In 1982, at the same time as it was launching the Mercedes-Benz 190, the predecessor to the C-Class, Mercedes-Benz also presented the first concept vehicle with hybrid drive – a two-cylinder horizontally opposed engine served to charge the battery. A number of other experimental vehicles followed until in 2009 the world’s first standard-specification hybrid drive with lithium-ion battery made its debut at Mercedes-Benz: for a long time this S 400 HYBRID was the most fuel-efficient petrol-powered luxury saloon and the most successful hybrid in its segment.
The second-generation hybrid transmission evolved on the basis of the 7G‑TRONIC PLUS automatic transmission. It premiered in 2012 in the E 300 BlueTEC HYBRID, the first diesel hybrid in the premium segment worldwide. By combining the efficiency of a diesel engine with the advantages of the hybrid drive, Mercedes-Benz set another milestone in the development of the automobile and advanced into consumption regions of 4 litres of diesel per 100 km in the luxury saloon segment.
After the E 300 BlueTEC HYBRID, S 400 HYBRID, S 300 BlueTEC HYBRID, C 300 BlueTEC HYBRID and S 500 PLUG-IN HYBRID, the C 350 PLUG-IN HYBRID is the latest hybrid model to come from Mercedes Benz. In the years to come the main emphasis will be on plug-in hybrids. The company is also a leading player in the field of purely electric mobility.
(pictured below is the first Mercedes 190e model)
