their live sensor data to provide more accurate traffic alerts than you'd get from external probes alone. It's particularly helpful on 'arterial' roads, Here says. And more than 30 of the 60-plus countries covered by the service can also take advantage of safety warnings based on sensor data you expect from incidents, such as hard braking to avoid a crash.
Mercedes-Benz will join Formula E in 2019
Last October, Mercedes-Benz announced that it had reserved a spot in the Formula E racing championship for the 2018/19 season and today it revealed that it would officially be entering the competition during the 2019/20 season. To do so, the automaker will be leaving another competition, the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters (DTM), in order to focus on Formula E. In the 18 years it has competed in the DTM, Mercedes-Benz has won a slew of drivers', team and manufacturer titles. "Our years in the DTM will always be held high as a major chapter in the motorsport history of Mercedes," said head of Mercedes-Benz Motorsport Toto Wolff in a statement.
At the Mercedes museum, your rental car parks itself
The concept of a self-parking car certainly isn't new, but Daimler is about to take the next logical step on that front. It's partnering with Bosch to launch an Automated Valet Parking service at the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart. When it launches at the start of 2018, anyone (not just museum guests) can rent cars that will not only drive themselves out, but park themselves upon return. You just need a smartphone app to both make the reservation and the virtual handover when you're done.
BMW denies conspiring with rivals on diesel emissions systems
VW isn't the only German automaker reeling from the effects of diesel emissions scandals. BMW is denying Der Spiegel allegations that it not only colluded with Daimler and the Volkswagen Auto Group (including Audi and Porsche) on the designs and prices for AdBlue diesel emissions treatment systems, but fell short of European exhaust standards. While the newspaper claims that BMW's thousand-plus meetings with rivals amounted to a "cartel," BMW insists that the meetings were simply meant to create a Europe-wide infrastructure for AdBlue. It also claims that the technology (which injects urea into the mix to help reduce emissions) meets the latest European requirements, and that it can update the software on older cars to meet that standard.
Daimler bets big on luxury EVs with new battery plant
Mercedes-Benz owner Daimler is incredibly bullish about electric vehicles. So much so that it's recently broken ground on another battery plant in Germany, a stone's throw from its existing facility. It'll begin operating around June next year and sounds positively massive. "The new plant will quadruple the production and logistics area in Kamenz to a total of around 80,000 square meters (around 262,000 feet)," a press release says. More than that, by 2020 the plant will have over 1,000 employees.
