Mercedes Benz unveils S500 Plug in Hybrid

Latest hybrid from Mercedes Benz, S500 Plug-in Hybrid has been unveiled by the company. Plug-in signifies that charging of batteries is not dependent on the regenerative braking or the engine power.  S500 accommodates a charging socket that helps in charging the batteries of the hybrid vehicle. Lithium-ion batteries are used in S500 hybrid vehicle.

This is the third hybrid vehicle from the company that is placed in S-Class among S400 and S300. Mercedes Benz S500 Plug-in hybrid vehicle features anticipatory Intelligent Hybrid energy management system with second generation recuperative braking system. Intelligent hybrid system helps in adjusting the hybrid drive according to the situation of ascending of descending which is controlled by navigation for the next 8kms.

3.0litre V6 turbocharged petrol engine is placed under the hood of Mercedes S500 Plug-in Hybrid that produces 335PS of peak power along with 480Nm of maximum torque. The petrol engine is coupled with an electric motor that increases power by 110PS making it to 445PS.

The vehicle is provided with four drive modes. The first mode is the E-Mode that drives the vehicle fully on battery and got a range of 30kms. Second mode is the E-save mode that preserves the battery for later use. Third is the charging while driving mode that enable the charging of battery during the ride. Last but not the least, of course the hybrid mode that enables the ride of the vehicle on both engine and the motor.

On hybrid mode the Plug-in Hybrid vehicle gives a fuel economy of 33kmpl. S500 sprints from naught to century taking a time of 5.5 seconds. Top speed of the vehicle is limited to 250kmph. the public debut of the vehicle will be in 2013 IAA Frankfurt Motor Show with the sales starting by the next year.