Top of the range luxury cars featuring the best amenities and ride comfort generally have a big capacity power-train under the hood to match with the rest of the vehicle and aren’t the most environment friendly options in the market. But the tightening noose of the emissions control agencies and regulatory authorities are forcing the car manufacturers to adapt and as a result some of the big luxury cars now have a lower carbon footprint than small family saloons. In January this year, Mercedes announced its plans and roadmap to launch a hybrid and plug-in hybrid version of the new S-Class model which will arrive at the showrooms in early 2015. But the German automaker is reportedly considering an all-electric version of its flagship luxury sedan, according to Top Gear.
Speaking to the Top Gear at the recently concluded 2014 Geneva Motor Show, Mercedes large car Chief Dr. Uwe Ernstberger said an electric S-Class isn’t in the pipeline as of now, but the company is mulling over the possibility and can launch it in the future. As per Ernstberger, the biggest challenge in front to Mercedes is to package the batteries that will power the electric car, as the S-Class will need a massive battery pack to give it a decent range. This won’t be the first electric model by Mercedes as the marquee had earlier tested a 740hp SLS AMG Electric Drive and an electric B-Class has just been launched. Mercedes said it was open to working more closely with Tesla, which it has a stake in.
[Via – Motor-Authority]