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Mercedes Benz E-Class gets a hybrid makeover

Mercedes Benz’s E-Class sedan was given a green makeover with Protean Electric and Brabus coming together to transform the executive car into a hybrid. The modified E-Class was showcased at the SAE World Congress of 2012 in Detroit and debuted in Frankfurt. The demonstrator vehicle sported a 2.2-liter turbocharged diesel engine and electric motors fitted to the rear wheels.

Protean And Brabus Partner For Hybrid Mercedes With In-Wheel Motors

Startup company, Protean Electric, was founded in 2009 with a view to developing in wheel electric motors. While many automakers did away with the idea years ago, the concept is making a comeback as more manufacturers are looking to make their cars eco friendly. In wheel motors offer a host of benefits that include simplified drive layouts, be it for two wheel or four wheel drives, improved vehicle packaging, efficient regenerative braking, and on road hybridization options.

What has been a setback to its progress, however, is that it adds to a vehicle’s weight and poses a problem for chassis engineers. Since each motor weighs around 31 kg, a car’s rear suspension and damping mechanism need to be adjusted.

The engineers at Protean and Brabus had their work cut out for the E-Class. The tricky part was to integrate the in wheel motors to the vehicle’s system so that the E-Class’s manual transmission could function properly. With each motor generating about 110 hp and 590 lb/ft of torque, the E-Class demonstrator is able to go from standstill to 60 mph in under 7.4 seconds.

The two companies aren’t done yet. They plan to work on tweaking the powertrain as well as include an all electric mode for their next model. That shouldn’t be too hard for Brabus, which has worked on many Mercedes Benz models over the years. Incidentally, the company is one of the most notable aftermarket tuners in the business. Since its foundation in 1977, it specializes in tweaking Maybachs, Smarts and Mercedes Benz.

Via: Popularmechanics

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