Mercedes Planning Electric A-Class with Lithium-Ion Batteries for 2010

Citing inside company sources, German newspaper “Automobilewoche” is reporting that Mercedes-Benz will market an electric version of the current A-Class in 2010. According to an unnamed senior manager in the automotive industry, the current generation A-Class’ sandwich construction with its double floor is ideal to fit the batteries without performing any serious modifications to the vehicle.

The newspaper also supports that Mercedes-Benz is currently in talks with Tesla for the supply of the lithium-ion batteries. Compared to nickel hydride units, lithium-ion batteries are not only more powerful but they also weigh less.

2011 Mercedes-Benz CLS Will be Available with a Hybrid Powertrain

Development of the second generation Mercedes-Benz CLS is well underway as the production model is set be unveiled during a major car show in late 2010 with sales following in early 2011. According to our sources, a hybrid version of the new CLS will definitely be offered. It will get the same powertrain as the forthcoming S400 Hybrid that will be launched at the end of 2009, which means that the CLS Hybrid will make use of lithium-ion batteries that not only weigh less but also offer more power than the nickel hydride units used in today’s hybrids.

In terms of styling, as the rendering that we found on French car magazine Autoplus reveals, Mercedes-Benz’ 4door-coupe model will retain the basic shape of the current generation model adorned with styling elements from the German automaker’s newest cars. -One more pic after the jump

Pics via: Autoplus

Used Toyota Prius cars Selling for Over $35,000! How Stupid is that?

The same market that rightfully shunned large SUVs and pickup trucks in a blink of an eye as soon as gas prices surpassed the $3.50 a gallon mark has made hybrid cars so popular, that in many cases dealers/private sellers are asking over 35 grand for a used Toyota Prius as the Japanese carmaker cannot satisfy the demand. If you head over to Toyota’s official website, a brand new fully equipped Prius Touring has an MSRP of $23,770…

For the record, we checked out used Prius prices on Autotrader, Cars.com and Craigslist. Surprisingly, there were hundreds of cars priced thousands of dollars over Toyota’s official MSRP. Of course, private sellers and used car lots can ask whatever they want, but it’s up to you to decide what you’re willing to pay for it. In our opinion it’s totally not worth it and we’ll tell you why. -Continued

If you want to save money, just go buy a normal compact car. For example, a similarly sized all-new Toyota Corolla XLE sedan with an automatic gearbox has an MSRP of $17,550 (the base model costs $15,250). According to the fueleconomy.gov site, if you drive an average of 15,000 miles a year (based on 45% highway, 55% city) with a fuel price of $ 4.08 per gallon, the Corolla will cost you $2,038 annually while a Prius, $1,328.

If you chose the Prius, then in 5 years you’ll have theoretically saved $3,550. That’s still not enough to cover the price difference between the official MSRP of the two cars which is $6,220, let alone the spiked prices dealers are asking for a… used Prius.

Heck, even if in the unrealistic scenario that gas prices in the U.S. skyrocket to $7 a gallon tomorrow morning (knock on wood), do the math and you’ll see that in five years, a Prius driver will have theoretically saved $6,090 in gas costs over a Corolla buyer. That still leaves the Corolla owner with $110 surplus.

VW Golf TwinDrive: 174Hp & 94 MPG Plug-in Electric Hybrid

In cooperation with the German government, VW announced that it will start testing a fleet of 20 vehicles equipped with a new plug-in hybrid drive system with lithium-ion batteries called “TwinDrive”. Volkswagen plans are to introduce a production version of the system as early as 2010.

Speaking during the presentation of the first Golf model fitted with the TwinDrive system at the “Automobile Forum” in Berlin, VW’s Chairman Martin Winterkorn said that the “TwinDrive” plug-in hybrid system can be combined with either petrol or diesel engines.

“Different than today’s hybrid vehicles, it should be emphasized that TwinDrive – and this is decisive – enables long ranges in the city in electric mode. While the electric motor on a typical hybrid model just supplements the combustion engine, the exact opposite is true on the TwinDrive: here the diesel or gasoline engine supplements the electric-motor,” said Winterkorn.

Although VW’s representatives didn’t give out all the details on the new hybrid system, they did reveal that over the route from Potsdam to the “Automobile Forum” in downtown Berlin and back – considered a typical commuting route –the Golf TwinDrive consumed just 8Kw-hours of electricity and 2.5 liters of fuel (that equals to 94 mpg!). -Continued

According to the German carmaker, the Golf TwinDrive can cover a distance of about 50 km or 30 miles purely on electric energy. As for power, VW revealed that the Golf TwinDrive’s electric motor and internal combustion engine deliver in tandem up to 130 kW or 174Hp.

“The present era of the automobile would be inconceivable without highly efficient gasoline and diesel engines. But the future will most certainly belong to the electric motors – refueled at the electrical outlet. On the way to this future, our TDI (diesel) and TSI (petrol) engines are now being merged with electric motors and extremely efficient battery systems to form a new drive system”, explained Martin Winterkorn.

“The Golf TwinDrive being presented here today enables electrically powered driving in the city, on the one hand, while also enabling very long ranges over extended driving routes on which the combustion engine is used. For us, the TwinDrive represents an elementary step along the path toward the completely electrically driven automobile!” the Volkswagen chief added.