Mercedes-Benz S400 Hybrid qualifies for tax credit worth up to $1,150
Mercedes-Benz S400 Hybrid - Click above for high-res image gallery
The Mercedes-Benz S400, the first production hybrid to use lithium-ion batteries, has been declared eligible for the IRS' Alternative Motor Vehicle Credit as a Qualified Hybrid Motor Vehicle. For the S400, this credit is worth up to $1,150. This puts the S400 near the bottom of the list, with vehicles like the 2009 Ford Escape Hybrid 2WD worth $3,000 and the Nissan Altima Hybrid getting $2,350.
In addition to the li-ion battery pack, the S400 offers auto-start-stop, electric assist, and regenerative braking capabilities. The EPA rates the S400 at 19 mpg in the city and 26 mpg on the highway
Gallery: Mercedes-Benz S400 BlueHybrid
[Source: Green Car Congress]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
jmallx 9:54PM (10/09/2009)
This is green ?
The EPA rates the S400 at 19 mpg in the city and 26 mpg on the highway
My 2004 Sebring gets the same gas mileage.
http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/noframes/19558.shtml
WTF???
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skierpage 1:00AM (10/11/2009)
Uh, your Sebring is a mid-size (94 cubic feet of passenger room). The S400 is a large car (109 cubic feet).
No car is green, some cars are greener than other cars, and this car is greener than other large cars (its WhatGreenCar rating 62, 7th place). If you meant to say the government shouldn't give a tax credit for large hybrid vehicles, I don't disagree, but at least this is getting less of a credit than smaller cars. I tried reading the ENERGY POLICY ACT OF 2005 that the IRS link refers to, but it is 551 pages of painfully dense government verbiage. It seems there are all kinds of credits for all kinds of vehicle classes, weights, and technologies.
skierpage 1:03AM (10/11/2009)
Uh, your Sebring is a mid-size (94 cubic feet of passenger room). The S400 is a large car (109 cubic feet).
No car is green, some cars are greener than other cars, and this car is greener than other large cars (its WhatGreenCar rating 62, 7th place). If you meant to say the government shouldn't give a tax credit for large hybrid vehicles, I don't disagree, but at least this is getting less of a credit than smaller cars. I tried reading the ENERGY POLICY ACT OF 2005 that the IRS link refers to, but it is 551 pages of painfully dense government verbiage. It seems there are all kinds of credits for all kinds of vehicle classes, weights, and technologies.
Jeff R 4:17AM (10/10/2009)
It's a case of the government setting the means and not just the ends. When you do that you get all kinds of strange cases like this. The goal the govt should set should be x amount of pollution created per mile, combined with energy used per mile. Those are the real goals after all. Whatever means the automakers want to use to achieve that is up to them. If they fall below the goal, a penalty is paid by the consumer at purchase. Better than the goal, a rebate. But it shouldn't describe the means--hybrid, fuel cell, all electric or any other technology-- to be used. Then just sit back and let the best technology win.
Or do it further up the chain with a carbon tax, and do away with all this nonsense altogether.
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wincros 12:01PM (10/10/2009)
Smartest guy in the room.
GoodCheer 12:57PM (10/10/2009)
+1.
Solid description.
downtoearth 8:47PM (10/10/2009)
Jeff R:
> The goal the govt should set should be x amount of pollution created per mile,
> combined with energy used per mile.
You nailed it.
Denver Limo 12:18AM (10/13/2009)
Denver Limo Service joins the green concern for green environment. In November 2008, Zenith Limousines converted our entire Denver Limousine fleet to clean burning compressed natural gas or CNG. Yes, good old natural gas – the same stuff that heats your home also works in cars!
read more http://limoindenver.blogspot.com/2009/10/doing-our-part-for-environment.html
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Laurens 5:18AM (10/10/2009)
Great. Cars like this drive a lot, so improving fuel economy has the biggest benefit. Maybe Nobel price winners should make the shift as well ;-)
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aimless 8:49AM (10/10/2009)
So, if you resist the temptation to go for the $ 133 000 AMG or the 150 000 V-12, you not only save up to $ 63 000 but you get some lunch money from the government.
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Dave D 11:34PM (10/10/2009)
Come on, this is offensive. A car costing over $50,000-$60,000 gets some kind of tax credit because they added a mile per gallon or two with some silly green-washing? There are people out there who really need help to get by and survive day to day and would buy a Yaris that gets twice the gas mileage and costs 1/4th the price.
This is completely offensive. Let rich people pay for their own toys. By the way, I own a high end Mercedes so I'm not some poor guy whining about rich people.
As for the measurement system that should be used for a "reasonable car"....Jeff R nailed it.
I just think there should be some kind of reasonable limit to the total cost of the car. For now, I can see something up to $45,000 because the batteries cost a lot right now. But it should drop to $35k within 2-3 years.
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3n1gma 1:10PM (10/11/2009)
19 miles to the gallon!! Give me a break! Is Mercedes Benz smoking crack over there? How about 190 miles to the gallon! Step your game up. I thought Germans were good engineers. Apparently not though.
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jmallx 10:36PM (10/11/2009)
Skierpage
I was mainly saying (in a tongue in cheek kind of way) for a car that came out approx 6 yrs after mine I would expect much better fuel economy.
I realize not many cars are truly "green" unless its all electric and you power that electric car with solar panels on your roof and windmills on your house.
Which in themselves cost energy to create (about 2 yrs to break even on the energy investment on a solar panel according to http://www.solarbus.org/solar.shtml )
Sorry for the confusion.
Uh, your Sebring is a mid-size (94 cubic feet of passenger room). The S400 is a large car (109 cubic feet).
No car is green, some cars are greener than other cars, and this car is greener than other large cars (its WhatGreenCar rating 62, 7th place). If you meant to say the government shouldn't give a tax credit for large hybrid vehicles, I don't disagree, but at least this is getting less of a credit than smaller cars. I tried reading the ENERGY POLICY ACT OF 2005 that the IRS link refers to, but it is 551 pages of painfully dense government verbiage. It seems there are all kinds of credits for all kinds of vehicle classes, weights, and technologies.
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galop 4:32AM (10/27/2009)
photo gallery with the S 400 hybrid http://www.cbx.ro/galerii-foto/galerie-drive-test/mercedes-s-400-hybrid.html
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