2011 Frankfurt: Mercedes-Benz B-Class E-CELL Plus, is Stuttgart’s Volt

Mercedes-Benz has just unveiled its first ever-electric vehicle with a Range Extender at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show this week.

Featuring a three-cylinder gasoline engine with an electric motor capable of producing a combined output of 161-hp—94-hp from the electric motor and 67 from the gas motor—the Mercedes-Benz B-Class E-CELL Plus Concept can achieve a range of up to 373 miles. 62 miles of that can be driven on electric power alone. Performance wise, the B-Class E-CELL Plus can hit 62 mph in 11 seconds with a top speed of 93 mph.

“The Concept B-Class E-CELL PLUS shows that our new range of compact cars is all set for the future. The variant involving a battery-electric vehicle with Range Extender further broadens the range of alternative drive concepts from Mercedes-Benz,” notes Prof Dr. Thomas Weber, Member of the Board of Management at Daimler AG. “This innovative and highly flexible concept meets our customers’ wish for emission-free driving coupled with a large range.”

Additionally, to follow the trend of linking one’s smartphone to the automobile, Mercedes-Benz will be featuring similar technology that will allow owners to keep track of the B-Class E-CELL Plus’s vehicle statistics such as battery charge level and gasoline level.

For now, the B-Class E-CELL remains a concept but Mercedes says a series production model is planned for 2014.

– By: Chris Chin