M-Class (W164) 2010 ML450 Hybrid Debuts
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The Mercedes-Benz W164 is the second generation M-Class ("ML") range of mid-size luxury SUVs. Production: January 2005 – 2011. Model years: 2006-2011.
Wolfgang
Kraftwagen König
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^^^
and who do we have here? Didn't think he'd fit...
Shaquille O’Neal Drives a Mercedes Smart Fortwo
and who do we have here? Didn't think he'd fit...
Shaquille O’Neal Drives a Mercedes Smart Fortwo
far2000
AMG Aficionado
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- 1,600
So you saying a Mercedes should be driven by only a select few
? what happened to the theory of : buy it if you can afford it...would hate to see dealerships profiling before selling you a car.
Wolfgang
Kraftwagen König
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Autospies and Autoblog discovered an electric ML prototype, supposedly using Remy HVH motors? 
Picture: http://www.autospies.com/news/EXCLU...-And-All-Electric-ML350-In-Your-Future-57692/
Rumormill: Is AMP converting a Mercedes-Benz ML350 for Daimler?
Recently we learned that AMP electric vehicles had made a deal with an undisclosed automaker to electrify one of their SUVs. While one might legitimately suspect the unnamed one is General Motors, since the Chevrolet Equinox has already been the subject of AMP's conversion process, there is now word that another, somewhat unexpected company might be behind the request.
Citing an "inside source" and offering up an "exclusive spy photo", Autospies is reporting that the SUV in question is actually a Mercedes Benz ML350. Wait, what? Who? Does that mean Daimler has been stepping out on a certain Californian electric vehicle company in which it has not only invested, but also contracted with for battery and controls tech? It would certainly seem a bit strange given that Tesla had to take the initiative, buy an A-Class and convert it themselves to show reps from the German giant what a great idea it was.
Perhaps that incident convinced some white collared higher-ups that the company needed to be a bit more proactive and this is the odd fruit born of that episode. To put an end to the speculation and satisfy our curiosities we called AMP and asked whether they could confirm or deny this rumor. They could do neither. And so, we leave it to you to weigh in with your considered opinions in the comments section below.
Rumormill: Is AMP converting a Mercedes-Benz ML-350 for Daimler? — Autoblog Green
Picture: http://www.autospies.com/news/EXCLU...-And-All-Electric-ML350-In-Your-Future-57692/
Rumormill: Is AMP converting a Mercedes-Benz ML350 for Daimler?
Recently we learned that AMP electric vehicles had made a deal with an undisclosed automaker to electrify one of their SUVs. While one might legitimately suspect the unnamed one is General Motors, since the Chevrolet Equinox has already been the subject of AMP's conversion process, there is now word that another, somewhat unexpected company might be behind the request.
Citing an "inside source" and offering up an "exclusive spy photo", Autospies is reporting that the SUV in question is actually a Mercedes Benz ML350. Wait, what? Who? Does that mean Daimler has been stepping out on a certain Californian electric vehicle company in which it has not only invested, but also contracted with for battery and controls tech? It would certainly seem a bit strange given that Tesla had to take the initiative, buy an A-Class and convert it themselves to show reps from the German giant what a great idea it was.
Perhaps that incident convinced some white collared higher-ups that the company needed to be a bit more proactive and this is the odd fruit born of that episode. To put an end to the speculation and satisfy our curiosities we called AMP and asked whether they could confirm or deny this rumor. They could do neither. And so, we leave it to you to weigh in with your considered opinions in the comments section below.
Rumormill: Is AMP converting a Mercedes-Benz ML-350 for Daimler? — Autoblog Green
Wolfgang
Kraftwagen König
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rumors confirmed. 
Amp Delivers Its First Electric Mercedes-Benz ML Conversion
By JONATHAN SCHULTZ, NYT
As Elon Musk, the chief executive of Tesla Motors, learned during filming of “Revenge of the Electric Car,” developing an E.V. from the ground up is a prohibitively expensive exercise. Amp Electric Vehicles, an Ohio company that removes the guts of internal-combustion passenger cars and replaces them with electric powertrains, says it has a more viable way to get E.V.’s on the road, even if those roads are almost an ocean away.
On Wednesday morning at its showroom and production complex in Cincinnati, Amp executives handed over the keys of an electric Mercedes-Benz ML 350 to the company’s newest and biggest client, Gisli Gislason, the chairman and chief executive of Northern Lights Energy, a utility in Iceland. The luxury S.U.V. is the first vehicle to be produced in a five-year contract between the two companies, during which Amp expects to ship 1,000 E.V.’s to the island nation.
Amp has converted only General Motors passenger cars, relying primarily on the Chevrolet Equinox crossover as its donor vehicle. The ML’s proportions are similar to those of the Equinox, which helped in the conversion, particularly for the company’s 900-pound battery unit.
“We retained a split battery pack to keep the weight balance about equal to the original manufacturer’s specification,” said Steve Burns, president and co-founder of Amp, in a telephone interview. “We can even lower the center of gravity a bit to give it better handling.”
The ML’s global distribution was also a consideration for Amp. “It’s a world car, so it’s already passed Euro and U.S. crash-safety tests,” he said. “That’s the benefit of our approach; we didn’t have to worry about developing a defroster or a windshield wiper.”
Amp is not committing exclusively to the ML as its future platform, nor is it trying to lock up a contract with one battery supplier (Mr. Burns declined to name the current supplier of its batteries). This is an advantage of the company’s business model, Mr. Burns said. “We have a five-year contract, so you can imagine what batteries will do during that time,” he said. “We try to be battery agnostic.”
Mr. Burns estimates that the ML should travel 100 miles on a charge in pure highway driving, which compares favorably to the estimated range of the Nissan Leaf, despite the ML weighing nearly 2,000 pounds more than the purely electric Nissan.
Though primarily an electricity provider, Northern Lights will function as a distribution channel for the Amp vehicles. Mr. Gislason is working to secure orders from companies, municipalities and individual buyers in Iceland, who, according to Mr. Gislason, should be easy quarry.
“Gasoline is about $8 a gallon right now, and Iceland has low import taxes on E.V.’s,” he said in a telephone interview. “A Mercedes S.U.V. would be basically the same price to import, plus you’d have to purchase gas. For us, it’s a no brainer.”
Iceland also generates much of its electricity through geothermal and hydroelectric sources, which increases the cost benefit of E.V. operation, he said.
The utility’s agreement with Amp is not exclusive, so Northern Lights could conceivably become partners with other E.V. manufacturers. However, Mr. Gislason does not expect that to occur soon. “Amp can deliver us cars. Today, they gave us a real car. We’re not being told by a big manufacturer, ‘Oh, there’s a delay.’ We’re getting them right now.”
Amp Delivers Its First Electric Mercedes-Benz ML Conversion - NYTimes.com
While the initial sales territory is specific for Iceland, the agreement anticipates expansion throughout the Nordic region to include Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark and the Faroe Islands.
Amp Delivers Its First Electric Mercedes-Benz ML Conversion
By JONATHAN SCHULTZ, NYT
As Elon Musk, the chief executive of Tesla Motors, learned during filming of “Revenge of the Electric Car,” developing an E.V. from the ground up is a prohibitively expensive exercise. Amp Electric Vehicles, an Ohio company that removes the guts of internal-combustion passenger cars and replaces them with electric powertrains, says it has a more viable way to get E.V.’s on the road, even if those roads are almost an ocean away.
On Wednesday morning at its showroom and production complex in Cincinnati, Amp executives handed over the keys of an electric Mercedes-Benz ML 350 to the company’s newest and biggest client, Gisli Gislason, the chairman and chief executive of Northern Lights Energy, a utility in Iceland. The luxury S.U.V. is the first vehicle to be produced in a five-year contract between the two companies, during which Amp expects to ship 1,000 E.V.’s to the island nation.
Amp has converted only General Motors passenger cars, relying primarily on the Chevrolet Equinox crossover as its donor vehicle. The ML’s proportions are similar to those of the Equinox, which helped in the conversion, particularly for the company’s 900-pound battery unit.
“We retained a split battery pack to keep the weight balance about equal to the original manufacturer’s specification,” said Steve Burns, president and co-founder of Amp, in a telephone interview. “We can even lower the center of gravity a bit to give it better handling.”
The ML’s global distribution was also a consideration for Amp. “It’s a world car, so it’s already passed Euro and U.S. crash-safety tests,” he said. “That’s the benefit of our approach; we didn’t have to worry about developing a defroster or a windshield wiper.”
Amp is not committing exclusively to the ML as its future platform, nor is it trying to lock up a contract with one battery supplier (Mr. Burns declined to name the current supplier of its batteries). This is an advantage of the company’s business model, Mr. Burns said. “We have a five-year contract, so you can imagine what batteries will do during that time,” he said. “We try to be battery agnostic.”
Mr. Burns estimates that the ML should travel 100 miles on a charge in pure highway driving, which compares favorably to the estimated range of the Nissan Leaf, despite the ML weighing nearly 2,000 pounds more than the purely electric Nissan.
Though primarily an electricity provider, Northern Lights will function as a distribution channel for the Amp vehicles. Mr. Gislason is working to secure orders from companies, municipalities and individual buyers in Iceland, who, according to Mr. Gislason, should be easy quarry.
“Gasoline is about $8 a gallon right now, and Iceland has low import taxes on E.V.’s,” he said in a telephone interview. “A Mercedes S.U.V. would be basically the same price to import, plus you’d have to purchase gas. For us, it’s a no brainer.”
Iceland also generates much of its electricity through geothermal and hydroelectric sources, which increases the cost benefit of E.V. operation, he said.
The utility’s agreement with Amp is not exclusive, so Northern Lights could conceivably become partners with other E.V. manufacturers. However, Mr. Gislason does not expect that to occur soon. “Amp can deliver us cars. Today, they gave us a real car. We’re not being told by a big manufacturer, ‘Oh, there’s a delay.’ We’re getting them right now.”
Amp Delivers Its First Electric Mercedes-Benz ML Conversion - NYTimes.com
While the initial sales territory is specific for Iceland, the agreement anticipates expansion throughout the Nordic region to include Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark and the Faroe Islands.
Wolfgang
Kraftwagen König
- Messages
- 10,229
^^ ya, it's heavy, but is doesn't need a V6, automatic or fuel tank.
Gisli Gislason, the chairman and CEO of Northern Lights Energy of Iceland, drives the first of the 1000
SUVs out of AMP's showroom in Blue Ash. J.D. Staley, AMP's global director of sales and marketing,
rides in the passenger seat. / The Enquirer/Ernest Coleman
Electric SUV just first of 1,000 | Cincinnati.com | cincinnati.com
Gisli Gislason, the chairman and CEO of Northern Lights Energy of Iceland, drives the first of the 1000
SUVs out of AMP's showroom in Blue Ash. J.D. Staley, AMP's global director of sales and marketing,
rides in the passenger seat. / The Enquirer/Ernest Coleman
Electric SUV just first of 1,000 | Cincinnati.com | cincinnati.com
Wolfgang
Kraftwagen König
- Messages
- 10,229
Daimler with partner Evonik decided to ramp production, from currently 300.000 cells p.a. to 3.000.000
cells p.a. by 2013, according to Reuters. It might help to further optimize the drivetrain?
http://www.li-tec.de/en/
Wolfgang
Kraftwagen König
- Messages
- 10,229
at the most 500,000 by 2021? Might still be too optimistic?
With 3 million cells Li-Tec can make 30,000 batteries a year.
Daimler CEO Zetsche believes Germany may miss EV target, report says
Automotive News Europe -- FRANKFURT – Daimler AG CEO Dieter Zetsche said Germany will fail to reach a goal of putting one million electric vehicles on Germany's roads by 2021 if the government doesn't offer subsidies for the cars, the German Bild newspaper said, citing an interview with the manager on Monday.
Germany will have 500,000 electric cars by that time "at the most" without incentives, Zetsche was quoted as saying.
Earlier this month, the German government announced an additional 1 billion euros ($1.4 billion) in research and development aid for electric vehicles, doubling its budget by 2013 in a bid to position itself at the forefront of the technology's advance.
Tax rebates, dedicated parking spots and measures aimed at promoting government use of electric cars are among the other incentives to be adopted as Germany strives to meet its EV target within ten years, Chancellor Angela Merkel told reporters at the time.
But unlike many other European countries, Germany does not offer direct subsidies to car buyers choosing to purchase an EV.
Source: Bloomberg
Read more: http://autonewseurope.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20110531/ANE/110539996/1193#ixzz1NwgSjPFt
With 3 million cells Li-Tec can make 30,000 batteries a year.
Daimler CEO Zetsche believes Germany may miss EV target, report says
Automotive News Europe -- FRANKFURT – Daimler AG CEO Dieter Zetsche said Germany will fail to reach a goal of putting one million electric vehicles on Germany's roads by 2021 if the government doesn't offer subsidies for the cars, the German Bild newspaper said, citing an interview with the manager on Monday.
Germany will have 500,000 electric cars by that time "at the most" without incentives, Zetsche was quoted as saying.
Earlier this month, the German government announced an additional 1 billion euros ($1.4 billion) in research and development aid for electric vehicles, doubling its budget by 2013 in a bid to position itself at the forefront of the technology's advance.
Tax rebates, dedicated parking spots and measures aimed at promoting government use of electric cars are among the other incentives to be adopted as Germany strives to meet its EV target within ten years, Chancellor Angela Merkel told reporters at the time.
But unlike many other European countries, Germany does not offer direct subsidies to car buyers choosing to purchase an EV.
Source: Bloomberg
Read more: http://autonewseurope.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20110531/ANE/110539996/1193#ixzz1NwgSjPFt
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Mercedes-Benz Group AG is headquartered in Stuttgart, Germany.
Established in 1926, Mercedes-Benz Group produces consumer luxury
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and Mercedes-Maybach.
Its origin lies in Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft's 1901 Mercedes
and Carl Benz's 1886 Benz Patent-Motorwagen, which is widely regarded
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The slogan for the brand is "the best or nothing".
Official website: Mercedes-Benz (Global), Mercedes-Benz (USA)
Official website: Mercedes-Benz (Global), Mercedes-Benz (USA)
