EQ Power: The plug-in hybrid family

The hybrid drive units of the models with a longitudinally installed engine are already the third hybrid generation since the introduction of the S 400 Hybrid in 2009.

Plug-in hybrids offer customers the best of both worlds: in town they run in all-electric mode, while on long journeys they benefit from the range of the combustion engine. They make the vehicle more efficient overall, because they can firstly recover energy during braking and secondly allow the combustion engine to run in favourable operating ranges. The intelligent, route-based operating strategy activates the electric driving mode where this is most appropriate for the route. It takes into account e.g. navigation data, topography, speed limits and the traffic conditions for the entire planned route. Plug-in hybrids are also an important milestone on the way to emission-free driving. Mercedes-Benz Cars is systematically developing its plug-in hybrids further under the EQ Power label. EQ Power is also a guarantee of exceptional dynamism. EQ Power+ is the name of the performance hybrid technology that Mercedes AMG will use on the road in future, and is already used successfully in Formula 1 today. The latest members of the EQ Power family reinforce the plug-in initiative by Mercedes-Benz: the company aims to extend its offering to more than 20 model variants by 2020.