Since traditional car companies entered the new energy track, "oil to electricity" is an adjective that appears frequently. Whether it is an entry-level car company or a luxury brand, it seems that there is no escape from taking advantage of this good way to find shortcuts. It's just that from "pursuit" to "dislike", "oil to electricity" quickly went through a roller coaster-like life. With the emergence of more and more pure electric platforms, "oil to electricity" is destined to become a transitional product. But new questions also come, when the pure electric platform is popularized, how to build fuel vehicles? Mercedes-Benz took the lead in coming up with a clear plan anyway: the future of fuel vehicles, built with electric platforms.
In less than 10 years, fuel has become the "foil" of electric drives?
According to Mercedes-Benz's recent statement, the next generation of Mercedes-Benz A-Class and Mercedes-Benz B-Class models will still provide two power versions of fuel-driven and pure electric drive, but no matter which drive form, they will be manufactured using the Mercedes-Benz MMA platform designed for electric vehicles.
The platform is expected to be officially unveiled in 2024, according to the previously disclosed news, the model manufactured with the MMA platform is expected to be brought to the market in 2025, which is basically in line with the current generation of Mercedes-Benz A-class replacement rhythm.
From the perspective of macro rhythm, Mercedes-Benz may complete the rhythm switch from "oil to electricity" to "electricity to oil" in less than 10 years. In this way, the century-old car company can be said to have once again emphasized its determination to fully electrify.
The drawbacks of "oil to electricity" are already familiar to everyone, such as the inability to give full play to the advantages of the space layout of the vehicle under the electrical structure; the chaotic layout of the battery, not only the limited potential of the battery, the battery safety is also difficult to take into account; there is also the difficulty of releasing the performance advantages of the drive motor, and the suspension structure limits the control limit of the electric drive model, and so on.
But what kind of effect will "electricity to oil" bring?
"Electric oil": small size engine + deep insertion + high chassis?
After the initial attempts of Mercedes-Benz EQA, EQB, EQC, etc., Mercedes-Benz finally brought a Mercedes-Benz EQS model relying on the EVA pure electric platform, which is also widely considered to be an epoch-making product. The Mercedes-Benz MMA pure electric platform is the partner of the EVA platform, mainly responsible for the manufacturing of A-class vehicles.
Interestingly, the EVA platform developed for C/D-class cars has not previously been introduced as to whether it will be compatible with fuel vehicles. However, in the face of the MMA platform with more limited space, Mercedes-Benz has made it clear that it can be compatible with fuel power in the case of pure electricity priority. The reason for this, we will talk about it later, now let's talk about the results of this.
For pure electric models, the MMA platform has transplanted the essence of the EVA pure electric platform in core structures such as 800V high voltage fast charging, SiC power electronics (less heat loss, lower power consumption), low-power permanent magnet synchronous motor, rear axle 2-speed transmission and so on. Compared with the future pure electric Mercedes-Benz A-class, CLA, GLA, GLB and other "close to the people" product line, it is also possible to inherit the above technologies, it is no wonder that after the flagship level of EQS, everyone will look forward to the launch of MMA platform models.
But placed on the fuel body, the first thing to meet is a premise, the engine size must be small. It is expected that the M254 engine (1.5T+48V (BSG)) currently equipped with the Mercedes-Benz C-Class is already the "maximum limit" in size. And it is expected that when the MMA platform is launched, there will be a new M252 power launch. Judging from the technology tree of BSG motors at this stage, this new power is expected to be a deeper (more dependent on electric drive) plug-in hybrid.
(Cyber Spy Photo)
The miniaturized internal combustion engine, as well as the existence of the rear-drive motor, can compensate as much as possible for the impact of the MMA platform fuel vehicle in terms of front and rear counterweights. However, in terms of suspension and chassis, it seems that it is the bigger difficulty. Judging from the previously disclosed new car spy photos of the MMA platform, the vehicle chassis is very high, but the structure is still in the form of a sedan. So much so that it is difficult for everyone to judge whether it is a new cross-border product or a unique car form under the MMA architecture. But in short, the spy model has an exhaust pipe, and Mercedes-Benz's statement also confirms that the life of Mercedes-Benz's "low-priced" fuel vehicle will continue.
Whether fuel or electric drive, modularity gives you more choice
In fact, whether it is a fuel platform or an electric drive platform, in the final analysis, it is a continuation of modular manufacturing of automobiles. The history of automobile manufacturing in the past hundred years has ushered in a trend of full modularization in the "end" of the era of fuel vehicles. This development "crystallization" was also perfectly inherited at the beginning of the history of electrification.
The application of modularity can be comparable to the birth of assembly line manufacturing, unlike the assembly line can only cope with the cost control of a single model from research and development to production, the manufacturing of the modular platform can cover a variety of models of the same level, or even across levels, in order to achieve a larger range and deeper state of cost control effect.
For car companies, under the wave of electrification, how to bring better product power than competitors under the limited cost control has become the key to development and growth, or to survive. For consumers, modular production can also ensure a diversified product supply, provide a richer choice, and even make some niche models "alive".
Back at Mercedes-Benz, the wave of modularity also explains why the Mercedes-Benz MMA platform "has to" balance fuel and electric drive. Because, without doing so, Mercedes-Benz's entry-level fuel vehicles are either priced or can only be cut. As for C/D-class models, their consumers are enough to afford the high premium brought by "personalization", so the EVA platform does not have to be compatible.
As for how Mercedes-Benz will create a fuel model that continues the charm of Mercedes-Benz on the MMA platform with electric drive priority, it also tests the wisdom of this century-old car company that has "redefined" cars many times.