Mercedes to ditch petroleum by 2015

Mercedes may be name of true luxury, safety and class, now it will be the name for green too. It is planning to eradicate petroleum powered vehicles from its own line up of vehicles by the year 2015. It will now be putting its best brains into building electric, fuel cell, and biofuel vehicles; the company is revving up research in alternative fuel sources and efficiency. From what we know Mercedes well they really do one of the best research in the field of automotive engineering, so nothing less than perfect is expected off a green Merc. The Mercedes facility in Spain has one vehicle the F700, powered by a DiesOtto engine that combines HCCI and spark ignition to get nearly the same efficiency as diesel, but minus the expensive after-treatment systems. Mercedes is looking into electric vehicles, both battery-powered and fuel-cell powered. Not only are models in development, but we’ve also seen the company making steps towards its zero-petroleum goal right now, from better cabs in London to li-ion battery improvements. The company also has about 100 Smart electric cars undergoing testing in London, with that favorite 2010 year as the projected market release date.

The company is putting in nearly $4 million into the pot of its long-term Sustainable Mobility plan, with another nearly $1.4 billion going in before 2014. A purchasable green vehicle is expected anywhere around 2010.
Via