Mercedes to go Green. ALL Green. No Petroleum by 2015.

[s0urce]

http://www.ecogeek.org/content/view/1800/69/

I highly doubt it.

[bmw325csi]

I highly doubt it.

x2

I just hope in the future when everyones green, they will have something to swap into our e30's

[Jon325i]

Well, it sure makes for good headlines......then by next year everyone will forget about it and MBZ will go on business as usual.

Jon

[TwoJ's]

That's interesting. It's kind of strange though, in that little piece they mention the DiesOtto engine. I did a small report on this engine a year or so ago and I'm wondering why they would mention this when talking about eliminating fossil fuels. While their Dies Otto engine is an engineering masterpiece, it still relies on gasoline. In my opinion, this technology is the next step in the evolution of the gasoline engine. Is uses HCCL (compression ignition; diesel style), variable valve timing, variable geometry turbos and variable compression ratios (continually variable perhaps). The engine is highly efficient (39 mpg in a 5000 lb. vehicle[claimed and probably on the high side]) and would create at least 130 bhp/liter (235 hp out of a 1.8 liter engine).

Maybe I'm just the nerdy engineer type, but this is fascinating to me. It seems that their goal of completely "green" by 2015 is a bit ambitious. But with this Dies Otto engine, they would be setting the precedent for gasoline engines in the near future. I hope that they can use this engine very soon, and at a feasible price. Using technology like this, they could be setting the bar for efficiency while buying time to develop a truly cost effective alternative to gas or diesel powered vehicles.

[Sam Cogley]

That's interesting. It's kind of strange though, in that little piece they mention the DiesOtto engine. I did a small report on this engine a year or so ago and I'm wondering why they would mention this when talking about eliminating fossil fuels. While their Dies Otto engine is an engineering masterpiece, it still relies on gasoline. In my opinion, this technology is the next step in the evolution of the gasoline engine. Is uses HCCL (compression ignition; diesel style), variable valve timing, variable geometry turbos and variable compression ratios (continually variable perhaps). The engine is highly efficient (39 mpg in a 5000 lb. vehicle[claimed and probably on the high side]) and would create at least 130 bhp/liter (235 hp out of a 1.8 liter engine).

Maybe I'm just the nerdy engineer type, but this is fascinating to me. It seems that their goal of completely "green" by 2015 is a bit ambitious. But with this Dies Otto engine, they would be setting the precedent for gasoline engines in the near future. I hope that they can use this engine very soon, and at a feasible price. Using technology like this, they could be setting the bar for efficiency while buying time to develop a truly cost effective alternative to gas or diesel powered vehicles.

Ethanol and biodiesel are not petroleum. ;)

[TwoJ's]

Ethanol and biodiesel are not petroleum. ;)

That's cool. What does that have to do with anything I said? The Dies Otto engine is designed to run on gasoline. It uses "compression ignition" LIKE a diesel engine, but does not run on diesel. It does this HCCL at lower engine speeds and loads, but at higher RPM, it functions as a normal gasoline engine (spark-ignition). So do you think E85 is 100% ethanol? Are you saying it will run on straight ethanol? What exactly are you trying to say?

So yeah, your statement is completely irrelevant. Try again.

[Lurker27]

The reason these kinda of engines are more efficient (check out "photodetonation" or "quasiturbine" for a thorough discussion) is that you are burning all the gas at stoichiometric in the cylinder, instead of using a lower air to fuel ratio, and burning gas in the manifold/catalytic converter. The carnot efficiency is also higher.

[diegom6]

How about Hydrogen? Isn't available bastly? I know it's expensive to make hydrogen and BMW and few other brand s are already runing these engines.

Electric cars must be very boring to drive...instead to look for turbo option to upgrade it's performance I will have to look for turn triple motors and such things to make it go faster! OMG!:o

[Sam Cogley]

That's cool. What does that have to do with anything I said? The Dies Otto engine is designed to run on gasoline. It uses "compression ignition" LIKE a diesel engine, but does not run on diesel. It does this HCCL at lower engine speeds and loads, but at higher RPM, it functions as a normal gasoline engine (spark-ignition). So do you think E85 is 100% ethanol? Are you saying it will run on straight ethanol? What exactly are you trying to say?

So yeah, your statement is completely irrelevant. Try again.

Not irrelevant at all. I was pointing out that MB might be working on some way to power their vehicles with pure biofuels. It wouldn't be as radical as some other proposals, but it would certainly not have anything to do with petroleum.

[2Big4a3Series]

I guess this announcement comes in light of the story in the news about the scientists and environmentalists who are predicting that the Arctic Ocean will melt completely this summer.

Even though bio fuels are cleaner burning, don't they produce CO2 also?

[Sam Cogley]

I guess this announcement comes in light of the story in the news about the scientists and environmentalists who are predicting that the Arctic Ocean will melt completely this summer.

Even though bio fuels are cleaner burning, don't they produce CO2 also?

1) many of the plants being discussed as possible ethanol sources trap lots of carbon in their root structures, which would be left in the ground.

2) there is a difference between re-using carbon that's already in the aboveground cycle and dragging more into the ecosystem that was previously sequestered deep underground.

[TwoJ's]

Not irrelevant at all. I was pointing out that MB might be working on some way to power their vehicles with pure biofuels. It wouldn't be as radical as some other proposals, but it would certainly not have anything to do with petroleum.

That's great. read what you quoted my on originally and tell me what anything i said has to do with anything you said.

[thull]

That's great. read what you quoted my on originally and tell me what anything i said has to do with anything you said.

It was pretty obvious that he was suggesting that a Dies Otto engine can run on ethanol or other non-petroleum fuels. No need to get all riled up.

[Sam Cogley]

It was pretty obvious that he was suggesting that a Dies Otto engine can run on ethanol or other non-petroleum fuels. No need to get all riled up.

Yep. I thought it was pretty clear. :???:

[rwh11385]

Yep. I thought it was pretty clear. :???:

some people are slow...