Green technology is really the in thing since the last few years and that is all the more true for the automobile industry. The technology is moving forward at break neck speed and it is moving on a green path. With alternate fuel being the need of the hour, people are turning more and more towards hybrid fuel and hydrogen fuel cell technology. Mercedes is already getting all ready to launch its fuel cell car in 2009 and now it has launched the world’s greenest diesel car at the New York Auto Show.
Mercedes-Benz showed off the BlueTEC ML320 SUV at the 2008 New York auto show, claiming its AddBlue technology makes it the world’s cleanest diesel. The ML320 BlueTEC uses a turbocharged diesel 3.2-liter V-6 engine, producing 210 horsepower and 398 lb-ft. of torque. That engine is mated to a seven speed automatic transmission, giving it wide range of gear ratios appropriate for city and freeway driving.
The ML320 BlueTEC represents the first use of AddBlue technology in the U.S. AddBlue is a urea-based liquid that, when injected into the exhaust stream, converts 80 percent of the nitrogen oxide into ammonia. The ML320 has a 7 gallon tank for AddBlue that needs refilling every 10,000 miles. With AddBlue, the ML320 meets the emissions requirements of all 50 states. Mercedes-Benz will follow the ML320 BlueTEC with R-Class and GL-class BlueTEC models. The car further establishes Mercedes as carrier of the green torch in to the next decade or two.
