Archive for the ‘Mercedes-Benz’ Category

Few things are more frustrating than starting your vehicle and seeing your empty gas tank light come on. Trips to the gas station are a thing of the past for electric vehicles, which get their energy anywhere an outlet is available.

Electric vehicles are ideal for people who live and work within city limits, such as those who live in Omaha or Lincoln. Because the majority of people living and working within city limits drive a short distance between their home and work, they would be within the range limits of most electric vehicles.

Most electric vehicles have a range of around 100 miles per full charge. Like gas vehicles, this range varies depending on driving styles, road conditions and weather conditions. You can easily charge your vehicle by plugging it in at home or at a public charging station. Public charging stations aren’t wide-spread yet, but they are expected to become more easily available as electric vehicles become more popular. Charging takes anywhere between 30 minutes and 8 hours, depending on the type of charging system you use.

In addition to freedom from high gas prices, electric vehicles offer excellent performance. Unlike gas-powered vehicles, 100 percent of the electric vehicle engine’s torque is instantly available when you start the vehicle. This means you get more power right away. The electric engine is also considerably quieter than a gas engine, which can offer you a quieter and more comfortable ride.

Electric vehicles also require less maintenance than gas-powered vehicles because:
• The battery, motor and associated electronics require no regular maintenance
• Electric vehicles don’t have any fluids to change other than brake fluid
• The brake wear is significantly reduced due to regenerative braking
• The electric engine has fewer moving parts than a conventional gas engine

Toyota, Ford, Volkswagen, Mercedes-Benz and Dodge will all have electric vehicles on the market in the next three years with the Toyota RAV4 EV, Ford Focus Electric, Volkswagen Golf blue-e-motion, Mercedes Electric A-Class and Dodge EV. All of these vehicles will qualify for a federal tax credit and could qualify for state incentives, making these vehicles both affordable and environmentally-friendly.

If want a performance-driven environmentally-friendly vehicle, an electric vehicle could be the right choice for you.

Is a hybrid the right car for you? We’ve got your answer…

Hybrid vehicles are ideal for people who mainly drive in the city but want a vehicle that can take them on the occasional weekend getaway. Hybrids offer owners the power and performance to do it all with less gas and fewer emissions than gasoline-powered vehicles.

Hybrids produce up to 90 percent fewer pollutants than non-hybrid vehicles. However, hybrids aren’t just for the environmentally-conscious driver. They’re perfect for budget-conscious consumers, as well. Hybrids have lower depreciation rates than gasoline cars and are eligible for tax credits between $2,000 and $3,500.

Which hybrid vehicle is right for you depends on your lifestyle and driving habits. Ford, Honda, Lexus, Mercedes-Benz, Toyota and Volkswagen all make hybrids to fit a variety of people. These vehicles are listed below.

Hybrid Cars

• Ford Fusion
• Honda Civic
• Honda CR-Z Sport
• Honda Insight
• Lexus 600h L
• Lexus CT 200h
• Lexus GS 450h
• Lexus HS 250h
• Mercedes-Benz S400
• Toyota Camry
• Toyota Prius

Hybrid SUVs & Crossovers

• Ford Escape
• Lexus RX 450h
• Mercedes-Benz ML450
• Volkswagen Tiguan

If you’re one of the hundreds of Nebraska commuters driving back and forth between Lincoln and Omaha every day, you probably spend a lot of money at the gas station each week.  A clean diesel vehicle could help save a lot.

Clean diesel vehicles are ideal for people who regularly drive long distances or haul heavy loads, making these the perfect vehicles for Nebraska commuters, farmers and construction workers. Clean diesel vehicles get 20-30 percent better fuel efficiency than gas powered vehicles, meaning you can spend more time on the road between fill-ups. In some of these vehicles, you can travel up to 600 miles on a single tank of fuel.

Volkswagen and Mercedes-Benz are currently leading the way with clean diesel technology available in the United States. Volkswagen offers TDI Clean Diesel models of the VW Jetta, VW Golf and VW Touareg. Mercedes-Benz offers their Bluetec Diesel models of the ML 350 sport utility, R350 crossover, GL350 and E350. All these vehicles offer comfort and performance with improved fuel economy.

In addition to helping your wallet, clean diesel vehicles also help the environment. Clean diesel vehicles run on ultra low sulfur diesel, which has 97 percent less sulfur than traditional diesel. Sulfur is toxic and a major cause of acid rain. These vehicles also produce up to 25 percent less CO2 emissions than gasoline-powered vehicles. Because of this, clean diesel vehicles are eligible for up to $3,400 in tax credits as part of the government’s efforts to encourage consumers to explore alternative fuel options.

Not only do these vehicles have excellent emissions ratings, they also have excellent performance ratings. Clean diesel engines provide up to 50 percent better torque than gasoline engines so you can easily haul your heaviest loads.

If you’re ready to start saving money with a clean diesel vehicle, check out our line-up at www.PerformanceAuto.com.

As we become increasingly aware of our impact on the environment, automakers are making every effort produce environmentally-friendly vehicles. Mercedes-Benz is heading in that direction with their hydrogen-run B-Class F-Cell car and all-electric A-Class E-Cell car.

The B-Class F-Cell car was released nearly a year ago and is currently available for lease to select residents in Los Angeles and San Francisco.  The A-Class E-Cell car was introduced at the 2010 Paris Motor Show in September and 500 will be available for lease in Germany, France, The Netherlands and other select European countries. While we will have to wait for these vehicles to arrive in Nebraska, we can certainly be excited about what this technology means for cars in the future.

The A-Class E-Cell is a four-door, five passenger family car, based on the standard Mercedes-Benz A-Class hatchback. With a top highway speed of 93 mph, it has a 70 kW 95 horsepower engine and is run by twin lithium-ion batteries. Drivers can travel up to 124 miles on a single charge!

Unlike many other all-electric vehicles already in the market, you don’t have to give up passenger space for the battery in these electric cars. Mercedes-Benz has used a sandwich floor structure, which stores the battery under the passenger compartment. This also helps to give the car a lower center of gravity for better handling and provides protection for both the battery and passengers in a collision. 

A special system keeps the vehicle’s batteries within a certain temperature range to avoid overheating or freezing. This means that the A-Class E-Cell will be able to withstand the hot summers and frigid winters in Nebraska.

Drivers can recharge the electric car’s batteries one of three ways: a single-phase 230-volt socket, a three-phase wall box or a public charging point. Charging takes up to eight hours with the 230-volt socket and up to three hours with the wall box or public charging points.

The A-Class E-Cell is equipped with a Smart Charge Communication system, which exchanges all relevant information, such as electricity supply contact data, with the charging point when you plug it in. It also allows you to set recharging to take place at times when electricity is cheaper, such as late at night, when the vehicle is parked for a long time. Your vehicle is immobilized while plugged into the charging cable to prevent you from accidentally driving off during charging. 

The A-Class E-Cell is a perfect vehicle for busy commuters running errands, dropping the kids off at school and driving to work every day. We look forward to Mercedes-Benz bringing these new technologies to the Midwest in the near future.