Mercedes to offer hybrid in 2008

Mercedes-Benz will offer its first hybrid car in 2008. "We're well on track and will bring a competitive concept to the market at the start of 2008," DaimlerChrysler R&D boss Thomas Weber told Germany's Wirtschaftswoche. The technology will be offered on the S-Class in the form of a "mild" hybrid configuration. A mild hybrid setup costs less than a full hybrid system. It works by using an electric motor to provide additional power, rather than operating independently. Unlike full hybrids, the gas engine in a mild hybrid configuration is always running. The hybrid S-Class will go up against the Lexus LS 600h L, which is a 430 horsepower full hybrid.