STUTTGART, GERMANY – Daimler AG has achieved a crucial breakthrough in battery technology. The Stuttgart-based automaker has succeeded in adapting lithium-ion technology to the demanding requirements of automotive applications.

Until now, the technology has been used primarily in consumer electronics. The new battery will be used in the series-production S 400 BlueHYBRID beginning next year.

The engineers’ success resulted of the Daimler-developed integration of the lithium-ion battery into the vehicle’s climate control system. This ensures that the battery works at optimal system temperatures of between 15 and 35°C, which in turn make it possible for the battery to provide long service life and maximum performance.

The main advantages offered by the newly developed lithium-ion battery are its very compact dimensions and its superior performance compared to conventional nickel-metal hydride batteries. The weight/power ratio of the entire battery is 1,900 watts per liter (W/L).

Lithium-ion batteries are ideally suited for use in hybrid vehicles to help reducing fuel consumption and thus also CO2 emissions. At the same time, the Daimler engineers are investigating to what degree this technology can be applied to other vehicle concepts, such as electric and fuel cell-powered cars.

The S 400 BlueHYBRID consumes 7.9 liters of gasoline per 100 km in the NEDC. This results in very low CO2 emissions of only 190 grams per kilometer. The maximum output is 220 kW/299 hp, and the corresponding maximum torque is 375 Nm. The S 400 BlueHYBRID accelerates from zero to 100 km/h in 7.3 seconds on its way to an electronically limited top speed of 250 km/h.

Even more potential is offered by the combination of clean BlueTec diesel technology with a hybrid module, a duo that is featured in the S 300 BlueTec HYBRID.