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Mercedes To Phase Out Gasoline By 2015

Posted by kdawson on from the what-no-flying-monkeys dept.

arbitraryaardvark sends in a story a couple of weeks back in Yahoo's Ecogeek blog, reporting that Mercedes will phase out petroleum-powered cars by 2015 (mirror), and notes: "Story is unconfirmed but well sourced." "In less than 7 years, Mercedes-Benz plans to ditch petroleum-powered vehicles from its lineup. Focusing on electric, fuel cell, and biofuels, the company is revving up research in alternative fuel sources and efficiency."

7 of 908 comments (clear)

  1. The electric car you want is ready now: by RichMan · · Score: 5, Informative

    Nobody really gives a damn what fuels their cars, they care about cost and acceptable performance (can I make 70-80 on the freeway, or will I have a top speed of 40). If they can solve the problem of refueling infrastructure and sufficient mileage per refuel, there's no reason why not to go with a non-gas car.

    you want this

    1. Re:The electric car you want is ready now: by Bryansix · · Score: 5, Informative

      This is the most uninformed post on an electric car ever. You do realize that the Tesla is faster then the Elise? Plus it was designed with the help of Lotus. But the main flaw in your argument is the assumption that the Tesla NEEDS any gears at all. It has two gears but it could survive with one because there is almost no curve to the torque output so there is no need to shift.

    2. Re:The electric car you want is ready now: by pinkocommie · · Score: 5, Informative

      Acc to Tesla's own figures (with California electricity costs) - it'll cost you 4 cents/mile. In comparison (again using California Gas) $4.6 (45mpg Prius = 10+cents) (27 mpg bmw=17+ cents) (20mpg corvette = 23 cents)

  2. Gasoline by QuoteMstr · · Score: 5, Informative

    No matter how we choose to generate power in the future, we have very few options for switching to anything other than gasoline for transporting that power.

    Gasoline has a fantastic energy density. A 14 gallon tank of the stuff contains 491.2 kilowatt-hours of energy ($68 in electricity at New York rates), and the gasoline itself only weighs 81 pounds. If you fill up the tank in five minutes, you're transferring power at 7.368 megawatts. Can you imagine what kind of electrical infrastructure you would need to transfer the same power over mere wires?

    About the only alternative I can imagine that would be comparable would be to hot-swap whole huge batteries at gas stations.

    No, I think we'll be using gasoline, or at least a similar liquid fuel, for quite a while.

    1. Re:Gasoline by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

      You're forgetting the relative efficiency of the motors.

      Gasoline engines are only about 25% efficient once drivetrain loss is taken into consideration. A 250hp electric motor is close to 95% efficient. With no drivetrain loss if you use lightweight electric motors inside each wheel. So you don't need to store as much energy on the vehicle in the first place.

      ie: Of the 491.2kW/h energy you fuel up with, you only make use of 122.8kW/h in a gasoline car.

      That lower number should be the storage target for an electric vehicle with comparable performance (and cost $17 using your rates). And you get other efficiency boosters almost for free: regenerative braking; freedom to change the shape of the car for efficiency because you don't have to worry about placing the engine above the wheels.

      So you're overestimating the magnitude of the problem - and of the design freedoms that come with a switch to electric operation. It is a problem that will be solved within our lifetimes.

  3. Incorrect Conversion by sampson7 · · Score: 5, Informative

    Wrong on several levels.

    First, the math:

    491 kilowatt-hours = 0.491 megawatt-hours.

    0.491 MWh over 5 minutes = 5.892 MWs of energy.

    Second, you are ignoring efficiency:

    5.8 MWs of energy is far more than it takes to move a car. Gasoline engines are remarkably ineffecient at converting all that energy into actual power.

    Third, and most importantly:

    "If it were possible for human beings to digest gasoline, a gallon would contain about 31,000 food calories -- the energy in a gallon of gasoline is equivalent to the energy in about 110 McDonalds hamburgers!"

    Soure: http://science.howstuffworks.com/gasoline1.htm

    (Okay, so maybe not most importantly, but it's the coolest.)

  4. Re:Thank god! by painandgreed · · Score: 5, Informative

    Somehow, I don't think you've actually be in a city that has decent subways or trains before. When you can get a pass that means just hopping on a subway that will go within a few blocks of just about anywhere you'd want to go, they become much more convenient than cars or busses. Especially when considering the parking situation that we have here in Seattle. No more waiting at stop lights or for pedestrians. No looking (or paying) for the parking that you had to circle the block for fifteen minutes just to get. I won't even talk about the cost of my Capitol Hill parking space.