Mercedes-Benz appears to be testing a prototype powered by synthetic fuel, with new spy shots showing a mystery engineering rig.
The mystery Mercedes-Benz E-Class estate mule looks largely as you’d expect on the outside, but blanked rear windows and a large external lump hide a multitude of pipes feeding what looks like a repurposed coolant reservoir and tanks underneath the boot floor. The photographer claims the mule sped off with petrol power as soon as he was spotted.
Although it’s difficult to make concrete conclusions based on these images, the most agreed with scenario is that the German car maker is testing a new powertrain propelled by some sort of synthetic fuel.
It is understood that Daimler, Mercedes-Benz’s parent company, is co-operating with Bosch on alternative man-made fuel development, and that could be what we’re seeing here.
Daimler has a history of investigating alternative fuels as another option for future propulsion alongside hydrogen fuel cell and electrified technology.
It extensively trialled biofuels in the past, most notably a Biomass to Liquid fuel called SunDiesel, testing it in real-world conditions in diesel engines. If correct, this is the firm time we’ve seen the maker testing such fuels for petrol vehicles.
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RDE rig surely?
RDE rig surely?
That's a meth lab.
That's a meth lab.