Daimler

Germany to launch electric-car 'filling station' network

Auto giant Daimler and German utility RWE will launch a network of 500 battery-charging stations next year, a trial meant to give electric car drivers the freedom to power up while on the go.

The project, called e-mobility Germany, will have Daimler and its Smart subsidiary supply 100 electric town cars. RWE will install and run the charging stations in Berlin, the companies announced last Friday.

The cars will be equipped with communication equipment that will allow consumers to have their cars charged at different locations and be billed to one account.

Charging stations are expected to be installed at … Read more

Daimler, Ford to partner on fuel cell company

Daimler and Ford Motor are partnering on a privately held company to develop automotive fuel cell technology, both companies announced Thursday.

The companies plan to buy the automotive fuel cell business unit of Ballard Power Systems, a British Columbia-based supplier of hydrogen fuel cells for vehicles. From that asset, they plan to start a private company, according to a joint statement.

Daimler will own a 50.1 percent share of the new company, Automotive Fuel Cell Cooperation (AFCC), the companies said. Ford Motor will own a 30 percent share, and 19.9 percent will be owned by Ballard.

AFCC will … Read more

Daimler name change finalizes Chrysler breakup

Breaking up is hard to do. Especially when it costs some $34 billion. The German-based parent company of Mercedes-Benz has cut its losses and is moving on with a new name: Daimler AG.

The new nomenclature isn't at all that surprising. It follows suit with its German competitors, BMW AG and Audi AG. Daimler's car division, previously the Mercedes Car Group, will be renamed Mercedes-Benz Cars. It will include the Mercedes, Maybach, and Smart brands.

The origins of the German car company date back to 1885, when Carl Friedrich Benz received a patent for his car, the Benz … Read more

And the winner is...diesel?

Is diesel the answer to more stringent emission standards?

Apparently it is, at least from the perspective of automakers.

Ford India announced Wednesday that it is launching a diesel version of the Ford Fiesta, the latest in a string of similar announcements in the industry.

"(This car) will dramatically change customers' perceptions about the traditional diesel vehicle. The car is designed to deliver responsive acceleration, outstanding fuel economy, and reduced emissions consistent with future norms," Scott McCormack, vice president of Ford India, said in a statement.

While environmentalists, consumers and politicians continued to discuss ethanol, hydrogen and electricity, … Read more

DaimlerChrysler partners with Fiat on diesel

DaimlerChrysler, looking to meet tighter emission standards, on Tuesday announced a deal with Fiat for diesel engine technology.

The German-American company said the partnership will result in Fiat supplying 80,000 diesel engines per year beginning in 2009 to DaimlerChrysler's truck group, Mitsubishi Fuso. The group includes the Mercedes-Benz, Freightliner, Sterling, Western Star and Fuso trucks brands.

Daimler said that it saw the deal as a way to more easily save money and accommodate future emission standards as they come due.

"Today's and future emission regulations demand a high level of investment and technological specialization. This agreement … Read more

Hemi goes hybrid as Daimler drops Chrysler

It's all change at DaimlerChrysler. As Chrysler Group contemplates its buyout at the hands of Cerberus Capital Management, one of its signature engines is about to get a green makeover. The 5.7-liter Hemi V-8, the motivation behind some of Chrysler's most thirsty trucks and SUVs, is going hybrid thanks to the addition of two electric motors. The resultant Hemi hybrid engine will be offered in the 2008 models of the Chrysler Aspen and the Dodge Durango, making the vehicles into 2-mode hybrids similar to the 2008 GMC Yukon Hybrid and the Chevy Tahoe Hybrid--both due out later … Read more

It's a gas: Hydrogen cars rally in Canada

Biofuel. Hybrid cars. Electric cars. Hydrogen. Those are some of the bright ideas in the future of car tech. Many proponents of the hydrogen fuel cell gathered in Vancouver, Canada, recently to discuss their problems and the promises.

This video from that conference shows hydrogen cars on the road. Models from four manufacturers made a 150-mile round trip during the meeting. DaimlerChrysler predicts that by 2015 there'll be millions of hydrogen cars on the road. The company claims that's not just a lot of hot air.

Pimp my Smart ForTwo

DaimlerChrysler's itty-bitty Smart ForTwo has been in the news recently, primarily because it's going to be made available to U.S. markets next year. The defining feature of the ForTwo is pretty much just the fact that it's about as small as a car can get without being designed for circus midgets, and it's more or less useless outside cities since it can't go all that fast, but that hasn't stopped one Greek auto enthusiast from turning it into an off-road vehicle.

Taking a hint from the design and functionality of Daimler-Chrysler's off-road … Read more