Published: June 13, 2016, 8:00 AM
Updated: October 11, 2021, 10:02 AM
Powertrain future promises diversity
Electrification and the combustion engine are both part of the future plan.
By Richard Russell
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TecDay - Road to the Future
The company that built the first automobile has a clear vision of where the industry is going over the next decade and is well down the road in developing products and technologies to meet the challenge. Mercedes-Benz staged a media event labeled ‘TecDay - Road to the Future’ in its hometown of Stuttgart, to showcase the path for powertrains going forward.
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Combustion engine here to stay
While there is a big focus on electric and electrified vehicles these days, Mercedes says the combustion engine is here to stay for quite a while as well, with further advances allowing it to remain competitive in both cost and efficiency. Some of those developments will include particulate filters for gasoline engines and further advances in clean diesel combustion, along with accompanying electrification across the board and 48-volt electrical systems – all of this in the next 18 months.
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Huge investment in green technologies
Prof Dr Thomas Weber, member of the board of management of Daimler AG responsible for R & D and car development, told us that Daimler will invest more than 14.5 billion Euros ($21 billion Cdn) in research and development in the next two years, seven billion euros ($10B Cdn) of that on “green” technologies.
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13% less fuel for new diesels
The “road going forward” starts with a new family of “premium” diesel engines, the first of them now found under the hood of the 2016 E-Class in European markets. Innovations for this aluminum four-cylinder engine, wearing the OM 654 designation, include “stepped bowl” combustion process utilizing unique steel pistons, an aluminum crankcase and a new low-friction unique cylinder wall coating. Thanks to optimized airflow on both the intake and exhaust sides, extremely high-pressure injection (2050 bar/30,000 psi) and a 25% reduction in internal friction, the new engine consumes 13% less fuel than the unit it replaces. Variations will follow throughout the entire product range of Mercedes-Benz cars and vans in longitudinal and transverse applications with front, rear and all-wheel drive.
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Fuel-efficient torque monster
Daimler-Benz and its subsidiaries produce a broad range of large commercial vehicles – trucks and buses. A second generation of its large diesel engines for these vehicles has been developed that cuts fuel consumption by 3% and offers improved driving dynamics. This big 12.8-litre six-cylinder brute develops 530-horsepower and an amazing 1,918 lb-ft of torque!
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48-volt electrical systems
“We will electrify all Mercedes-Benz passenger car models step-by-step,” Weber told an international media group. That electrification will include 48-volt electrical systems and powerful starter/generators. The 48-volt systems offer four times the power at identical current loads compared to current 12-volt systems. They will allow fuel savings through energy recovery boost and operationin electric-only mode, previously only possible with hybrids.
The 48-volt systems will allow the recovery of more than 80% of braking energy, resulting in fuel savings of 10-15%. This system will also provide headroom for future advances in infotainment and innovative assistance systems.
The powerful starter generators, (combination of starter and generator) will assist the engine when starting, allow recovery of energy created during braking and provide power for initial acceleration. They will also readily accept the transition to 48-volts.
A new family of gasoline engines will be introduced in 2017. The inline six-cylinder units (M256) will have an integrated starter/generator. installed between the engine and transmission.
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Belt-driven starter/generator
A four-cylinder engine with a belt-driven starter/generator, using existing alternator mounts, will also come along in 2017. These and all future Mercedes gasoline engines will be equipped with particulate filters, an industry first. Mercedes has completed more than two years of practical experience/tests with this technology in the S500. The first production vehicles with the filters will be the updated versions of the S-Class appearing in 2017.
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Key role for plug-in hybrids
Plug-in hybrids will play a key role in allowing emission-free local driving at Mercedes-Benz by offering the best of both worlds – all-electric drive in urban areas and combustion-engine power for long distance driving. Mercedes will offer eight plug-in hybrids by the end of 2016 in various markets. The next big advance will come in 2017 when the face-lifted S-50 e comes to market with an all-electric operating range in excess of 50 km. This will be possible because of advances in lithium-ion batteries and “further optimized intelligent operating strategies”.
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Seamless transitions between gas and electric
Short test drives in the GLC 350e and GLE 500e showed that Mercedes has made great advances in this dual-mode technology, resulting in a seamless transition between the two methods of propulsion. The GLC 350e has a four-cylinder engine and electric motor with a combined output of 315 horsepower and 413 lb-ft of torque. It is rated at 2.6 litres/100-km on the highway and can run 34 km on electric power alone. The GLE 500e has a twin-turbo V-6 engine and an electric motor, with 436-horsepower, 480 lb-ft of torque and a fuel-consumption rating of 3.3 litres/100 km on the highway.
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Fuel-cell hybrids
It is widely acknowledged throughout the industry that the long-term future lies in electric vehicles and hydrogen fuel cell technology. In the short term, battery electric vehicles will prevail but they are limited by range and the need to plug them into a power source for recharging. Development is underway at Mercedes on both the battery and fuel cell fronts including a combination of the two. The GLC F-Cell vehicle will appear in 2017 utilizing a new compact fuel-cell system that fits into a conventional engine compartment. It will also introduce a large lithium-ion battery rated at 9 kWh that can serve as an additional power source for the electric motor and charged through plug-in technology.
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GLC F-Cell plug-in
The GLC F-Cell plug-in will be able to take advantage of can be refueled with hydrogen in less than three minutes at an appropriate filling station. The infrastructure issue is being addressed in Germany through the H2 Mobility Joint Venture involving Air Liquide, Daimler, Linde, OMV, Shell and Total. The goal is to provide 400 hydrogen fuelling stations by 2013. In addition, its high voltage battery can be plugged into an external feed. The combination is capable of a 500-km range, up to 50-km of this on electric power alone. This new fuel cell is 30% smaller than the previous unit, offers 40% more range and uses 90% less platinum, cutting costs significantly.
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Wireless battery recharging
Mercedes-Benz is investing heavily in battery and storage technology. It is the only European car company to produce its own batteries and is investing 500 million Euros in an expansion of that plant. The company has developed a compact stationary storage system that captures energy from the sun that can be used to heat the home and/or recharge an electric vehicle. Vehicle recharging could be accomplished wirelessly by parking the vehicle atop a mat specifically developed for this purpose.
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New electric car architecture
Mercedes-Benz is developing an architecture for vehicles with a range of up to 500-km in battery-electric mode using an ultra-efficient lithium-ion battery. This Tesla fighter will be introduced in concept form at the Paris auto show this fall and go on sale in 2019.
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F015 Research Vehicle
Mercedes has given no indication of what that premium EV will look like but this futuristic F015 research vehicle may give some clue as to the brand’s styling direction.
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