Mercedes-Benz announced today that a new generator management system will be helping to reduce fuel consumption in the Mercedes-Benz Vito and Viano from September 2011, as an enhanced BlueEFFICIENCY package is to be introduced.
According to the manufacturer, during braking, the new generator management system converts part of the kinetic energy produced into electric energy, which is then stored in the battery. Feeding this additional energy into the system means that the alternator can be restricted under certain operating conditions, as it is during acceleration, so reducing the strain on the combustion engine.
Beside this, as far as the driver is concerned, the intelligent alternator works independently and imperceptibly. The power electronics increase the alternator voltage as needed to ensure fast recharging of the battery. Recuperation, the most important technical term used here, is the process that uses kinetic energy that would otherwise dissipate into the atmosphere as heat given off from the wheel brakes.
The German car maker announced that BlueEFFICIENCY, and thus also the new generator management system, is part of the standard specification for Mercedes-Benz Viano, Vito crewbus and for every Vito model with passenger car type approval.
Mercedes-Benz developed this new technology as part of its efforts to shape the future of mobility in a responsible and sustainable manner. The “BlueEFFICIENCY” term encompasses a series of intelligent and innovative technologies that work together in such a way as to give noticeable reductions in fuel consumption and pollutant emissions.
Finally, the scope of the efficiency package includes, amongst other elements: an economical 4-cylinder CDI diesel engine in two output variants, a state-of-the-art V6 CDI diesel engine (with automatic transmission), consumption-optimised ECO Gear 6-speed manual transmission and further fuel economy measures, depending on the model.
Source: Mercedes-Benz
