Mercedes will absorb CO2 costs

While governments around the world rush legislation to raise fuel efficiency standards, premiums on cars will have to inevitably rise as new technology is developed to meet these standards. The question on everyone’s lips is who is going to pay for the implementation of all this new technology.

Not the consumer, if you believe Wilfried Steffen, president and CEO of Mercedes-Benz in the UK.
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Porschinator - 3/17/2008 8:59:49 PM

+1 Boost

Only down side to great luxury is weight. The more niceties you have the more you weigh the car down. Light weight material is not cheap either. If you were to design the MB C Class with all aluminum frame and CF fenders, roof, hood to save weight for better MPG it would cost $65K.

Then the cost of repair will raise its insurance premiums as well. It is very difficult to have the best of all worlds and most consumers have no clue what is involved.

This is one reason MB is investing in Diesel Tech because it can build Diesel engines that weigh the same as its petrol counter-part with better MPG #'s. Too bad Diesel prices are shooting through the roof! Apparently we can't win :-P

Direct injection is promising and we'll have to see what MB does with hybrid tech. Besides lowering the car for less drag I wish MB would offer light wheels. Unsprung weight helps with performance and MPG. Lets see how it goes :)