Mercedes-Benz wins race to build first Lithium-ion hybrid

By Derek Fung and Antuan Goodwin on 22 September 2008

Paris Motor Show 2008 Lithium-ion batteries are common place in consumer electrical items but, thus far, automotive engineers have been hampered by various technical issues, not least their susceptibility to explode. Mercedes-Benz seems to have cracked these problems with its first hybrid, the S400 BlueHybrid.

Image 1 - Mercedes-Benz wins race to build first Lithium-ion hybrid

Scream it 'til you're blue in the face
After years of claiming that blue is the new green — that's a reference to the company's line of BlueTec diesels, which aren't yet available in Australia — Mercedes-Benz has taken a side step and introduced a hybrid to the European, American and Chinese markets, the S400 BlueHybrid. The modified S-Class sedan is not only Mercedes' first hybrid drivetrain but also a world's first implementation of a Lithium-ion battery in a production hybrid vehicle.

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