Published July 5, 2012
By Philippe Crowe
Daimler will again have the largest contingent of vehicles today at the starting line of the third Silvretta E-Car Rallye, with a total of seven battery and fuel cell-powered electric cars.
The takes place at Montafon, Austria, between July 5 and 7. Daimler expects all its vehicles will cope easily with the tougher conditions of this year’s rallye, including longer distances, large height differentials and even steeper gradients than before.
The smart ebike is also going to travel parts of the Silvretta rallye route.
For the first time, the Daimler entrants will include two brand-new smart fortwo electric drive cars. This model has been commercially available since mid-June 2012. They will be competing alongside their experienced counterparts: two Mercedes-Benz A-Class E-CELL vehicles, two Mercedes-Benz B-Class F-CELL vehicles and the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG E-CELL electric super-sports car, which is scheduled for a market launch in 2013.
Daimler will take the opportunity of the third Silvretta E-Car Rallye to showcase its version of the world of future mobility, with its spectrum of electric cars powered by batteries or fuel cells, already operating in everyday road transport conditions.
The participation of the new smart fortwo electric drive car in the Silvretta event aims to show that the new vehicle is now more than a superb inner-city car. Its enhanced power ratings provide more dynamic performance qualities and excellent acceleration, equally useful at traffic lights in Berlin as on a steep climb in the Montafon mountains. Its range of 145 kilometers (90 miles), maximum power of 55 kw and top speed of 125 kph (78 mph) make the new smart fortwo electric drive more practical than its predecessor.
The Mercedes-Benz A-Class E-CELL offers space, flexibility and comfort, all with zero local emissions. Its range of more than 200 kilometers (124 miles) makes it ideal for local emissions-free driving, both in the city and on the open road. It is powered with a quiet, locally emissions-free electric motor with an output of 70 kw (95 hp). The A-Class E-CELL is fully ready for series production, and is already available to selected customers.
Another vehicle is the Mercedes-Benz B-Class F-CELL. This car has already proved its readiness for series production and suitability for everyday use, for example in the F-CELL World Drive event in 2011. The fuel-cell powered vehicle runs on hydrogen, with a 100-kw electric motor offering dynamic performance qualities equivalent to those of a 136-horsepower, 2.0-liter petrol engine model. The B-Class F-CELL has a range of around 400 kilometers (248 miles) per tank of fuel.
Another highlight back at this year’s event is the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG E-CELL. The gullwing design, now with a high-tech emissions-free powerplant developing a maximum output of 392 kw and a maximum torque of 880 newton meters, is considered by Daimler to be the standout pioneer in the super sports car market segment.
The smart ebike will also be part of the competition. It is fitted with a 423-wh lithium-ion battery, and has a continuous power rating of 250 watts and a torque of 35 Nm.
