GENEVA ? DaimlerChrysler rolled out a new fuel-cell power train on the Mercedes-Benz B-Class sports tourers at the 2005 Geneva Motor Show with a range of 250 miles.
The high-torque electric motor will develop more than 100 kW – 35 kW more power than its predecessor generation.
“With this car, we are continuing our highly successful practical tests on an even larger scale,” said Thomas Weber, member of DaimlerChrysler’s Board of Management with responsibility for Research and Technology and for the development of the Mercedes Car Group.
As gasoline prices remain above $2 a gallon, hybrid gasoline-electric and fuel-cell powered vehicles are becoming more attractive to consumers. Demand for Toyota?s Prius hybrid has soared to record levels.
TheCarConnection reports the success of the Prius has provided a wake-up call for Detroit and European manufacturers. Ford recently launched its first hybrid, a version of its Escape SUV, and has announced plans for four more.
General Motors and DaimlerChrysler have formed a joint venture to produce a new type of ?dual-mode? hybrid, while even Volkswagen, long a proponent of diesel technology, has conceded the need to develop a hybrid.
There are still plenty of skeptics who argue that hybrid technology doesn?t save enough fuel to justify the added expense. But ?We forgot the emotional impact and the fact that a lot of people out there want to make an environmental statement,? said GM vice chairman Bob Lutz.
To read more about the future of hybrids, click on TheCarConnection.Com
