Mercedes might go fully electric with the S-Class

With the hybrid and plug-in hybrid versions of the W222 S-Class slated to be launched later this year, Mercedes-Benz is considering making an all-electric version of the flagship luxury sedan. Currently, very few pure electric cars are available in the market and the Tesla Model S is the only competitor in the luxury sedan segment.

According Dr. Uwe Ernstberger, the chief of Mercedes' large car division, the all-electric S-Class isn’t currently highest priority, but they will get to it over time. Speaking to TopGear magazine at the 2014 Geneva Motor Show, Dr Uwe said, "We have to work on the capacities of the batteries to get a better package in the car, because you do not want to lose all the comfort features of an S-Class for transporting a battery only. First of all we'll have the plug-in hybrid, where you can drive between 25km to 30km on electric power. We want to use a battery to support electric driving in a closed city like London, and we use the combustion engine for driving outside the city."

Mercedes-Benz has a stake in the American electric car maker, Tesla Motors, and plans to collaborate with it to develop the technology. The German manufacturer has been involved with electric cars with the Smart brand, the practical B-Class Electric Drive as well as the brilliant 740bhp SLS AMG Electric Drive. The problems with pure electric cars are their driving range and battery packs. With their products, Mercedes-Benz has shown that they can make sensible as well as outrageously fast electric cars, but the company probably wants to wait for technology to mature before trying it on their flagship sedan.