The new S-Class is the first plug-in hybrid from Mercedes-Benz. Mercedes-Benz
The new S-Class is the first plug-in hybrid from Mercedes-Benz.
It's powered by a turbocharged V6 engine and an 8.7 kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery. Mercedes-Benz
It's powered by a turbocharged V6 engine and an 8.7 kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery.
Mercedes claims the luxo-barge consumes just 2.8-liters per 100 kilometers, which works out to 84 mpg by our math. Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes claims the luxo-barge consumes just 2.8-liters per 100 kilometers, which works out to 84 mpg by our math.
Haptic pedal feedback and systems to calculate the regenerative braking system help the S550 stay fuel efficient.
Haptic pedal feedback and systems to calculate the regenerative braking system help the S550 stay fuel efficient.
Of course, it’s loaded with technologically advanced features like “pre-entry climate control,” which heats the interior to a preset temperature before the driver even gets near the vehicle. Mercedes-Benz
Of course, it’s loaded with technologically advanced features like “pre-entry climate control,” which heats the interior to a preset temperature before the driver even gets near the vehicle.
And it can go from 0 to 60 mph in just 5.2 seconds, impressive for a car that weighs 2.5 tons. Mercedes-Benz
And it can go from 0 to 60 mph in just 5.2 seconds, impressive for a car that weighs 2.5 tons.
The S550 will be available in California next spring, and the rest of the US sometime around 2016. Mercedes-Benz
The S550 will be available in California next spring, and the rest of the US sometime around 2016.
Mercedes-Benz unveiled the S550 Plug-In Hybrid this week. Like the gas-powered S-Class on which it’s based, the company’s first plug-in hybrid looks fantastic and is loaded with high-tech features. We’ve come to expect this kind of excess from the flagship sedan, but what’s most impressive about the new car is that when it comes to fuel economy, it’s remarkably restrained.
Mercedes promises the turbocharged V6 and electric motor, powered by an 8.7 kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery, will provide “the performance of a V8 and the fuel consumption of a compact.” It claims the luxo-barge consumes just 2.8-liters per 100 kilometers, which works out to 84 mpg by our math. To deliver that kind of fuel economy from a car that weighs 2.5 tons, Mercedes uses two tricks: A pedal that pushes back against lead feet, and software that analyzes traffic and topography to get the most out of the battery.
Nissan first put the meddle to the pedal six years ago with a haptic accelerator for its gas and hybrid models. Its Eco Pedal pushes back against the driver’s foot when the car’s sophisticated software decides you’re being a bit too assertive with the acceleration. It’s the high-tech equivalent of putting a grapefruit under the gas pedal. There’s some science to back up the technology. A 2013 study from the University of Warwick tested how drivers react to a stimulus triggered when they pushed the pedal past the 50 percent threshold. The results showed “significant decreases” in how the drivers accelerated, the authors write, and “workload decreased when driving with the haptic pedal as compared to when drivers were simply asked to drive economically.” In other words, humans are better at saving fuel when they have some help from their cars.
The pedal in the S550 plug-in works just like Nissan’s, but the goal is a bit different. The idea isn’t simply to tell the driver to ease off, but to warn him that he’s about to fire up the gas engine. Unlike hybrids, plug-in electric cars can drive at everyday speeds on battery power alone (the S550 can hit 87 mph on electricity alone; the gas engine is good for 130 mph). Usually, a car will stay in electric mode until the battery’s drained or until it needs the added oomph of internal combustion to provide the acceleration demanded by the driver. Because PHEVs are new to most people, Mercedes thinks its customers could use some help getting used to how they work, and how to drive them most efficiently. The haptic feedback of a pedal pushing back against your foot essentially tells you, “Hey… keep it up and the engine will kick in.” Implicit is the message: Do you really need to go faster, or would you rather save fuel?
Daimler AG
Trick number two is the “intelligent operating strategy,” a fancy way of saying the S550 is programmed to know where it can recoup kinetic energy and charge the battery through regenerative braking. It has three ways of figuring that out:
- The driver can change the transmission mode to indicate he wants more sporty or more economical driving. The latter will be heavier on the regen.
- If the car’s radar senses a vehicle slowing down ahead, it provides a “noticeable double impulse” in the pedal, hinting the driver should ease off. That kicks the car into EV mode and increases the regenerative braking, so when the driver hits the pedal on the left, more energy is recouped.
- Thanks to GPS, the Benz knows when hills are coming up. If it senses a climb followed by a downhill stretch, it will use more battery than engine power to get up. The point is to drain enough juice so that all the energy captured on the ride down the hill can be stored. No battery power wasted, and a bit of fuel saved.
The S550 will be available in California next spring, and the rest of the US sometime around 2016. There’s no official word on the price, but Mercedes says it will cost a bit more than the $92,900 S550 base model.
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