The Mercedes B-Class Electric Drive
Mercedes-Benz B-Class Electric Drive
Since we’ve been talking about electric vehicles, today we’ll be talking about a production electric vehicle from none other than the German car-making giant that is, Mercedes-Benz.
It would appear that the B-Class Electric Drive will have its debut at the 2012 Paris Motor Show which will begin next week. The battery-powered Merc is meant to prove that Daimler is continuing its goal of offering a zero-emission driving experience.
The German auto-maker says that the Electric Drive B-Class is almost ready for series production and in fact, that statement is backed by the fact that they’ve already planned a 2014 launch.
The B-Class will actually be amongst the first models to feature the ‘Electric Drive’ as its designation, ahead of projected battery-powered models such as the Mercedes-AMG and the Smart.
As we mentioned, the power for the Electric Drive model will come from a lithium-ion battery pack, which will most likely be produced by none other than electric-vehicle leaders Tesla Motors. The battery pack will be located very close to the ground, in front of the rear axle, in order to offer its users the same interior space that the current B-Class production models do; of course this location improves the model’s centre of gravity.
The electric motor that the model will be equipped with will generate 100kW and 310 Nm, and the carmaker says that the car will have an effective range of about 200 kilometers; more importantly however is that the battery can be charged from any standard domestic 230-Volt power outlet, as well as a rapid charge 400-Volt terminal.
In related electric vehicle Paris Motor Show news, Mercedes will also be showing off the production versions of the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Coupe Electric Drive as well as the Smart Brabus Electric Drive – both of which will be world premieres.
