Car nomenclature

In 1994 (starting with the 1994 models), the traditional nomenclature of Mercedes-Benz vehicles changed. Since the early days of the company the name would be in the form of 500E where the engine displacement made up the first three numbers and the last letter(s) represented the type of engine and/or chassis; for example: "E" for fuel injection ("Einspritzung" in German), "D" for Diesel, "L" for long wheelbase etc.

In 1994, this was altered so that the prefix reflected the model ("class", German "Klasse", in Mercedes-Benz terminology) and a number the displacement. The suffix was retained in some cases, for example "L" for long wheelbase, and "CDI" for Diesel (CDI = Common rail Direct Injection). Thus, the 500E in the example above became the E500 ("E-Klasse", 5 liters displacement). It should also be noted that while in the past the model number generally accurately reflected the actual engine displacement, this is currently not always the case - for example the E200 CDI and E220 CDI actually both have a 2.2 liter/litre displacement, and the C240 actually has a 2.6 liter/litre engine.

Concept Models

• Mercedes-Benz C111-III - sports car with tail fin
• Mercedes-Benz Auto 2000 - 4 door sedan
• Mercedes-Benz NAFA - microcar
• Mercedes-Benz C112 - sportcar and mule
• Mercedes-Benz F 100 - Car introducted in 1991
• Mercedes-Benz F 200 Imagination - 2 door coupe introduced in 1996 Paris Motor Show
• Mercedes-Benz F 300 Life Jet - 3-wheel Car/Motorcycle unveiled in 1997 Frankfurt Motor Show
• Vario Research Car - One car, four vehicles
• Mercedes-Benz Vision SLR - Prototype of Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren, unveiled in 1999 North American International Auto Show
• Mercedes-Benz Vision SLA - convertible version of Vision SLR, unveiled in 2000 North American International Auto Show
• Mercedes-Benz F 400 Carving - A 2-seat roadster unveiled in 2002 Tokyo Motor Show
• Mercedes Benz F 500 Mind - 4-door fastback sedan unveiled in 2003 Tokyo Motor Show
• Mercedes-Benz F 600 HYGENIUS - compact fuel cell car, unveiled in 2005 Tokyo Motor Show
• Mercedes-Benz Bionic - Car unveiled in 2005 DaimlerChrysler Innovation Symposium in Washington, modelled after boxfish
• Mercedes-Benz Ocean Drive - a 4-door convertible based on the S600
• Mercedes-Benz F 700 - Large luxury saloon featuring the small capacity / high output DiesOtto engine, unveiled at the 2007 Frankfurt Motor Show.

Buses

Mercedes-Benz also produces buses, mainly for Europe and Asia.

The first factory to be built outside Germany after WWII was in Argentina. It originally built trucks, many of which where modified independently to buses, popularly named Colectivo. Today it builds buses, trucks and the Sprinter Van.

Vans

Mercedes-Benz produces a range of vans. The current range consists of

• Mercedes-Benz Vito — Light Van based on the Viano MPV with loaded weight of approx 1 tonne
• Mercedes-Benz Sprinter — Mid-sized van with loaded weights of 2 to 6 tonne (produced as a Dodge in USA and Canada with the name Freightliner Sprinter. A joint venture.)
  • Sprinter 414 416CDI ambulance
  • Sprinter 316CDI light ambulance
• Mercedes-Benz Vario — Heavy van with similar load to a light truck (7.5 tonne)

Previous models include

• Mercedes-Benz TN or T1 - Mid Sized van predecessor to the sprinter
• Mercedes-Benz T2 - Heavy Van

Trucks

Mercedes-Benz is the world's largest manufacturer of trucks.

The current range consists of

• Mercedes-Benz Atego — Light truck from 7 to 16t
• Mercedes-Benz Axor — Mid-sized truck from 18 to 26t in rigid and articulated
• Mercedes-Benz Actros — Heavy duty rigid and premium articulated — 18 to 250t
• Mercedes-Benz Econic — Low floor version of the Axor for refuse and specialist applications
• Mercedes-Benz Unimog — For special purpose applications and transport across extreme terrain
• 1828L (F581) Mobile Casualty Treatment Centre
• 1517L Mobile Casualty Treatment Centre

Electric and Hybrid Vehicles

At the 2007 Frankfurt motor show, Mercedes-Benz showed seven hybrid models, including the F700 concept car which combined hybrid drive with the innovative DiesOtto engine.In 2009, the S400 hybrid sedan is scheduled to go on sale.

On the other hand, Mercedes-Benz says it will have a demonstration fleet of practical, if small, electric vehicles on the road in two to three years, from 2008.

Robot Cars

In the 1980s Mercedes built the world's first robot car, together with the team of Professor Ernst Dickmanns at Bundeswehr Universität München. Partially encouraged by Dickmanns' success, in 1987 the European Union's EUREKA programme initiated the Prometheus project on autonomous vehicles, funded to the tune of nearly 800 million Euros. A culmination point was achieved in 1995, when Dickmanns´ re-engineered autonomous S-Class Mercedes took a long trip from Munich in Bavaria to Copenhagen in Denmark and back. On highways the robot achieved speeds exceeding 175 kilometres per hour (roughly 110 miles per hour; permissible in some areas of the German Autobahn). The car's abilities has heavily influenced robot car research and funding decisions world-wide.