Cost won’t stop Mercedes: Future cars emphasize diesels, hybrids, Diesotto and fuel cells

Unlike GM, Mercedes-Benz isn’t crying about the cost of development when making its lineup go ‘green.’ And of course, with those profit margins, it shouldn’t. Speaking with MotorTrend, CEO Dieter Zetsche says that cost won’t stop Mercedes-Benz from offering diesels, hybrids, Diesotto and later fuel cell cars on a mass production scale.

“I hear some competitors speculating that whatever it costs to meet the targets, that will be transferred to the customer,” said Zetsche. But since this is a legal requirement in order to sell the cars, the willingness of the customer to come up with the full bill will be limited. I consider the realistic definition for the pricetag is that the [customer’s] investment has a payback as a fuel saving during the first three or four years of the vehicle’s life.”

Zetsche said that its Diesotto engine...
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Reason - 4/10/2008 2:58:14 PM

0 Boost

Dare we dream of an AMG diesel or hybrid?!

simmonsdp - 4/10/2008 4:25:28 PM

+2 Boost

AMG came out with a tuned diesel for the last C Class modell (203) about 5 years ago and I believe it was called the C30..

Larry - 4/10/2008 5:45:53 PM

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Omarrama to be fair to GM, GM does not have the same profit margin as Mercedes the average Mercedes I would guess is about $60,000 versus GM avg price of about $35,000, so Meredes is more likely to be able to afford to invest.

Homer008 - 4/11/2008 2:51:16 AM

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"I'll believe it when I see it".

MadibaP - 4/12/2008 4:20:18 AM

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Larry in truth GM has a history and culture of not investing in research and development. For years cars were all based on the previous model, same engines, gearboxes etc, resulting in components being carried over for time spans unimaginable to European or Japanese manufacturers. The relentless drive to produce better, lighter more efficient cars and systems simply has to be the ethos of car manufacturing.

Were it not for US patriotism GM and FORD would have folded years ago.

DieselRules - 4/13/2008 1:28:54 AM

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Unfortunately, GM had NO profits for the past many years, and Chrysler ate in Mercedes profits severely.

Obviously, the biggest & most profitable companies spend the most on R&D, so that's been Toyota (#1 in profits) and VW (possibly #1 in R&D spending) in recent years.
But with Chrysler off its back, expect Daimler to make a big push to cover lost ground.

NOTE: Chrysler would fold long before GM or Ford. They've risen from the ashes at least 3 times in the last 3 decades.

MadibaP - 4/13/2008 9:43:57 AM

+1 Boost

Yes that is true, but then there is little to choose from between the 3 in reality. GM once did make BIG money, but the culture R&D has never been part of American car Manufacturing ethos.