Mercedes Benz to stop making cars in seven years
By Leslie Poston
Mercedes Benz has announced the official end of their gas car manufacturing within seven years. That’s right, Mercedes Benz, maker of some of the world’s best, most reliable cars, has declared they will move their automobile focus away from the fossil fuel powered automobile.
Currently, Mercedes Benz makes a car called the SmartForTwo that is electric. They will focus on this electric line of cars, as well as other alternative fuel sources like bio fuels and fuel cells. Hopefully they will also bring their stunning eye for design to the alternative fuel auto market. It may be completely shallow of me, but half the reason I haven’t gone the way of the hybrid or electric car is how horrible they look.
By declaring that they will no longer make petroleum fueled vehicles, Mercedes Benz has become the first well known auto manufacturer to truly take a giant leap forward in green technology for transportation. It is hoped by members of the green technology community that they will inspire other auto manufacturers to do the same.
Meanwhile, here in the United States the announcement has traditional automotive giants in a panic. By taking such a giant leap toward advanced green driving practices, Mercedes has drawn attention to how unprepared United States based companies are for the switch.
Still pushing gas powered trucks and cars here instead of pulling them back to the factory for retrofitting, there is a good chance that American auto makers (and the Americans who keep buying the cars and contributing to the problem) will be caught with their proverbial pants around their ankles starting in 2010 when many European auto makers have larger scale roll outs of green vehicles planned.
Sure, some American car makers have hybrids. A few offer electric options. None of them has taken such a large scale steps to change the industry for the better, however. Mercedes has beat them all to the punch on that goodwill-generating announcement. Hopefully it sill inspire other auto makers to make the same sweeping gesture, and even to consider pulling the gas powered cars sitting unsold on lots and retrofit them for bio fuel, fuel cell, L-Ion or other options.
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June 30th, 2008
The Smart FourTwo is gasoline powered in U.S. and most of Europe.
June 30th, 2008
Well it won’t be in seven years, now will it? ;)