By the middle of the next decade Mercedes-Benz wants its entire lineup to be able to operate entirely free of petroleum. The German giant is working on a variety of technologies that will help provide crude oil free transport such as battery electrics, fuel cells and highly efficient internal combustion engines that can operate on biofuels. Mercedes has recently been letting European journalists sample some of these new powertrains at a test facility in Spain.

The F700 concept that debuted last fall in Frankfurt is powered by a turbocharged DiesOtto engine. The DiesOtto is Mercedes' branding for a combined HCCI and spark ignition engine that provides nearly the same efficiency as a diesel without the need for the expensive after-treatment systems. This and conventional diesel engines can run on biofuels and Mercedes hopes to launch the DiesOtto in production by 2010. Mercedes is also currently field testing electrically-driven vehicles with both batteries alone and fuel cells each of which they also plan to launch at the beginning of the decade. While it may well be that all Mercedes models in 2015 will be capable of running petroleum free, the reality is that many - if not most - will still be using fossil fuels much of the time. That may come in the form of coal for electricity, natural gas reformed into hydrogen, or petroleum fuels blended with biofuels. But you have to start somewhere.

[Source: The Sun]

Click on the HCCI equipped Opel Vectra for a high-res gallery

There are rumors floating around the interwebs today regarding the Opel Insignia being the first official product from General Motors using its highly-efficient homegeneous charge compression ignition, or HCCI for short. We can't confirm these rumors at this point, as GM has made no official announcements at all regarding the future of its HCCI engines. We do, however, know that engineers in crisp white lab coats are currently hard at work perfecting the technology. Therefore, we'd expect their efforts to bear fruit sooner or later. Exactly what vehicle the HCCI engine will first appear in, though, remains a mystery.

While we're on the subject of the HCCI engine, why not go ahead and peruse our explanation of how the technology works. GM's FYI blog also has a bit of a primer on the technology that may be worth a look too. Because an HCCI engine can provide a fifteen percent boost in fuel economy to go along with reduced emissions, we're rather excited about the prospect of seeing this technology in production as soon as possible.

[Source: Motor Authority and Auto Express, thanks for the tip, gmcbob]

Does diesel have a future? Autoexpress editor Dan Strong believes the answer is a clear no. He doesn't mince words in his new column: "Thanks to high fuel costs, tough-to-meet emissions targets and growing competition for scarce fossil fuel resources, the engine once championed for its efficiency and cost-effectiveness is finished." While the UK is getting closer to its European neighbors in the number of diesel sales, Strong believes this is not going to last.

If we're turning away from diesel, where does Strong think we have to look? Plug-in hybrids, he answers, but not those mated to diesel engines (gas-electrics are his choice). According to his information, a hybrid diesel will produce more pollutants due to the lower exhaust temperature and he wonders if it makes sense economically. Diesel fuel is actually more expensive than gasoline in the UK: £1.25 per liter compared to £1.10, which he translates into £350 more per year when driving 20,000 miles per year.

Sparkless engines aren't totally done for, Strong says, and expressed hope for HCCI (DiesOtto) engines. This technology has a very narrow powerband, which compromises reliability - but Strong says that Ford might be working on solving that issue.

[Source: Autoexpress]

Click on the image to view high-res shots of the Mercedes F700 concept

Homogeneous Charge Compression Ignition, or HCCI, holds out a great deal of hope for green automotive enthusiasts. Mercedes-Benz has shown concept vehicles using the technology, which they refer to as DiesOtto, in their F700 concept vehicle pictured above. Like diesels, HCCI engines eschew spark-plugs in favor of compression ignition. Unlike diesels, HCCI burns gasoline, which could make them a popular choice in countries like the U.S. where gasoline is more widely available than diesel (and, currently in most areas, cheaper). HCCI engines could potentially allow for the emissions levels of gasoline with the efficiency of diesel and could be cheaper to produce than a comparably-powered diesel engine.

Over the hump to Number 5.

Click on the image to view high-res shots of the Mercedes F700 concept

As part of an annual meeting held in Berlin, Daimler CEO Dieter Zetsche says that the company will increase its R&D spending to $21 billion for the year 2010. A major part of those expenses will go towards alternative powerplants. Hydrogen and lithium ion batteries will make up a good chunk of these charges, and Zetsche claims that Daimler has made "a major breakthrough in battery technology." Regarding the heat generated by lithium ion batteries, Zetsche adds, "Daimler has solved the problem. Thanks to the integration of the vehicle's cooling system, the batteries can now operate continually at optimal system temperatures. This maximizes their power output; extends their service life, and make it possible to use this high-performance technology in automotive applications. We've protected this innovation with 25 patents."

Mercedes-Benz will continue to offer large, powerful and luxurious vehicles in each of the market segments in which it competes. What's more, Dr. Z adds, the company "aims to offer at least one model in each of the Mercedes-Benz core model series that is a leader in fuel consumption." We're reminded of the F700 concept that the company recently introduced. We would add that DiesOtto, or HCCI engines, could make a dent in Mercedes' overall fuel consumption statistics.

[Source: The Car Connection]

Mercedes-Benz CEO Dieter Zetsche told Motor Trend this week that increased cost was not going to be an issue for his company to meet new fuel economy standards. Obviously getting improved efficiency out of powertrains would make them more expensive as they have to meet U.S. CAFE and European CO₂ emissions limits. However, while U.S. executives like Bob Lutz are talking about adding $5,000 or more to the price to meet 35mpg standards, Zetsche looks at it differently. The use of clean diesels, HCCI DiesOtto engines, hybrids and fuel cells will raise prices. The higher initial purchase price will be offset for customers through reduced operating costs. According to Zetsche, if the cost premium can be recovered through fuel savings in the first 3-4 years of driving than customers will be satisfied. Mercedes also intends to protect their ten percent profit margins through increased efficiencies in other areas of the vehicle. That probably means that Mercedes owners will give up some features for improved efficiency. Of course for a premium brand like Mercedes, it's a lot easier to talk about protecting margins than it is for mainstream brands like GM and Ford. Being largely rid of the burden of Chrysler probably doesn't hurt either. Finally Zetsche says an S-Class diesel hybrid will debut in two years with DiesOtto engines about 3-5 years out.

[Source: Motor Trend]

At their annual award ceremony, British magazine AutoCar singled out the Mercedes-Benz DiesOtto engine concept for recognition. The DiesOtto is a turbocharged homogeneous charge compression ignition (HCCI) engine. It first appeared in the F700 concept at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September. HCCI runs essentially as a diesel engine under certain operating conditions but runs on gasoline and produces far fewer emissions than a diesel without expensive after-treatment systems. The 1.8L engine produces the power of a 3.5L V-6 while achieving 44.3mpg.

Related:

• ABG Tech analysis and driving impression: GM's HCCI Engine
• Frankfurt 2007: Mercedes-Benz F700 research vehicle with DiesOtto

[Source: Mercedes-Benz]

Better late than never, right? It's totally my fault that AutoblogGreen Podcast #12 is so late in coming, but here it is! Episode 12 is a Frankfurt recap show, and John Neff from Autoblog.com joins Sebastian and Sam to talk about some of the highlights of the dual-personality (green and not so green) Frankfurt Motor Show. There's lots of discussion about the coming E-Flex versus Hybrid Synergy Drive smackdown, the 17 new models coming from Mercedes by 2010, many of them diesels, the Volvo C30 Efficiency kicks off discussion about plucking the low-hanging efficiency fruit, and the 'cast wraps up with further punditry about Diesel regs in the US versus the EU. It's a wide-ranging discussion clocking in at 41 minutes, enjoy!

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Click on the Mercedes F700 for a high-res gallery

At the Frankfurt Motor Show, Mercedes-Benz has taken the wraps off their F700 concept featuring their DiesOtto engine. Like the engine recently demonstrated by General Motors, this one is a combination HCCI/spark ignition design. However, Mercedes has decided to add turbo-charging to the mix to provide a a 1.8L four cylinder that yields performance in this large sedan that's comparable to the 3.5L V-6 in the current S-Class with average fuel economy of 44.3 mpg. The carbon dioxide emissions of the F700 are only 127 g/km which would put it below the proposed EU limit of 130 g/km.

This new engine technology is wrapped in a full-sized luxury sedan that takes the look of the current S-Class to a whole new level. Short overhangs are combined with a low nose that appears to have no bumper. The body is supported on an electro-hydraulic active suspension system that uses front mounted lasers to scan the road surface and make adjustments proactively. The press release is after the jump.

[Source: Mercedes-Benz]

Click to enlarge

Mercedes announced about a month ago that they would be showing off their new DiesOtto engine in a new concept car at the Frankfurt Motor Show. As a refresher, the DiesOtto (Diesel + Otto cycles) is an HCCI/spark ignition combination engine. It's basically the same as the GM HCCI prototype we drove in an Opel Vectra and Saturn Aura recently. The 1.8L four cylinder engine has an output of 238hp and 295ft-lb and is rated at 44.4 mpg (US) in the F700.

The F700 that contains this very efficient new engine is a full size luxury sedan of which we have our first tease in the photo above. From what can be seen in the photo it looks like the F700 has a long hood/short rear deck profile, an odd choice for a car with such a small engine. Regardless we'll probably see elements of this design in future Mercedes models, perhaps the new E-Class next year?

[Source: Mercedes-Benz]

Mercedes is bringing the green to the upcoming Frankfurt Motor Show with their new sedan concept car, the F700. Remember that DiesOtto engine that we told you about a while back? It's making its debut in this new luxury sedan. To refresh your memory, that engine produces 238hp and 295ft-lb. of torque from just 1.8 liters of displacement using some new technology known to many as homogeneous charge compression ignition, or HCCI, which "operates in compression ignition mode under light loads and spark ignition at other times" according to our own Sam Abuelsamid. The fuel mileage of the car with the DiesOtto engine is expected to be almost 40 miles per gallon, which is excellent for such a large vehicle.

The new F700 concept is just one of 18 vehicles that Mercedes is expected to showcase, including new Bluetec diesels and hybrids with both gasoline and diesel engines.

[Source: 4 Cars via Autoblog]

The very first practical automobile was the 1886 Benz Motorwagen created in Stuttgart by Karl Benz. That first car was powered by a small gasoline fueled engine that ran on a four-stroke cycle developed by fellow German Karl Otto. Later another German, Rudolph Diesel, developed the compression ignition engine that would end up carrying his name and the company that evolved from the work of Karl Benz and Gottlieb Daimler would be the first to use the type in production in the 1920s.

Now in 2007 Mercedes-Benz is working on bringing the two staple four-stroke engine types of the twentieth century together under the name DiesOtto combining the aspects of the Diesel and Otto cycles. The Mercedes engineers have created a 1.8L gasoline fueled four-cylinder that gets the fuel economy of a diesel. The engine puts out 238hp and 295lb-ft of torque and a mild hybrid system gets better than 39mpg in a vehicle the size of an S-Class. The use of direct injection, variable valve control, turbocharging, have allowed them to create a combination HCCI engine and standard gas engine that operates in compression ignition mode under light loads and spark ignition at other times. This allows it to operate with only a standard three-way-catalyst rather than the expensive diesel after-treatment systems. Now they just need to get it into series production.

[Source: Mercedes-Benz]