New Bi-Turbos' for 2011

Mercedes Benz USA just announced their plan to reveal new bi-turbo engines which provide more horsepower and performance then their predecessors, while being able to offer even better fuel economy standards.  Mercedes Benz is putting these engines into production on the re-designed 2011 CL 550, CL 63 AMG, CL 65 AMG, and S 63 AMG.  Replacing a 5.5 liter V8, a new 4.6 liter V8, which produces 429 horsepower in the new 2011 CL 550.  The new engine has a twenty percent smaller displacement from the existing (2010) model.  This all amounts about a ten percent increase in fuel economy, which is a pretty impressive number considering the amount of power that the engine can produce.

The second engine that Mercedes confirmed will go into production is for the new CL 63 AMG, CL 65 AMG, and the S 63 AMG.  The AMG series is a separate division of Mercedes-Benz, that specializes in producing hand-built, race inspired engines, that pack a lot of power into one car.  The new AMG engines, 5.5 liter V8 engines feature start/stop technology and twin turbochargers and direct injection, and all of this produces 536 horsepower, a twenty percent increase in fuel economy.  Also, an new AMG Speedshift 7 speed automatic transmission will also be a new feature in the CL AMG's.  In addition to the engines, the CL-Class got a facelift with new LED daytime running lamps, LED turn-signals, and improved bi-xenon headlamps with active curve illumination.  The rear of the car also got minor upgrades such as rear exhausted incorporated into the rear bumper, as well as re-placement of the reverse lights in the trunk lid.

BLUE|HYBRID

They were the first automotive manufacturer to patent the front and rear crumple zones, safety airbags, and now the first lithium ion battery to power an all new S-Class sedan.  The S400 launched earlier this year, with a brand new technology- the worlds first hybrid that uses a lithium ion battery.  Benz has 25 patents on this hybrid technology, and it differs from both their ML450 HYBRID, as well as many of the Japanese hybrids that we have seen from Toyota and Lexus.  The biggest difference, the battery is under the hood!  By placing the battery under the hood, Mercedes can control the climate control and that temperature of the battery so everything is running efficiently.  The S-Class sedan gets about 30 miles to the gallon, and for a 3.5 liter V-6, and a 15kW electric motor, these fuel numbers are pretty astonishing.  Another advantage to using this type of battery technology is that whereas most hybrids compromise trunk space, this one uses virtually none.  Benz states that the main advantage using this battery over all other batteries is that it saves so much space.  Other features that are attractive to Mercedes is the weight of the battery, long service life, and tremendous reliability.  Mercedes has also been thinking about implementing a diesel/hybrid power-train.  Seeing as their diesel is one of the most fuel efficient diesels on the road, couple it with a battery/electric motor, some pretty impressive MPG numbers, as well as performance.

Just to re-cap, the S400 Sedan is the only Mercedes-Benz vehicle to use the new lithium ion battery technology, the ML450 SUV uses a conventional two-mode hybrid system.

Mercedes Investing in China

Like many other automakers, Daimler AG; the parent company of Mercedes Benz, announced Friday that 2014-2016 will be Benz's biggest years in China.  Officials announced that they hope to sell around 300,000 vehicles during that time, 70% of which will be produced in China to keep up with the growing demand for automobiles.  However major-capacity could be an issue during those times, but officials believe that as long as China's economy continues to move in an increasing direction.  In a side report that I read prior to starting this blog assignment, the Mercedes S-400 BlueHYBRID sedan was the most popular car for young business men in China, and it came at a substantial price, too.  Therefore, with new fuel technologies which will help the Chinese environment, especially in big cities like Beijing, China's support of the German automaker will most likely be welcomed with open arms.

Many other automotive companies have found success in China.  Buick, a company that was in fear of going under years ago, turned itself around because of China.  Many Chinese auto buyers liked the new styling age of some cars known in America as the LaCrosse, and Lucerne, which was then modified for an American market after the GM/ US Auto crisis a couple of years ago.  Will Mercedes have that kind of success, just like Buick.  There are a lot of differences in both brands, but it will be up to the chinese consumers to determine!

iPad's effect on Business

When Apple first released the iPad, many consumers flocked to the stores because they had to have the newest Apple gadget.  Business, werent so sure how they would hold up to their standards, but as time went one more and more businesses decided to join in and start supporting Apple iPads in their day-to-day business functions.

Mercedes Benz Financial, an automotive leasing company, affiliated with Mercedes Benz, tried out the new iPads in about 40 Mercedes Benz dealerships.  The tablet is used to connect to the MB Advantage app.  This app allows salesman to take back an end-of-lease vehicle, and start new paperwork.  The device and application are set up to allow the salesman more time on the sales floor, rather then having to go back and forth to an office to complete paperwork.  By allowing the sales staff more time on the floor, Mercedes is hoping for an increase in sales figures.

From their test, Mercedes Benz is now giving each of their 355 dealerships one 3G iPad, however the dealerships will have to pay for the data package.  The reason for the 3G iPads, versus the regular WiFi iPad is that during the course of the observation period, sales representatives wanted to start paperwork while on a test-drive.  These iPads are costing MB almost $300,000.  Another perk for the web-based module is that the development kit for this app is painless, compared to the iPhone.  Mercedes needed to hire outside consultants familiar with the iPhone to build that app, whereas this new platform requires minor cosmetic changes to the web-based application.  Lastly, Mercedes chose Apple for their primary devices, because they both have similar company cultures which create products that look to change and re-invient an industry.  Tap on!

SLS AMG

Its a car that is re-defining high performance, and has the ability to blow any other car out of the water.  This is the AMG "Supercar": 2011 SLS AMG!  This is a neat video that I found about it!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zauEeIwQV0g

125 Trees for 125 Years

Today (October 13th, 2010) Mercedes Benz USA planted 125 trees in New Orleans City Park.  It marked 125 years to the day that Carl Benz, and Gottlieb Daimler submitted patents for the automobile.  During the tragic event of Hurricane Katrina five years ago, the New Orleans City Park was completely destroyed, and has been under construction ever since.  The President and CEO of MBUSA, Ernst Lieb was on hand at today's ceremony, and had the following to say:

"Despite the overwhelming setback of Hurricane Katrina, the City of New Orleans has a bright future that combines its rich heritage and new development...These trees are a symbol of resiliency and growth for this amazing city and we hope it brings a sense of renewal for the local residents and tourists who visit the park."


I thought that I would include this post in my blog because it shows that Mercedes Benz is not only worried about their bottom line, but they want to reach out and help communities that need the help and bring them success stories.  These trees, donated by Mercedes Benz will hopefully inspire the people of New Orleans to continue with their pursuit of bringing the life back to the city after the tragic events of Hurricane Katrina.

New Orleans City Park is one of the largest parks in New Orleans, and it attracts over 11 million visitors each year, and it is the city's largest recreational area.  Over 170 Mercedes Benz employees spent time planting the 125 trees, and other landscaping in attempt to revitalize the park.

BlueTEC Clean Diesel

Setting the Scene:
A few blog posts ago, I wrote about new fuel alternatives that Mercedes Benz has continued to perfect ever since the companies beginning's.  Mercedes was known for its diesel engines, but if we recall, they were loud, slow, and never smelled good.  Engineers at Mercedes took on a challenge, that was, perfecting the diesel engine.  The Mercedes diesel engine has come a long way, and now is referenced by the words BlueTEC Clean Diesel.  Currently, Mercedes-Benz offers four different BlueTEC models: E 350, ML 350, R 350, and the GL 350.

Yeah...its still a diesel!
Many people think the diesels are not fun to drive, or offer any benefits.  Well to Mercedes engineers, those exact words dont exist.  The Benz diesel cars are some of the best on the road today, that being in fuel efficiency, emissions standards, and an overall new diesel technology which allows the car to have less noise, more performance, and ultimately better for our environment.  All BlueTEC vehicles have a 20-30% increase in fuel economy compared to their gasoline rivals, and can travel up to 600 miles on ONE tank of gas!  Thats a trip from New York City to Detroit!  However, those are simple benefits of driving it- the new stuff is under the hood!  First off, Ultra-Low Sulfur Diesel must be used in all Mercedes diesel vehicles, and the key to its success is the lower amounts of sulfur than traditional diesel fuel, which helps to also improve emissions.  On the topic of emissions, how does only nitrogen and water release from the vehicle?  Mercedes credits the AdBlue technology, which sprays toxic content in the catalytic converter, and converts the toxic chemicals (nitrogen oxides) into good nitrogen that reduces the amount of soot and pollution that is release in other conventional vehicles.  In addition, there is an enhancement in the combustion cycle which makes for a more efficient use of the fuel.

After doing much research, prior to starting this blog, I found that diesels are a technology well worth looking at.  When my family purchased our 2008 GMC Acadia, we thought it had it all; space, fuel efficiency, etc.  Now, after the car has given us many problems, I suggested we look into an alternate fuel technology.  My family has two hybrids, a 2010 Lexus RX450h, and a 2009 Mercury Mariner Hybrid.  My family thought about getting another RX because we like ours that we have now, but when I researched about diesel, Mercedes has a lot to offer in terms of fuel efficiency, and emissions ratings, and less time and money spent at the gas station!  Now, as we are going to be looking to replace the Acadia in the coming months, German diesel's are high on our list- especially the ML 350 BlueTEC!

...up next, the BlueHYBRID!

Ethics, Ethics, Ethics...

In a press release dated October 10, 2010, Mercedes Benz (Daimler) issues a recall on nearly 85,000 Mercedes Benz models sold in the United States.  Vehicles that are effected are the 2010 C-Class, and 2010/2011 E-Class Models.  The reason for the recall stemmed after Mercedes Benz found many vehicles lacking a tight high-pressure power steering line, which caused fluid to leak.  Daimler officials noted that in times when drivers need full steering power, such as parking into a parking spot, it might cause the driver to have improper control of the vehicle and possibly crash the vehicle.  Customers began complaining to Mercedes about the problem, but the safety agency had no reported accidents.  

This is another example of ethics in business, and something that can "hurt" Mercedes Benz in multiple ways.  This recall comes after troubling years for automakers.  Recall, Toyota's MAJOR recall when they put profits before safety, resulting in many accidents and even death.  While Mercedes-Benz is taking appropriate action by recalling possible effected vehicles, it has many positive and negative effects.  Firstly, recalls are never inexpensive for a manufacturer- rather, they can be quite costly.  The positive side to all of this, is that people will have more respect for Mercedes-Benz, and Daimler as a whole because they are taking action, because they want to ensure safety of their customers, and anyone who rides in a Mercedes.  Whereas, Toyota continued to delay the recalls, and uncovered the pure truth, that being that profits drove them to cut safety.  Mercedes-Benz's position on safety is nothing to tamper with.  When you pride yourself on something, you need to be able to stick to that, and for many automakers it is safety, however Mercedes-Benz will not go a day without compromising safety.

Interface Plus

Mercedes Benz has recently launched a new feature in the COMMAND system, called Interface Plus.  This is another multimedia system that allows you to sync almost anything to your qualifying Mercedes Benz from your smartphone, such as an iPhone.  Even app's on your phone such as pandora, can now be accessed from your steering wheel.  Some automakers such as Ford, have released MyFordTouch, a similar concept, which both the phone and car settings are controlled through the cars computer.  Mercedes's Interface Plus will also read your text messages to you, stream your music via bluetooth, and watch videos on the large COMMAND screen.

This system will not be controlled wirelessly; rather you have to purchase an MIP (Media Interface Plus) card which will allow the data to be copied from the phone to the car's hard-drive.  The system will also charge the device that is plugged in, whether it be an iPod, iPhone, or BlackBerry.  This is another attempt at shifting towards a handsfree driving experience, and focusing on using in-car controls to use mobile devices.  The feature is available on the 2011: S-Class, SL- Class, CL-Class, CLS-Class, and optional on the ML, E, E coupe, C with qualifying packages.  It would be interesting to see if more apps try to get on board with the integration of a motor vehicle.  Maybe they can work with HDD navigation systems to provide information such as cheapest gas, or most fuel efficient route!

Go Green, by driving Blue

Go Green by driving Blue, with Mercedes Benz's breakthrough technologies in fuel efficiency.  Formerly known as BlueTec, but renamed BLUE|EFFICIENCY in 2007 made its debut on many Mercedes Benz models such as the E-Class, C-Class, M-Class, GL-Class, R-Class, and for 2010 the first BLUE|EFFICIENCY hybrid was introduced to the M-Class, and the S-Class.  All other models have a 3.5 liter diesel engine that gets remarkable fuel efficiency no matter if you have a lead foot or not.  The changes made to the car are to produce the impressive results based on a new design, which is not noticeable to a typical person, and on car hardware to support the fuel ratings.

In this post, we will go through the new design phases of the BLUE|EFFICIENCY vehicles.  Later this week I will post about the diesel, and all new hybrid.  To many automakers, they way to increase fuel economy numbers is by design, and improving the cars aerodynamic capabilities, and Mercedes has made some improvements in this aspect of increasing fuel efficiency.  First, they have manufactured the vehicles with thinner windows, a thinner windshield, and they have even reduced the amount on noise cancellation material in the cabin.  In addition the cars are lower then their non-blue models, and have a part of the grill blocked off, all to increase fuel efficiency.  Many of these changes, buyers and lookers will not notice, but one thing that they will notice is the large miles to empty screen on the cars computer!