Electric concept cars by Mercedes is nothing new, every year they introduce a handful of them! but this one is actually much more important than the others because as Daimler points out this one is “near production”, which means very soon we’ll see them on the streets. The E-Cell Plus has a three-cylinder petrol engine along with an electric motor with combined power of 150 KW and 600 KM range.

The Mercedes BlueZERO E-CELL PLUS is part of a family of modularly constructed electric cars, which will enable Mercedes-Benz to meet all customer requirements for sustainable mobility in the future. In this variant of the concept vehicle, the electric motor of the purely battery-powered BlueZERO E-CELL is combined with an additional three-cylinder, turbocharged petrol engine. Putting out 50 kW, the compact combustion engine is installed in the area of the rear axle and can charge the battery while the car is being driven. The CO2 bonus for the battery-electric driving mode reduces the vehicle’s emissions to only 32 grams of CO2 per kilometer.

During rapid charging with a charging capacity of 20 kW, the high-performance, 18 kWh lithium-ion battery of the Mercedes BlueZERO E-CELL PLUS can store enough power within around 30 minutes for a 50 kilometre cruising range. The complete electric range of 100 kilometers requires a charging time of somewhat more than an hour. Charging time with a standard charge cycle at a conventional household outlet with 3,3 kW is approximately 6 hours. Special on-board electronics support the intelligent charging stations and billing systems used by electric fuelling stations. Advantages of lithium-ion batteries compared to other battery technologies include their compact dimensions, high output and energy density, high charge efficiency and long service life.

Electric powered concept car with a battery-electric range of up to 100 kilometers
A combustion engine that serves as an electrical generator (range extender) extends the range to up to 600 kilometers (total). The concept vehicle can be recharged simply and conveniently at a common household outlet With a charging capacity of 20 kW, the ConceptBlueZERO E-CELL PLUS can be recharged within around half an hour for a 50 kilometre range
The liquid-cooled lithium-ion batteries used as an energy source have an energy content of up to 17.50 kWh.

Technical specifications

• Electric drive
  • CO2 emissions: 0 g/km
  • Range: up to 100/600 km
  • Battery: Lithium-ion
  • Rated output: 100 kW/136 hp
  • Max. torque: 320 Nm
  • Top speed: 150 km/h
  • Acceleration 0-100 km/h: < 11.0 seconds
• Range extender
  • Cylinders: 3
  • Displacement: 1.0l turbo
  • Output: 50 kW at 3500 rpm