I sent their PR people a request for info and they said it was too soon. I imagine it will be very expensive given that MB's least expensive vehicle starts at around 24k.
This thing would be scary as hell to drive in a hard rain storm: [Broken External Image]:http://www.detnews.com/pix/conceptcars/cars/04mercedesvision.jpg Mercedes-Benz' Vision Grand Sports Tourer diesel-electric concept provides seating for six adults. It is equipped with the all new seven-speed transmission, glass panoramic sunroof and bi-xenon headlights. Buoyed by record sales of 218,700 vehicles in the U.S. last year, Mercedes-Benz looks to the future with its 2004 Vision Grand Sport Tourer diesel-electric concept. The company unveiled this refinement of a concept introduced here two years ago here. The '04 model features a V-8 engine with electric motor that developes 314 horsepower and attains highway mileage of 30 miles per gallon. “It is designed with the American market in mind,“ said Jurgen Hubbert. The GS Tourer may be built at the Mercedes Tuscaloosa, Alabama plant , which currently is undergoing a $600,000 expansion to prepare for the next generation Mercedes M-Class sport utility. Mercedes also announced it will bring its E320 CDi to the U.S in Aril. A sales projection and price have not yet been announced.
About scary driving under hard rain ... Renault Espace with 2.16 m2 sunroof ! (1,500 euros option) http://www.renault.fr Richard. 8)
Initially, people were pouring cooking oil directly into the computer; someone thought that the appropriate website should be brought up on screen before pouring the oil. Neither process worked; the oil fried the computer, as you might expect. Then, some really bright guy figured out that the website technology was actually a set of ideas about how to make useable diesel fuel from surplus (practically hazmat waste) cooking oil. There are chat lines for biodeisel folks just like there are for us Prions. Contact me off chat line and I'll connect you with my life partner who is making his own fuel. He knows folks around the country with whom he's been exchanging ideas and techniques. In principle, the process is pretty simple, but you have to get the formulations right or the fuel ends up being too viscous to run unless it's preheated. There is a grass roots revolution going on here folks, and the bio deisel contingent is a big and growing part of it. I'm totally jazzed about it. When I get depressed about the endless Godot wait for my Prius, I go out to the garage and see my partner's bio set up, and I get enthusiastic again. My decision to go Prius was to offer our household two energy efficient /pollution reduction options. AND, bio-diesels have far fewer particulant emissions, and no sulphur. Bob