2005 Mercedez Benz Ml350 on 2040-cars

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If you're a Daimler exec, you'll soon have to drive an EV

Luckily, for Daimler's "senior level" managers, the company has a lot of plug-in vehicle options. Lucky because "in the future," these managers will have to drive the company's electrified vehicles. This most likely means a plug-in hybrid – something like the C 350 e or the GLE 500 e 4MATIC – but it could also be the all-electric and peppy Smart ED or the B-Class EV. Board member Ola Kallenius said in a statement (available below) that this new policy, "We are continuing on the path of zero-emission driving with consistency. This is why we are making electric mobility an integral part of the everyday lives of our top management to set an example and to provide a clear role model." It's a big change from five years ago, when Daimler's director of fuel cell and battery drive development, Christian Mohrdieck, was willing to talk up the drawbacks EVs face. Even a year ago, Daimler CEO Dieter Zetsche explained the financial hardships involved in making EVs. But, EV technology continues to change, and so, perhaps, do the attitudes inside Daimler. As EV advocate Chelsea Sexton said on Facebook regarding this new policy, "This should be standard procedure in any automaker seeking a leadership role in the plug-in vehicle movement. Commitment starts at the top." Related Video: Electric Mobility: Daimler Management leads by example Daimler is once again setting a new milestone on the road to zero-emission driving: In the future managers will drive electrified company cars. Furthermore, Daimler is this year set to invest a further 30 million euros into extending the company's own charging infrastructure across many of its sites. This will also benefit employees, who have access to a growing range of vehicles with alternative drive systems. Stuttgart. It represents a further commitment from Daimler to an electric future for mobility: "We are continuing on the path of zero-emission driving with consistency", states Ola Kallenius, member of the Board of Management of Daimler AG responsible for Mercedes-Benz Cars Sales and Marketing, about the importance of the current initiative. "This is why we are making electric mobility an integral part of the everyday lives of our top management to set an example and to provide a clear role model." The agreement applies to the company's senior levels of management and focuses on plug-in hybrids.

Petrolicious shows Mercedes 280SL as architecture in motion

While still an absolute beauty today, the design of the pagoda-roof W113 Mercedes-Benz SL was revolutionary when it debuted. Moving away from the soft curves of the previous SL models, the all-new generation brought an upright, angular shape that was as much architectural as automotive. In the latest video from Petrolicious, owner and architect Daniel Monti expounds on the inspiration that he gets from his 1969 280SL's fantastic styling. The roof is the most famous design feature of this generation of SL. Look at the top from the front or back, and you can see a gentle, downward arc that evokes the look of a pagoda. That one styling element is also a fabulous counterpoint to a vehicle that is largely more angular than curvaceous. Petrolicious wonderfully illustrates how some of the SL's form-follows-function design aesthetic can be found in the architect's work in this video's heaping helping of mid-century modern goodness.

Mercedes dropping Shooting Brake from next CLS-Class

If you've been admiring the Mercedes CLS Shooting Brake from afar and held out hope that the next version might make it to over to our side of the pond, we've got bad news for you. Not only will the next rendition of Benz's sleek wagon not make it to North American showrooms, it won't be offered anywhere. According to Car, the German automaker has pulled the plug on the next CLS Shooting Brake. The five-door bodystyle was slated to form part of the third-generation CLS-Class lineup, whose design has already been finalized. But though there was reportedly great enthusiasm for the shooting brake within the company, lukewarm response from the vital North American and Chinese markets meant that plans for another wagon variant were scrapped altogether. Mercedes first rolled out the CLS four-door coupe in 2004, pioneering the popular new segment before BMW followed with its Gran Coupe models and Audi its Sportbacks. The second-generation model arrived in 2010, with a Shooting Brake following in 2012. Stuttgart even followed up with a smaller CLA Shooting Brake as well. With the third-generation model now on its way, however, the CLS is going back exclusively to four doors and a trunk. Of course that doesn't mean Mercedes won't be offering any oddball long-roofed models. It simply appears to be filling those niches with slant-backed versions of crossovers like the new GLC and GLE instead. So if you're looking for a vehicle with a Silver Star on the nose and an unconventional roofline at the back, you're going to have to settle on riding higher. Related Video: