Benz considers NG vehicles for U.S.

[Tax Counsel]

Mercedes Benz considers natural gas powered vehicles for U.S.

http://www.motorauthority.com/merced...es-for-us.html

"At this week’s Washington Auto Show, Mercedes Benz plans to showcase its compact B-Class hatch with a powertrain designed to run on compressed natural gas (CNG). The carmaker already sells a dual-fuel version of the B-Class in Europe that runs on either petrol or CNG or a combination of the two, and that model could one day be sold here."

I don't think that US Mercedes dealers will like this one bit. As far as I've heard, the US dealers have fought hard to keep the A- and B-series vehicles out of the US market.

[Adrian]

Re: Benz considers NG vehicles for U.S.

Maybe MB will reach a compromise with US dealers and import the much nicer E-200 NGT bifuel instead.

[Tax Counsel]

Re: Benz considers NG vehicles for U.S.

Two more articles, one from motortrend and another from automobile mag.

http://wot.motortrend.com/6438682/gr...put/index.html

http://rumors.automobilemag.com/6438...tes/index.html

[DC_GXDealer]

Re: Benz considers NG vehicles for U.S.

I saw that car at the show. It was great looking.

[ZafiraCNGGermany]

Re: Benz considers NG vehicles for U.S.

See NGT in motion:
http://mercedes-benz.tv/en/clip-564/NGT+–+Naturally+gas

[CNG Utah]

Re: Benz considers NG vehicles for U.S.

Zafira thanks for the link. That was a great video by Mercedes.

[nttrainer]

Re: Benz considers NG vehicles for U.S.

Thanks Zafira. If you look at the video and see how the tanks are positioned under the passenger compartment you can see how a well-engineered CNG vehicle should be built. People shouldn't have to lose their trunk space or half the bed of a pickup just to have adequate CNG storage.
The CNG tanks actually act as additional protection for the gasoline tank in case of impact.
We want as much protection as we can get for those liquid bombs.

[Convert2CNG]

Re: Benz considers NG vehicles for U.S.

Anyone had a chance to look at the Washington Auto Show?
According to Edmunds the MB B-class (CNG) was shown.

http://blogs.edmunds.com/greencaradv...gas-to-us.html

Also, on another site it shows that if run on CNG the B-model consumes about 48 mpg.
http://www.egmcartech.com/2008/03/14...ts-a-facelift/

Additional drawings and location of the 5 tanks:
http://www.cng-forum.com/wbb/index.p...hreadID=89&l=2

[OhMyGas]

Re: Benz considers NG vehicles for U.S.

on CNG only the range is almost 200miles.
Maybe MB would offer a dedicated CNG model, which could have 3 more tanks instead of the gas-tank and the range could be extended to an easy 300miles (that would me by best guess).
Now I really want one - AND it would qualify for the HOV lane.

[AfterMarketCNG]

Re: Benz considers NG vehicles for U.S.

I don't think that US Mercedes dealers will like this one bit. As far as I've heard, the US dealers have fought hard to keep the A- and B-series vehicles out of the US market.

I think its more that it would hurt the general view of Mercedes in the US. In the US they are generally your nice sports cars, young businessman's luxury cars.

In Europe they are like what you see here, just cars. In Italy for example every other car is a BMW or Mercedes, and they are all these hatchback type models, they don't have the nice sports car image that they do in the US.

[larrycng]

Re: Benz considers NG vehicles for U.S.

They also used for taxi cabs in Europe. I'd love to have a yellow Benz with a taxi light on the top (that says CNG); just to irriate the Yuppies.

Larrycng

[marty600]

Re: Benz considers NG vehicles for U.S.

A real Merc does not have spark plugs! (read: Diesel) That said, the largest auto show in the US, chicago, did not have the CNG merc, but they did have the fully electric car and a hybrid, this could be a bit 'telling' for their US plans, magazine articles notwithstanding. I recently changed the trans fluid on a ford SHO. Filtered it with cotton, and put it into the tank of the 'ol diesel...runs great on ATF!

[jschaub]

Re: Benz considers NG vehicles for U.S.

Mercedes Benz considers natural gas powered vehicles for U.S.

I don't think that US Mercedes dealers will like this one bit. As far as I've heard, the US dealers have fought hard to keep the A- and B-series vehicles out of the US market.

A Mercedes NGV will not appeal to some people, but it will appeal to many, myself included. The fact that many U.S. Mercedes dealers may be opposed to bringing A- and B-series vehicles to the U.S. market is one reason why members of this forum that have even the slightest interest in a U.S. Mercedes NGV should go to the Motor Trend site and express their interest in a B-class NGV, or any other class of Mercedes NGV for that matter. Presumably, postings at the Motor Trend site are not filtered by U.S. Mercedes dealers.

[cngacrossusa]

Re: Benz considers NG vehicles for U.S.

Please all post positive comments on website to support idea of MB bringing cng to USA.

If excellent quality cng vehicle like MB were sold in USA that had range in 300 to 350 mile range (ie maybe just limp in high octane petrol tank of 1.5 gallon with Stabil), then cng might get more momentum. Also, with proper marketing, I truly believe that 100,000 to 200,000 cng vehicles could easily sold in USA. That would be a 70% to 140% INCREASE in cng vehicles in USA compared to paltry 150,000 we have now!! Look at Honda, not a lick of advertising but waiting lists on Civic GX and market premiums often on sales!! Idea of 5-passenger dedicated cng taxi from MB is homerun all around (would win in a second over that god-awful looking thing that was dubbed "Taxi-car" and got Clean Energy investment recently).

Go for it MB. . . . bring MORE cng vehicles to market in USA . . . and ASAP!!

[cripple_rooster]

Re: Benz considers NG vehicles for U.S.

I think its more that it would hurt the general view of Mercedes in the US. In the US they are generally your nice sports cars, young businessman's luxury cars.

I believe the offering of CNG-powered cars wouldn't have a negative effect in Mercedes-Benz' image as a brand, since it could appeal as an alternative to reduce american dependance on foreign oil or environmental concernment. I don't seen a CNG version of the E-200 as "less prestigeable" than a gasoline-powered.