First revealed back at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show, the Mercedes-Benz Vision S 500 plug-in hybrid concept was a ground-breaking concept car for the German automaker.
The Vision S 500 plug-in hybrid obviously builds upon the standard S-class sedan, but uses a gasoline 3.5-liter V6 engine mated a 60 horsepower electric motor – and will also feature the ability to have plug-in charging. The setup is similar to the system employed on the S 400 Hybrid, but the S 500 plug-in will use a larger lithium-ion battery pack.
In fact, the hybrid module design in the S 500 PHEV does not differ much from the compact, disc-shaped 15-kW electric motor of the S 400 HYBRID, even though it is three times as powerful. As a result, the hybrid module can be incorporated into the housing of the 7G-TRONIC seven-speed automatic transmission, allowing this model variant as well as the S 400 HYBRID to retain the S‑Class’ spacious interior. Future model generations will orient themselves on this system architecture.
“Although it will take some time before this model can go into series production, our engineers will be working full steam to carry out the necessary integration measures and ensure that all components can meet the tough everyday demands required of a luxury long-distance saloon,” says Dr. Thomas Weber, member of the Board of Management of Daimler AG with responsibility for Group Research and Mercedes-Benz Cars Development at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 2009.
Thanks to that extra storage capacity, the S 500 plug-in hybrid is said to be capable of traveling up to 18.6 miles on pure electric power. In the combined cycle, the S 500 plug-in is expected to return better than 73 mpg on the European cycle, which means expect something in the realm of 50 mpg in the U.S.
Despite its green intentions, the S 500 plug-in will feature plenty performance, ripping from zero-to-60 mph in just 5.5 seconds.
For now, the Vision S 500 PHEV remains a concept, but if past comments from the automaker are true, a production form of the car will arrive in the not-so-distant future.
