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2014 Mercedes SL and SLK add small expansion to Takata airbag recall

Mercedes-Benz is the latest automaker to be affected by Takata's massive airbag recall. The company has announced a voluntary recall campaign on a small number of model-year 2014 SLK- and SL-Class roadsters.
In Mercedes' case, 300 vehicles are affected, 200 of which are in the hands of customers. According to spokesperson Donna Boland, the affected roadsters were built between March and April of this year.
The issue, which is apparently the fault of one of Takata's subcontractors, rests with some improperly installed fasteners, which could keep the airbag from performing the way it's supposed to. According to Boland, Mercedes isn't sure what, if any, injuries the recalled airbags could cause, but simply claims there's an increased risk in these particular vehicles. There's been no reported instances of the faulty airbags deploying on a customer and the original issue was found in a production test.

Mercedes may not be done with R-Class after all

The idea of blending a three-row SUV and a minivan into a luxury model like the Mercedes-Benz R-Class still seems wonderfully absurd, particularly when you consider that there was an AMG version of that German people-mover. Apparently, though, one of the brand's execs doesn't believe the concept behind the R-Class is all that bizarre. In fact, he thinks it could be time to try again. Wolf-Dieter Kurz, Mercedes' vice president in charge of SUVs and sports cars, believes that crossovers could be a major driver of product variants in the future due to their popularity. There are a lot of design possibilities to explore in the segment, in his opinion. "There was already one that we had in the portfolio – maybe we were too early – which was the R-Class, which we are still selling in China. It's doing good, with 12,000 to 14,000 units per year," Kurz said during the launch of the GLE and GLE Coupe, according to CarAdvice. Under a recent deal, the quirky model is made by AM General and exported out of the US. Kurz even suggested the exact niche that the new model might fill. "So let's say these more, let's say, on-road based but still very roomy, but not station wagon, is definitely an interesting segment also in the future," he said, according to CarAdvice. That almost sounds like a blend of wagon and SUV in a move not too dissimilar from the current Subaru Outback or the old R-Class. One hurdle for any future model reviving the concept of the R-Class is that the company is already bursting with CUVs. Every size is practically already filled with the GLA, GLC, GLE, and forthcoming GLS, plus Coupe variants for some of them.

Recharge Wrap-up: Honda FCV Concept comes to Detroit, Toyota seeks young green energy fellows

Honda will bring its FCV Concept to the 2015 North American International Auto Show in Detroit in January. The hydrogen-powered concept made its Japanese debut in November, and will now make its way to North America for the first time. The FCV concept improves upon the design of the FCX Clarity with a more striking appearance and roomier interior. Its smaller powertrain packaging means more space for people, and the FCV Concept seats five passengers. Honda also expects the next-generation fuel-cell car, which is scheduled to go on sale in Japan in March 2016, to cost less and have a range of over 300 miles. Read more in the press release below. The Mercedes-Benz B-Class Electric Drive has been awarded an environmental certificate from the TUV Sud technical inspection authority. The certificate is based not just on the vehicle's operation, but the entire lifecycle of the car, including production and recycling. The B-Class Electric Drive produces 24 percent less CO2 over its lifecycle than the Mercedes-Benz B180 when using the EU electricity mix, and 64 percent less when powered by hydroelectricity. Mercedes credits not just the use of electricity, but also the car's energy management system - such as its radar-based regenerative braking - for its carbon reductions. Read more in the press release below. Scania will test a wirelessly charged plug-in hybrid bus in Sweden. Beginning in June 2016, the bus will be put to daily use in Sodertalje. One of its stops will have a wireless charging station where the bus will recharge for six to seven minutes before continuing on its route again. The charger is located under the road surface and the bus positions itself above it to charge inductively. About $1.3 million will come from the Swedish Energy Agency to fund the test project, which could save up to 90 percent of fuel costs. If expanded to a fleet of 2,000 buses, it could save up to 13 million gallons of fuel each year. Read more at Green Car Congress, and in the press release below. Sandia National Laboratories and Linde are teaming up to expand hydrogen fueling infrastructure. The two groups have signed an agreement to research and develop new hydrogen stations, as well as ways to make fuel cell vehicles more desirable for consumers. They are looking at ways to incorporate hydrogen into existing fuel stations where possible, and make sure that it is able to be done safely.