Currently reading: Frankfurt motor show 2013: Mercedes S-class plug-in hybrid
Mercedes will launch a plug-in hybrid version of the new S-class in September

Mercedes will launch a plug-in hybrid version of its new Mercedes-Benz S-Class at the Frankfurt motor show with CO2 emissions below 75g/km.

Autocar understands the final CO2 figure of the S500 Plug-in Hybrid, as the model will be known, will be just 70g/km in order to trump the 71g/km figure of current lowest CO2 emitter in the luxury saloon segment, the Porsche Panamera S E-Hybrid. Economy is expected to be above 90mpg on the combined cycle.

The model, previewed at the media launch of the new S-class in Toronto — ahead of its full reveal at Frankfurt — will mix a V6 petrol engine with an electric motor and a battery pack mounted in the boot. Some boot capacity will be lost to the batteries.

The S500 Plug-in Hybrid will be the third and most efficient hybrid in the new S-class line-up. Others offered include the not-for-UK petrol-electric S400 Hybrid and the S300 BlueTec diesel-electric hybrid.

Mercedes sold more hybrids than all of its luxury German rivals put together last year. It sold 20,000 hybrid versions of the previous-gen S-class, 60 per cent of which were in China.

Mark Tisshaw

mark-tisshaw-autocar
Title: Editor

Mark is a journalist with more than a decade of top-level experience in the automotive industry. He first joined Autocar in 2009, having previously worked in local newspapers. He has held several roles at Autocar, including news editor, deputy editor, digital editor and his current position of editor, one he has held since 2017.

From this position he oversees all of Autocar’s content across the print magazine, autocar.co.uk website, social media, video, and podcast channels, as well as our recent launch, Autocar Business. Mark regularly interviews the very top global executives in the automotive industry, telling their stories and holding them to account, meeting them at shows and events around the world.

Mark is a Car of the Year juror, a prestigious annual award that Autocar is one of the main sponsors of. He has made media appearances on the likes of the BBC, and contributed to titles including What Car?Move Electric and Pistonheads, and has written a column for The Sun.

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Peter_Mould 11 July 2013

That is really amazing to

That is really amazing to know that the market for luxury hybrids is in huge demand. Mercedes is the leading automaker and has set the benchmark for their wide range of electric vehices. This will definitely motivate or rather push other luxury rivals like BMW and such to produce an even broader range of hybrids that will be highly anticipated and well accepted too in both the global and Asian markets. So far, the EV market has indeed received favourable response by the general public for the past years and its future is indeed looking very bright. People are now considering environmental factors before making a purchase.
fadyady 7 July 2013

For emissions or for economy

One after the other all car makers are going to join the plug-in bandwagon to avoid penalties.

Hard to imagine a full-scale luxury saloon going in and out of London congestion charge free.

oop north 5 July 2013

Tax

It's all about tax - stick a non-hybrid through your company and you will be paying tax on more income than you get in real benefit.  Shove a hybrid through and on these figures Angel get full write down against corporation tax in year 1, (b) pay tax on an amount of income well below the real benefit of the car and (c) possibly pay tax on fuel benefit well below the real cost.  The costs would be too much for me but one of my business partners could well stick his (next) S class through his company.  He's getting fed up of the rude comments about his Panamera (some of them from me Lol