Automobile News

Mercedes has come up with a novel concept in the form of its latest zero-emission car that can be powered by three different propulsion systems. The car takes inspiration from the B Class hatchback, and its electric motor can be energised by the batteries alone, or by a battery pack recharged by a fuel cell generator, or even from batteries whose range can be inflated by an external combustion system. The point here is that in each of the above cases the batteries are water-cooled lithium-ion, while the electric motor produces an inspiring 93bhp and 236lb ft of torque which powers the front wheels.

The Blue-ZERO concept exploits the possibilities thrown open by the sandwich construction of the B Class, which has been generating a lot of buzz due to its unobtrusive nature as far as passenger and luggage space is concerned. Moreover, the model is also a trendsetter of a sort for its low centre of gravity. Drivers should also love the crash performance meted out by the car which assisted by its unique design and layout. All the three models can reach speeds of up to 62mph in a matter of seconds, while the top speed is regulated at 93mph to improve battery life.

The mode when run on pure electric E-Cell has a range of 120miles which can be extended to an astounding 248miles in F-Cell form by the fuel cell generator.

This latest development shows Mercedes’ intent to promote low emission vehicles and from 2009 onwards the company will operate a small fleet of experimental hydrogen fuel cell vehicles to get acquainted with the various issues confronting the concept. While energy efficiency is admittedly important for everyday household products, like the energy efficient A class Hotpoint FF4DK fridge freezer, it is far important for your car, in terms of saving both money and the environment. Mercedes, it seems, has recognised this. The company, in fact, has completed all the formalities to introduce its first series of pure electric cars come 2010.

Electric cars seem like the new hot trend. Gordon Brown is saying the country should completely switch to them by the year 2020, and electrically powered sports cars, like the Tesla Roadster, or even the 500 horse power SSC Ultimate Aero EV, are showing people just how powerful the technology can be. Even so, the technology still has some notable drawbacks, such as expense or time spent charging the battery, that are preventing it from completely and immediately taking over the auto combustion engine world. However, one car currently being presented at the British Motor Show in London, might at least put one of these concerns to rest.

The Electric Lightning sports car, from the Lightning Car Co., was unveiled yesterday at the British Motor Show. Aside from its high performance, a key feature of the car is the battery technology it employs, which is actually quite revolutionary. Most electric sports cars, or indeed all electric cars, use lithium-ion technology, the same as is commonly found in mobile phone batteries. The Electric Lighting on the other hand, makes use of new and far more efficient lithium-titanate battery technology. In fact, the new battery technology is so efficient that the entire car can be charged in a matter of minutes (no more than 10 minutes), while drivers of ordinary electric cars typically have to charge their vehicles overnight or at least wait for many hours. This vast improvement in charging time completely eliminates one of the inconveniences associated with the electric car, namely, the time it takes to charge.

Such an innovation clearly gives the Electric Lightning an advantage over its competitors and, should the technology prove to be reliable, will probably be the future of electric cars. Of course the company themselves assert that the technology has been tested and is full-proof. Should this in fact be true, then we can get excited over a huge innovation in the electric car industry and look forward to faster charging cars in the future.