Mercedes-Benz CEO, Dieter Zetsche, reafirms his support for diesel Mercedes engines, saying that its company’s customers are still confident in the crucial fuel to reducing the amount of CO2 sent into the atmosphere.
Dr. Z highlights that Carbon dioxide rather than NOx is the actual problem of today’s combustion engines and says that Mercedes-Benz clients are smart enough to notice the difference.
“I do believe it is not to the benefit of society to turn down the benefits of CO2 savings that diesels offer. We are talking a lot about NOX but I believe CO2 is still the biggest issue.”, Zetsche said.
In 2017, Mercedes-Benz actually sold more diesel powered cars in Europe than a year before, according to the charismatic Daimler boss: “In 2018 we are seeing a small dip in diesel take-up, but customers on the whole are still showing confidence. More than 50% of our sales are diesels. They are more open to the options than the political discussions suggest.”
This doesn’t mean that Mercedes-Benz is not aware of the new regulations and real world consumption tests, preparing its new models to comply with any future legislation changes. “The new regulations and test methods are a great step forward, but if we can offer even more realistic information that helps the customer then it can only be a good thing.”
In fact, Mercedes-Benz is going even further to highlight its commitment to diesel engines, launching a brand new family of plug-in hybrid models combining the company’s 2.0-liter OM 654 four-cylinder oil burner with a 90 kW electric motor. The electric range will be 50 km according to NEDC cycle test thanks to a new lithium-ion battery which can store 13.5 kWh of energy.
The first Mercedes-Benz model to receive the new powertrain is the revamped C-Class, revealed at the Geneva motor show last month. READ MORE BY FOLLOWING THE LINK BELOW
Mercedes will launch C-Class and E-Class Plug-In Hybrid diesel in autumn 2018
