Mercedes-Benz is ready to unveil a very weird, bionic-looking, but innovative electrically-powered concept car at next year's NAIAS Detroit. The car is called Studie Concept BlueZero and it is packed with MB's latest eco technologies. Dr. Thomas and Weber, Head of Research & Development Department at Daimler AG, states that the car somehow previews the next generation of small models, of course, the A-Klasse and B-Klasse. The BlueZero Concept will be presented in 3 versions:BlueZero E-CELL, BlueZero F-CELL and BlueZero E-CELL PLUS. The electric unit develops a 100 kW max. 70 kW in normal use. The maximum torque is of about 320 Nm. Road performance is not impressive, but we are talking about an eco-car:150 km/h max. 11 seconds to reach 100 km/h. The autonomy is of about 200 km, whereas recharging the baterries after they ran out of "fuel" takes 3 to 4 hours. The car uses refrigerated Li-Ion batteries, Brake Energy Regeneration and it offers 5 seats plus a luggage compartment of 500 litres. The F-CELL version features greater autonomy:400 km. The electric engine is used while parking;when accelerating the car, both engines work together as a hybrid. The E-CELL PLUS model will be powered by the same electric unit, but also by a 3-cylinder 68 HP SMART petrol engine, that will be placed where the spare wheel normally seats. The internal combustion engine will also charge the batteries during the driving process. This will boost the autonomy even further:600 km are expected, taking into consideration the average fuel consumption of the 3-cylinder petrol engine, which is around 4.5 litres/100 km.
The truck's exceptional interior dimensions make it the most spacious in its class. The vehicle's finely tuned ergonomics are typical of Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles and the Amarok. Easy entry, a generous seating layout and lots of head room characterize the workspace behind the wheel. Ample leg room on the rear bench also makes the Amarok a full-fledged five-seater. When only two persons are aboard, the rear seat folds to increase interior cargo space. Important: The truck bed of the Volkswagen Amarok Double Cab serves up the largest dimensions in its class as well. It measures 1,555 millimetres long by 1,620 millimetres wide, yielding an impressive truck bed area of 2.52 square meters. And that's not all. Also "Best in class" is the pickup's maximum load width of 1,222 mm between wheel wells. For the first time on a mid-size pickup, this makes it possible to load Euro pallets (1.2 x 0.8 m) sideways, a space-saving feature. It is easy to transport sports equipment like quads as well as bulky machinery, thanks to its large dimensions, load sill height of 780 millimetres and payload capacity of up to 1.15 metric tons.
Four tie-down eyes at the corners of the truck bed protect cargo during the drive. When pulling a trailer, the pickup can handle up to 2.8 metric tons of trailer load. The safety package of the Volkswagen Amarok sets new standards in its class. Along with driver and front passenger airbags, there are also head/thorax airbags - still rare in this segment. Also included, of course, are height-adjustable head restraints and three-point safety belts at all outer seating positions. In front, the belts have belt tensioners and on the driver's side a visual and acoustic belt warning system. Equipment features may vary depending on the specific country. Numerous other features guarantee a high level of active safety as well. In Europe, for example, the electronic stabilization program (ESP) is standard equipment. On all versions with trailer prep, ESP functionality includes the trailer stabilization system. Another feature contributing to safety is "Off-Road Mode" - activated by the press of a button - which is enabled up to a vehicle speed of 100 km/h. In this mode, the ESP system, electronic differential locks (EDL), anti-slip regulation (ASR) and anti-lock braking system (ABS) are all tuned for challenging off-road conditions. The ABS system can reduce braking distance both off-road and on gravel road surfaces, often significantly depending on the road composition. When "Off-Road Mode" is activated while the pickup is driven at less than 30 km/h, Hill Descent Assist is also activated; it holds driving speed constant on steep descents by means of targeted brake actuations. For the first time in this class, when Hill Descent Assist is activated the driver can individually adapt the vehicle's speed to a driving situation by accelerating or braking. On vehicles without ESP, "Off-Road Mode" comprises ASR and Off-Road ABS systems that are standard equipment here.
“That proper job is all about teamwork, all about pulling together, all about communication - and the marketing I’ve done this year has been as important in that regard as has my collaboration with our engineers. The work I’ve done with Vodafone has been particularly interesting and pleasurable. “Moreover, the time that Lewis and I have spent together working for our title partner has enabled us to develop a very warm friendship, and some of the initiatives we’ve collaborated on have been both enjoyable and ground-breaking. “Every Grand Prix I’ve ever driven has been at the wheel of a Vodafone McLaren Mercedes car, and I’m thrilled that our partnership will continue into the future. “For example, I’ve been to India and South Africa with Vodafone on a number of occasions, and have always found my visits there to be hugely rewarding. “Having said that, I’m a racing driver. That’s what I am. I often feel I was put on Earth to race. But I understand that Formula 1 is a business as well as a sport, and I’m proud of the work I’ve done with Vodafone over the past four years. “Equally, however, Vodafone’s technical people are great to work with too, and I know we couldn’t have achieved the on-track successes we have without them.
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