Mercedes-Benz unveiled the Concept B-Class E-Cell Plus at the Frankfurt motor show earlier this week.
The Concept B-Class E-Cell Plus is a plug-in hybrid with a 100 kW electric motor, which provides a continuous output of 70 kW. The on-board engine is a 50 kW petrol unit, which charges the battery at low speeds, but can kick in at high speeds to drive the front wheels together with the electric motor. The transmission is a newly developed automatic from Mercedes-Benz.
The plug-in hybrid B-Class is fitted with a lithium-ion battery from Deutsche Accumotive, which promises to offer an emission-free driving range of up to 100 kilometers, that can be extended to a total of 600 kilometers with the use of the small displacement petrol engine. The two drive units are located in the engine compartment, together with the transmission and the generator, while the lithium-ion battery and the fuel tank are located in a false floor at the rear.
According to the Stuttgart-based firm, the Concept B-Class E-Cell Plus can complete the standard sprint from zero to 100 km/h in 11.0 seconds and reach a top speed of 150 km/h.
The Concept B-Class E-Cell Plus also features a host a Mercedes-Benz technologies, such as the Collision Prevention Assist. Mercedes said that the concept vehicle presented in Frankfurt “provides a foretaste of the series” which is scheduled go into production in 2014.
