Black Convertible, Hard Top. Manual Transmission. Black Leather. Amg Wheels on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Recharge Wrap-up: Innova EV Car Share, Mercedes to use CO2 A/C

Innova UEV will launch its carsharing program at the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education 2015 Conference & Expo. Called Innova EV Car Share, the program is designed for college campuses, and uses the Innova Dash neighborhood electric vehicle and solar charging stations. "The Innova UEV team is excited to introduce this innovative sustainability program to universities across the country as a way to reduce CO2 output as well as decrease congestion," says Innova UEV Founder and CEO Roman Kuropas. "Visionary schools that make this level of commitment to the environment are sure to add to their sustainability prestige as leaders in higher education." Read more in the press release from Innova UEV. Microsoft and ABB are launching a new EV fast-charging services platform. ABB chargers will connect to the Microsoft Azure cloud, allowing for smarter charging as infrastructure expands. "Platform performance and stability are critical differentiators for the successful operation of a modern, data-dependent EV charging station," says ABB's Pekka Tiitinen. "By partnering with Microsoft, ABB will be able to offer best-in-class operations as well as innovative advanced services - what we call the Internet of Things, Services and People." Perhaps we'll hear more specific details following the platform's launch at eCarTec in Germany. Read more from Microsoft. Honda is testing solar-powered EV charging in the Marshall Islands. The AC charging stations, called the Honda Power Chargers, will help power a fleet of Fit EVs on the remote islands as part of a pilot test. The Marshall Islands must import most of their energy supplies, so solar-powered mobility would help provide some self-sufficiency and cost savings. Honda, the Marshall Islands government, and the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry will use the experiment to determine if it would be worthwhile to expand the solar-powered charging infrastructure. Read more at Green Car Reports. Mercedes-Benz will use CO2 air conditioning to help meet the EU's 2017 environmental requirements. The European offerings of the S-Class and E-Class will be the first to use a CO2-based air conditioning system. The use of CO2 requires a redesign of much of the system, as it requires a much higher pressure than other refrigerants. The automaker will use the HFO-1234yf refrigerant in its other vehicles.

Mercedes S-Class Cabrio caught nearly naked

The new Mercedes-Benz S-Class is a handsome car, and its new two-door variant is positively dashing. Considering that, did you really think Mercedes would shake things up when it finally came time to drop the top on its flagship luxury model? Nope, neither did we. This is the S-Class Cabriolet, and from the beltline down, it's basically the same fixed-roof car we tested back in October – same grille, same headlights, same twin character lines in the profile. This is not a bad thing. We're betting it'll wear very similar taillights to the S-Class Coupe, although it's difficult to tell on the more heavily camo'd example of the luxurious droptop. Differences, meanwhile, are kept to the absolute minimum. The windshield looks more aggressively raked, and the inclusion of a canvas roof has softened the Coupe's svelte profile, but other than that, there aren't many changes at all. Expect the S-Class Sedan and Coupe's engine lineup to inform the powertrain strategy for the Cabriolet, meaning a base S550 with a 4.7-liter, twin-turbocharged V8. It's unclear if AMG variants will be offered, although we wouldn't bet against it. Our spies report that the S-Class Cabrio will saunter into dealers later this year, eager to steal the lunch money of the aging BMW 6 Series Convertible. We're betting on a European auto show debut, so keep an eye open at the upcoming Geneva Motor Show. If not there, Frankfurt seems like a likely destination for the new droptop.

Mercedes C-Class Coupe due to go on sale next December

While we expect to see the coming Mercedes C-Class convertible sometime next year, perhaps at the Paris Motor Show, Auto Motor und Sport reports that the C-Class Coupe will go on sale in December 2015 (probably in Europe first) - it's possible we'll see it debuted at the same time as the cabrio. The German magazine says the two-door will have sharper lines on a body that is four inches longer, almost two inches wider and a fraction of an inch lower than the sedan, dimensional aggrandizement that will be put to good effect on the AMG version coming in 2016. We'll have to wait for information on powertrains, which should hew to the sedan's lineup in addition to whatever else M-B might bring over here, topped off by the 503-horsepower, twin-turbo V8 in the AMG variant. Speaking of which, the 'last-generation' C63 AMG Coupe is still on sale until spring of next year, if you're a fan of the classics. Or you can wait on news of the C-Class four-door coupe, if niches inside of niches are what you're really after.