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Eight Mercedes Fuso Canter E-Cell trucks now in service

Portugal is far better known for its scenery and seascapes (not to mention some of its alcoholic beverages) than its place as a vehicle-testing center. But the European country is serving just that purpose for Daimler's Mercedes-Benz division and a new line of trucks. And they are of the battery-electric variety. Daimler has sent eight of its Mercedes-Benz Fuso Canter E-Cell battery-electric trucks for customer-trial purposes to various parts of the Western European country. And these customers include the Portuguese cities of Lisbon, Porto and Abrantes as well as delivery company Transporta. These entities will be testing trucks that have about a 60-mile single-charge range and deliver 150 horsepower. The trials for the trucks, which have 14-foot beds, will last one year. Daimler hasn't released a whole lot of details on further development or sales possibilities of the model. The hybrid version of the Fuso Canter debuted in the fall of 2009 and was under the Mitsubishi badge at the time, even though it was 85-percent owned by Daimler. That model is said to boost fuel economy relative to conventionally-powered trucks by as much as 23 percent. Take a look at Daimler's press release on the Fuso Canter E-Cell and its Portugal testing below. Zero emission and quiet as a whisper: eight new Fuso Canter E-Cell in customer trials Eight Fuso Canter E-Cell in real-life testing with customers for a year Locally emission-free and virtually noiseless Powerful, high-torque electric motor Battery capacity ensures range of more than 100 km Highlight of anniversary year for the Canter assembly plant in Tramagal, Portugal The drive system to suit: Canter Euro VI, Canter Eco Hybrid and Canter E-Cell The cleanest technology, whatever the application: Fuso is a pioneer of "green" drive systems in the commercial vehicle sector. The Daimler subsidiary in Japan is the home of Daimler Trucks' centre of competence for hybrid technology, and with this experience behind it, Fuso has also been responsible for developing the new battery-electric-powered "Zero Emission" Canter E-Cell. The first all-electric light-duty truck, produced in a small series, runs emission-free and almost silently. The Canter E-Cell for Europe is manufactured at the Tramagal plant in Portugal. Eight vehicles have now been released for customer trials.

Mercedes rolls out the long red carpet for new Maybach S600 Pullman [w/video]

Remember when the S-Class was the S-Class and that was it? The pinnacle of the Mercedes-Benz lineup, at least as far as sedans were concerned. But those days are long behind us. Now there's a coupe as well (bringing the former CL back into the fold), a convertible on its way, the uber-luxe Maybach limo and this: the new Pullman. The creme de la creme of the Silver Star range, His Excellency Field Marshall Dr. Mercedes-Maybach S600 Pullman Dada – as it's known in full, at least with the twelve-cylinder engine – is... well, it's enormous. It's bigger than the old Maybach 62 it essentially replaces and bigger even than an extended-wheelbase Rolls-Royce Phantom. And why would you need a vehicle so large? Well, you wouldn't. And neither would we. But there are some, shall we call them "unelected heads of state" who would accept no less. They're the customers who favored the original, and 50 years later, they're the ones who'll be snapping up the new one. (The little wavy flags on the front fenders are optional.)

Daimler exec hypothetically discusses 3-cylinder engines for small hybrids

Is three the magic number of cylinders for Mercedes-Benz parent Daimler and its efforts to build smaller powertrains for its compact hybrids? Potentially, yes, the German automaker could see the need for three-cylinder mills, Automotive News reports. The company doesn't have any plans for them as of yet, though. Daimler executive Bernhard Heil talked with Automotive News about the challenges of using four-cylinder engines in a front-wheel-drive setup and said that three-cylinder engines could work in transverse-mounted powertrains for hybrid cars. For now, though, the company doesn't actually have any plans to go in that direction, Mercedes-Benz spokesman Christoph Horn said in an e-mail to AutoblogGreen. Horn wrote that Heil "actually said that if ever MB would use a three-cylinder engine than [it would be] in a configuration where space is restricted, such as when using a hybrid power train in a compact car." Of course, the only compact "hybrid" that Mercedes-Benz has is the 2015 C-Class, but that refers to the "hybrid" body is made of 48-percent aluminum, up from the current nine percent, as well as steel. It has nothing to do with the powertrain. Beyond that, there's always the Mercedes-Benz S500 Plug-in Hybrid that the company unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show last fall, but that model, which will debut in Europe later this year and arrive stateside next year, has a 3.0-liter turbocharged V6 and an 80-kilowatt electric motor that propels the plug-in from 0 to 62 miles per hour in 5.5 seconds. Not exactly three-cylinder territory, that.