The battery of the S 500 PLUG-IN HYBRID is safely fitted into the rear end of the S-Class to save space. An intelligent on-board charging system enables the battery to be charged at any conventional household power socket. The supply of electricity to the car will be made even easier in future through inductive, cableless charging.

The S 500 PLUG-IN HYBRID stores electric energy in a lithium-ion battery on lithium-iron phosphate basis. A modular design with 120 serially connected VDA single cells (22 Ah/cell) supplies rated voltage of 396 V, which can vary between 270 V and 430 V depending on the operating point and consequently is optimally suited for the electric drive.

The water-cooled energy storage unit has an overall capacity of 8.7 kWh, a total weight of 114 kg and a spatial volume of 96 litres. An energy management system developed by Mercedes-Benz enables the best possible utilisation of the installed capacity, always makes the required output available and simultaneously protects battery life and availability.

To ensure highest levels of crash safety and dynamic handling and also maximum boot space, the housing is made of die-cast aluminium and the high-voltage battery is located in the rear of the vehicle above the rear axle. The space available there is put to optimal use, and the S 500 PLUG-IN HYBRID thus takes first place among the plug-in hybrids in terms of boot capacity (395 litres) and luggage compartment accessibility. Owing to the modular design of the battery components, further use of the battery system in other vehicle model series can be easily realised.

Battery charged in around two hours

The high-voltage battery of the S 500 PLUG-IN HYBRID can be charged via external electricity mains using a 3.6 kW on-board charger. The unit is permanently installed in the vehicle and charges single-phase up to 16 A. The connection for the charging cable is located under a flap in the rear bumper underneath the tail light on the right-hand side. An automatic lock ensures that the cable cannot be separated from the vehicle by unauthorised persons.

The new S-Class can be charged in two hours anywhere in the world, e.g. at a wallbox or a charging pole (400 V, 16 A). Alternatively, charging via house connection is also possible, of course. Depending on the connection a charge time e.g. of two hours and 45 minutes can be attained (with 230 V and 13 A)[1].The operating data from the charge process and the available output are continuously transmitted to the vehicle's energy management system, which then controls the charge process. The on-board charger is located near the battery to ensure the optimal length of connecting cables and cooling water lines.

With its intelligent charge management the new S-Class supports the following functions:

  • optimised charging making allowance for customer input, vehicle data and charging infrastructure

  • reliable automatic calculation of the purchased energy quantity

  • provision and reception of charge-relevant data.

The S 500 PLUG-IN HYBRID is delivered as standard with a four-metre-long spiral charging cable for household power sockets, type E/F[2] (mode 2); on request an eight-metre-long smooth cable is available as an alternative. Four other, partly spiral charging cables for industrial power sockets, public charging stations and wallboxes are optionally available.

Next step: S 500 PLUG-IN HYBRID - unplugged

One of the next steps on the way to the perfect electric vehicle and plug-in hybrid is cableless charging. Inductive battery charging makes the handling of electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids even more convenient. Mercedes-Benz will try out this "unplugged" technology in a test fleet with the S 500 PLUG-IN HYBRID in order to develop a genuine S-Class solution, in terms of comfort and ease of operation, for the charging of the high-voltage battery.

The system is comprised of two components: a secondary coil plus a floor plate with integral primary coil which is placed underneath the car, for example on the garage floor. The electric energy is transferred without contact, without a charging cable, with an output of 3.6 kW. The vehicle's high-voltage battery thus can be charged efficiently, conveniently and safely with an efficiency factor of more than 90 percent.

[1]The charge time ranges between 2 hours (400 V/16 A, e.g. at a wallbox) and 4.1 hours (230 V/8 A, e.g. at a household power outlet). Through settings on the control element of the charging cable, shorter charge times than 4.1 hours can be realised even with household power outlets, provided that the power supply system is designed for this. The voltage and current ratings indicated refer to the power supply infrastructure and can be limited by the car. All charge times refer to the charging of the battery from 20% to 100%.

[2]Country-specific, depending on market conditions

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