Mercedes-Benz F-CELL

On August 26th, Mercedes-Benz announced that it will be launching its first series-produced fuel cell vehicle. The B-Class F-CELL is scheduled to begin production late in the year and the first of approximately 200 vehicles will be delivered to customers both in Europe and here in the states.

According to Mercedes-Benz, the new zero-emissions vehicle will have performance numbers similar to that of a 2.0-liter gasoline engine equipped car while consuming the equivalent of 3.3 liters of diesel fuel per 100 kilometers (71.3 mpg) in the NEDC (New European Driving Cycle).

Mercedes promises no compromises in traditional B-Class interior space, storage capacity or comfort as well as a 400 kilometer (248.5 mile) range and 3 minute refueling times.

“2009 is the year in which we are establishing further milestones where sustainable mobility is concerned. The B-Class F-CELL is taking on a pioneering role as the world’s first fuel cell powered automobile to be produced under series production conditions”, says Dr. Thomas Weber, Member of the Board of Management of Daimler AG, responsible for Group Research and Development for Mercedes-Benz Cars.

Powertrain

The heart of the F-CELL is an advanced fuel cell system with a cold-start capability in temperatures as low as -14 degrees Fahrenheit. As with a “traditional” gas-electric hybrid, the fuel-cell vehicle uses lithium-ion battery technology with an output of 35 kW and a capacity of 1.4 kWh to both boost power and recover braking energy. The unique sandwich floor technology employed in all of M-B’s A and B-Class vehicles allows the company to place all drive components in the floor which results in a maximum amount of passenger space as well as protecting the component systems.

Sitting in the small lap of luxury

While most of us here in the U.S. are not used to a small (a.k.a. the Ford Fiesta) premium sedan, Mercedes has been building them for years in Europe and the F-CELL comes with all the requisite goodies.

Taking a cue from Henry Ford, you can have any color you like, as long as it’s bonamite silver. Exclusive 10-spoke alloy wheels will also be standard, as will leather upholstery, heated seats, automatic climate control and Mercedes’ COMAND-system.

To help allay customer concerns about the safety of the F-CELL’s high-voltage drivetrain will fare in an accident, Mercedes engineers more than 30 additional crash tests of the F-CELL’s drive-specific components above and beyond those done for the B-Class, itself.

Only a few places to “pump you up!”

Although the F-CELL will be made available in both Europe and the U.S., its unique requirements for a hydrogen fuel delivery infrastructure will, in the short term, probably limit its availability to certain metropolitan areas such as those found in Hamburg, Stuttgart and portions of California.

Pioneers in vehicle safety

Here at LotPro.com, we realize that, for the most part, the perception of Mercedes-Benz here in the U.S. is that of a luxury car maker. Although this perception is certainly deserved, many outside the automotive industry have very little knowledge of the company’s history involving vehicle safety research.

For it was in August of 1939, nearly 20 years before Ralph Nader came on the scene, that Béla Barényi, an Austro-Hungarian engineer, began his work for Daimler-Benz by heading their pre-development department. It was a relationship that would result in the development of, among other things, the crumple zone, an innovation which entered Mercedes-Benz series production in 1959. Barényi, along with Mercedes’ in-house accident research function, also developed the concept of the non-deformable passenger cell and the collapsible steering column – things that most drivers take for granted these days.

ESF 2009

Barényi retired from Daimler in 1972, but his legacy lives on in the company’s newest Experimental Safety Vehicle, the ESF 2009. This vehicle, which will be premiered on June 15, 2009 in Stuttgart at the Enhanced Safety of Vehicles (ESV) Conference, features a number of innovations including what Mercedes calls its PRE-SAFE Structure, a Braking Bag, partial main beam, Interseat Protection and Size Adaptive Airbags.

“Safety is a central element of the Mercedes-Benz brand. In this respect we have been setting the pace in the market for almost 70 years for the benefit of our customers and for road users in general. The ESF 2009 shows that we still have plenty of ideas and the absolute will, to lead the automobile industry in this field even in future”, says Dr. Dieter Zetsche, Chairman of Daimler AG and CEO of Mercedes-Benz Cars.

PRE-SAFE Structure

We’ll let Mercedes-Benz explain its operation:

“Imagine an inflatable mattress. When it is not needed, it is rolled up flat and e.g. consigned to a shelf in the attic. When inflated, however, it has a highly resistant structure that can easily carry a man weighing 100 kilograms. Inflatable metallic structures work in the same way: when not in use, the metal section is folded together to save space. Once its protective effect is needed, a gas generator just like those used to inflate airbags builds up an internal pressure of 10 to 20 bar within fractions of a second, the metal section is unfolded and the structure has significantly greater stability.”

Current hurdles to PRE-SAFE Structure production include the irreversibility of the application as well as the need to deploy the structure before a crash requiring a highly reliable probability factor from a vehicle’s pre-crash sensor system.

Braking Bag

The Braking Bag is an airbag that is installed and positioned between the front axle carrier and the underbody paneling. Responding to a signal from the vehicle’s pre-crash sensor, the bag deploys just before the crash and supports the car against the road surface through the use of a friction coating. The vertical acceleration causes additional friction resulting in additional braking before the impact resulting in several advantages including:

•    Additional scrubbing of speed

•    Reducing the effect of brake dive improving “geometrical compatibility” with the other party in the accident

•    The vertical movement improves the effects of the vehicle’s restraint systems as the seats more toward the passengers and the pre-tensioners are able to take up more slack in the seat belts

The overall effect of the braking airbag, according to Mercedes, is to create an additional “crumple zone.”

Interseat Protection

Designed to keep passengers from injuring each other during an accident, the Interseat Protection system involves two solutions – one for front seat passengers and one for occupants sitting in the rear seat.

The front seat system involves the deployment of a lattice-like airbag between the front seats keeps both driver and front passenger apart. In the rear, a seat divider located above the center armrest is activated (as part of PRE-SAFE®) and two head supports are deployed. As an added bonus, under normal driving conditions, the pad is designed to be extended by passengers where it can also be used as a head and shoulder support for a “comfortable sleeping position”.

All images courtesy of Mercedes-Benz

I’ll have some turkey with a side of dysfunction

Audi has come up with a winner, no doubt about it. But you’d be mistaken if you thought I was talking about the hot-hatch A3, the stunning TT or this summer’s coolest movie tie-in, the “Iron Man” R8. No, my friend, what we’re talking about here at LotPro.com is Audi’s newest viral marketing campaign.

“Meet the Beckers”

According to Audi, what we have here is your typical upper-class family. Marcus Becker is the paterfamilias. It appears that he is married to, at the very least, wife number three. To add to this shortcoming, he has no idea (shared by many of us) how to decipher the controls in his Mercedes S-Class that would enable him to turn off the windshield wipers or cancel the turn signals.

Son Louis drives a Lexus and he and his wife have managed to spawn a pair of twins straight out of a Stephen King novel. As the plot progresses, we find out that he has a strange affinity for frozen turkey.

Billy Becker is the family yuppie. As expected, Billy drives a BMW convertible, belongs to the girlfriend-of-the-month club, cuts off Priuses by passing on the right and sports a Bluetooth headset permanently attached to his right ear.

So much for the other three luxury brands

Is there any sanity amid such mayhem? Of course there is. Jason Becker, Audi owner, offers to take his girlfriend, Beth, to the train station in order avoid his family of “freaks.” She refuses to believe him and, from there, we know it’s off to the races.

During all this, Audi does a great job of disparaging the other brands without naming names – using a rapier as opposed to getting bludgeoned. Nice job, guys.

To join the hilarity, visit the official site at www.meetthebeckers.com. Enjoy!

Mazda Mazda3

New study reflects quality, value and “green” issues

In the ever-expanding portfolio of consumer-based automotive studies, you can add yet another: Strategic Vision’s “SmartGreen Index.” This latest study is said to meld consumer attitudes towards the perceived quality of a vehicle into a mix that includes such eco-friendly issues such as fuel economy and environmental “friendliness” (a rather broad term, to say the least).

In any case, for your edification, here is the complete press release:

San Diego – Strategic Vision unveils the new SmartGreen Index℠ (SGI℠) which reflects the relationships between perceived quality plus overall value (Smart) and “green” issues such as fuel economy and environmental friendliness (Green). SGI℠ is based on actual customer experiences and is weighted according to those aspects which best predict customer advocacy, overall satisfaction, future brand choices and loyalty, which ultimately result in increased model and brand sales.

Being a hybrid vehicle alone is not enough to guarantee top SmartGreen℠ marks. Industry-wide, some hybrids place at or below segment average in SGI℠ when factors such as interior quality cues or overall perceived value are rated below their competition. While the Toyota Prius may be the obvious SmartGreen℠ leader because of its fuel economy, it is easy to forget that the Prius also offers innovative interior styling which adds to making the Prius the SmartGreen℠ choice and among hybrid models, highest in sales. “Even when fuel prices are highest, people will want more than a little box with good fuel economy,” says Chris Chaney, V.P. of Special Projects at Strategic Vision. “For example, the Mazda3 leads in its segment ahead of the hybrids, offering superior styling, innovation, performance and affordability coupled with good fuel economy, offering more than competitive hybrids.”

Kia Amanti

Chevrolet had the most segment leaders among the domestic corporations with the Tahoe, Avalanche (tie) and Corvette Convertible leading their respective segments. The Tahoe scored high in perceived quality, as did its competition; however, the Tahoe was rated exceptionally higher than the competition in environmentally friendliness and fuel efficiency. “Even SUV buyers are sensitive to Green issues. Flex-fuel and hybrid options provide Green choices to Tahoe owners which increase customer advocacy, retention and bring new buyers into the brand, even if the vehicle they finally purchase is not always the greenest option,” states Alexander Edwards.

The MINI Cooper Clubman and Convertible were leaders in their segments due to terrific performance, overall value and Green-related issues. The MINI Cooper Hatchback scored just below the MINI Cooper Clubman, with both vehicles taking the top places in Specialty Coupes. The BMW 3-Series Coupe was also a leader in its segment.

MINI

Other best in class SGI℠ leaders were the Kia Amanti, Nissan Murano (tie), Audi Q7 and Mercedes S-Class for their excellence in quality, styling, performance and greenness. Buyers rated the following vehicles tops in their segments:

According to Dr. Edwards, in addition to the SGI℠ segment leaders, many manufacturers are “getting it right” with their model lineup. Included in Strategic Vision’s SmartGreen℠ Report are vehicle Five and Four Star SmartGreen℠ ratings, that are provided to manufacturers to better understand which of today’s vehicles are paving the way to help make their brand and their lineup the leaders of tomorrow.

For example, Five and Four Star vehicles are those like the Suzuki SX4 Sedan which offer fun and excitement through strong vehicle performance and styling in a fuel efficient package. These attributes and vehicle imagery are what can lead to increased awareness and potential consideration of the SX4 and other Suzuki models.

Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid

In addition to its segment-leading Amanti, Kia also has five other vehicles that scored highly in their respective segments: Spectra4, Rondo, Sedona, Sorrento and Sportage. Hyundai also placed well with four of their models — Azera, Entourage, Elantra and Santa Fe — demonstrating that thoughtfulness, value and overall economics all work together toward Hyundai’s future success.

How the Smart car is being used in northern Italy

Since most of the small cars in Italy are not even available in America, I decided to undertake a very un-scientific study on how the small Smart car is being used in this part of Italy.

Once we landed in Milan, I immediately (a relative term in this part of the world) located the Avis car rental booth and arranged for a rental car. We then made our way to the car lot where most of the vehicles were smaller Fiats, Lancias, Opels, Fords and Volkswagens. Only a couple of Smart cars were visible in the parking lot.

The Autostrada

Once on the Autostrada, it appeared that most of the cars were smaller 5-passenger hatchbacks. Fiat Puntos, Lancia Miuras, Volkswagen Golfs and Polos and Ford Focuses and Fiestas were seen in abundance. I saw only a handful of Smarts. There were at least a hundred times as many Mercedes A-Class and B-Class vehicles as there were Smart cars.

As I said before, this was not a scientific survey. I am basing my conclusions only on the evidence I collected while driving on Italy’s version of an interstate highway. I’m sure the ratio of Smarts is much higher in the cities than on the highways. Nonetheless, most of us in the States spend our time commuting to work and driving our cars outside of major urban areas. For the most part, we use our cars on the weekends for things other than just commuting and, just like most Italians, we need our cars to do more than just one thing.

The Smart Car in America

I’m sure that the Smart car will do well in the U.S. for at least the first couple of years. Especially in cities, its small size will make it much easier to find a parking place on crowded streets (it uses about half a regular space). Elsewhere, customers will buy it just because it’s different and cute.

But for the majority of buyers in the U.S., as well as here in Europe, the Smart just isn’t very practical. You can park 2 in a space because there is absolutely no room for anything other than two people and other small things such as purses, camera cases and (especially over here) GPS devices. If you’re going to the grocery store and come out with more than a couple of bags, forget it. You can also add luggage, bicycles and large strollers to the list of things that must be left at home.

The Bottom Line

It’s cute, it’s different and, right now, it’s hip. On the flip side, the ride is choppy, gas mileage is only so-so for a car its size and, finally, for about the same money, you could buy a real car.

For immediate release – Wednesday, May 28, 2008

San Diego – Toyota and Ford tied for leading in the most segments on Strategic Vision’s Total Quality Index™ (TQI), leading with three vehicles each. Toyota lead with its Yaris, 4Runner and Sequoia while Ford lead with the Edge, Mustang Convertible and F-250/350. The San Diego based research firm today announced the 2008 results that are based on the ratings by new vehicle owners in 19 product segments.

Toyota Motor Sales had two additional leaders with the Scion xB and the Lexus RX 350 (which tied with Land Rover’s LR2); while Ford Motor Company added two additional wins with the Mercury Sable and Volvo C30. “Ford is back, establishing its vehicle quality in the hearts and minds of its customers,” says Alexander Edwards, president of Strategic Vision’s automotive division. “The Ford Edge is one of the vehicles Ford can be proud of. By careful attention to key areas such as exterior styling, workmanship and performance, (which are the cues that signal quality for crossover customers), Ford is building vehicles that also build brand equity and perceived customer quality.”

The Total Quality Index™ is the premier measure of new vehicle owner satisfaction. It asks buyers to rate all aspects of the ownership experience, from buying and owning to performance and driving. It is much more than simply counting problems. “Innovation and thoughtfulness in functionality and design, keeping in mind how the customer will interact and use the vehicle, is essential,” reports Dr. Darrel Edwards, Founder and CEO of Strategic Vision. “Vehicles like the Volvo C30 and Toyota Sequoia are both terrific examples of providing customers with this ‘functional luxury’ in a very stylish design suggesting quality both on the inside and out.”

Mercedes, Honda and Chevrolet brands each had two leaders: Mercedes leading with the S-Class and SL, Honda with the Odyssey and Ridgeline, and Chevrolet with the Corvette Convertible and a tie with itself in full size trucks between the Avalanche and Silverado. From three leads last year, Hyundai took the lead in only one segment this year with its Santa Fe in one of the most competitive automotive segments, the Smaller SUVs. The Volkswagen Jetta, Chrysler 300C and BMW X5 were each TQI leaders. Also worthy of mention is the redesigned Chevrolet Malibu, now second in the highly competitive Medium Car segment. .

“Over the past quarter century in the US, customer perceptions of quality of domestic and Asian manufacturers underwent large swings. Today, it doesn’t matter if you are a Toyota or a Ford, BMW or Hyundai, each manufacturer has the opportunity and mandate to produce a product with the right Cues of Quality — those product attributes that signal quality and create customer Trust — and present vehicles that have a greater impact on the purchase decision,” says Alexander Edwards.

Buyers rated the following vehicles tops in their segments:

*2007 Total Quality Award™ winner

The Total Quality Index™ was calculated from the responses of 20,655 buyers who bought 2008 models in September, October and November of 2007. Strategic Vision has presented Total Quality annually since 1995.