08 Lucerne Temperature Climate Control Ac Heat Unit Panel Switch 12r684 on 2040-parts.com

New Mercedes B-Class Electric Drive goes in to production

The first Mercedes B-Class ED (pictured) rolls off the production line in Rastatt With the BMW i3 grabbing headlines – and flying out of showrooms – as BMW’s first electric car, Mercedes need to play catch-up with a convincing EV of their own, and that’s the new B-Class Electric Drive – an EV version of the regular B-Class – which has now gone in to production in Germany. Built alongside regular ICE versions of the B-Class at Mercedes’ Rastatt Plant, the B-Class ED (Electric Drive) looks practically the same as its more conventionally powered siblings – although the front bumper does look a bit different – and has an electric motor good for 177 bhp and 250 lb/ft of torque, can manage a scoot to 62 mph in 7.9 seconds and has a range of up to 124 miles. The range – at least the quoted range – is a chunk better than the BMW i3′s and on a par with the latest Nissan LEAF, thanks to EV technology provided by Tesla, and the wrapping of an EV drivetrain in a conventional series production car could appeal to more buyers than the ‘statement’ design of the BMW i3.

Myths, facts and the Chevy Volt

The election is less than two months away, so it must be time to bash the Chevy Volt. I’m referring to a Washington Post piece titled “GM’s vaunted Volt is on the road to nowhere fast.” I cite the Post piece only because it’s the latest; there have been other similar pieces in other quote-unquote mainstream media outlets. For the most part they trot out the same old arguments.

Ford Fiesta S2000 rally car (2010) first pictures

Ford’s new Fiesta S2000 rally car, a vehicle that will form the basis of the company’s 2011 WRC challenger. Yes. Earlier this year both Ford and Citroen confirmed their continuing participation in rallying, and Ford revealed that it would participate in the S2000 and WRC categories with the Fiesta.