MERCEDES MAPS A BLUE ROAD TO A GREEN WORLD; Lithium-ion-battery S-Class and diesel-electric GLK debut at Geneva show.(News)

Byline: GREG KABLE

Mercedes-Benz is claiming a major breakthrough in automotive battery development, announcing that it will use lithium-ion technology in its upcoming S400 BlueHybrid, which will go on sale in Europe in mid-2009. U.S. sales will follow in the third quarter of 2009.

If Mercedes sticks to that schedule, the new upmarket gasoline-electric hybrid will be the first series-production road car to rely on lithium-ion batteries for energy storage, presaging a whole new lineup of hybrid models.

The Mercedes move contrasts with General Motors, which has announced that it will put a lithium-ion-based, plug-in hybrid Saturn Vue on the market in 2010. GM also plans to use lithium-ion batteries to power its electric vehicles based on the Chevrolet Volt concept. GM plans to deliver those electric cars, which store power in batteries that are charged by plugging into the power grid or by using small onboard gasoline or diesel engines or fuel cells to generate onboard power, in 2010 as well.

Mercedes says the S400 BlueHybrid, powered by a 3.5-liter V6 gasoline engine in combination with an electric motor mounted within the gearbox casing, will deliver a combined 299 hp and 277 lb-ft of torque, good for 0 to 62 mph in 7.3 seconds. More impressive, however, is its estimated fuel economy of 29.7 mpg and its low emissions rating.

The S400 will be followed by a second lithium-ion hybrid, the S300 Bluetec Hybrid, which will combine a 2.2-liter, twin-turbocharged, four-cylinder diesel engine with an electric motor. The powertrain will produce 221 hp, 413 lb-ft of torque and a whopping 43.6 mpg, Mercedes says. No timeline was specified for when the diesel would go on sale.

Boasting greater efficiency and durability than existing nickel-metal-hydride batteries, as used by Toyota and its luxury brand, Lexus, in an extensive lineup of hybrids, lithium-ion technology long ...