Bluehybrid
Tuesday, March 10th, 2009 |
Mercedes Benz ML350 Bluehybrid
While the American’s placed a high priority on preserving high towing capacities, BMW will position its X6 hybrid as a performance machine, fitting the twin-turbo V-8 and Mercedes-Benz seeks to maximize fuel economy. Hence this will be the only two-mode employing an Atkinson-cycle engine, with an adaptation of the base ML350’s 3.5-liter V-6. To keep costs down, a 40-kilowatt nickel-metal-hydride battery pack was chosen, instead of the lithium-ion unit powering the S400 Bluehybrid, and it fits completely within the spare-tire well so as not to compromise utility (that is, unless you suffer a blowout that’s too extreme for Fix-a-Flat to handle). The battery pack is water cooled for better performance in extreme hot-weather.
System tuning seeks merely to preserve existing acceleration (the system adds 530 pounds) and top-speeds while boosting fuel economy by 25-30 percent. A sport/economy (S/E) button on the dash switches between 8-speed stepped gearing and a more economical continuously variable shift strategy. Full electric operation is possible up to 34 mph, and a topped off battery will provide about a mile and a half of silent running. The controller will allow the battery to discharge to 35 percent before forcing recharge, which seems a bit lower than usual.
bluehybrid
