On April 5th, the New York International Auto Show awarded the Mercedes-benz E 320 Bluetec its award for "2007 World Green Car", upstaging the hybrids !!
This award is based on the collective judgement of journalists from 22 countries. The E 320 Bluetec beat out 14 other contenders, including the BMW 7 Series Hydrogen.
For further information, Google search "2007 World Green Car".

 

Sounds like the award must be sponsored by DCX. While the E320 is definitely fuel efficient for a large sedan available for sale currently in the US, it is nowhere near the top when considering all the cars in the world as the title leads one to believe. And not nearly as "green" as a hydrogen-powered vehicle.

 

Whoo Yoooo

 

Out of curiosity, why do you spend so much time on this forum bashing MB and criticizing the opinions of others?

The picture you paint isn't of a pleasant person

 

Not bashing MB nor criticizing anybody's opinion...just stating my own.

Edit: How is criticizing me relevant to this thread?

 

Sorry, but I find your comments rather puzzling. Before you make these kinds of statements, it might be worth your time to do a little research. If you had done a Google search like I suggested, then you would not have make your first erroneous statement.
Secondly, when you say that the Bluetec is "nowhere near the top" of the green car category, then I presume you are referring to hybrids and the BMW Hydrogen 7.
In the case of the hybrids, there are at least six reasons, IMO, why their "green" description is questionable :
1). the real world mpg for hybrids is far less than the advertised;
2). the cost to replace the battery packs is extremely high
3). more energy will be required to build a replacement battery pack;
4). as yet, no manufacturer has come up with a solution for re-cycling the toxic materials contained in the battery packs;
5). the purchase premium for hybrids will take years ( or in some cases, decades) for the consumer to recover in money saved at the gas pump;and
6). the energy consumed to build a hybrid is far in excess of the energy required to build a comparable diesel vehicle.

Then, there is "the hydrogen powered vehicle" that you mentioned. In the case of the BMW Hydrogen 7, this might well be a very expensive "white elephant". Have you considered the huge amounts of electrical energy required to produce hydogen ? Then there is the major matter of creating a vast supply network. Again, vast amounts of energy and non-renewable resources would have to be expended to create the infrastructure necessary to keep hydrogen vehicles running.

Perhaps in a decade or two, these obstacles will be overcome so that hydogen vehicles become a reality. But, in the meantime, diesel offers the most expedient way to reduce our energy consumption, GH gases and our dependency on Middle Eastern oil. Consider this scenario : if 50% of light vehicles sold in NA were diesel, there would be no need to import any oil from the Middle East. Is this not a worthwhile objective ??

 

You assume incorrectly. I read the press release. And I wasn't referring to hybrids as being a more "green" alternative. I am a Mercedes E320 CDI owner and do believe diesels are superior in terms of real-world energy savings and environmental friendliness for some of the reasons you state.

However, that said, a car like the VW Polo Bluemotion uses almost half the fuel of an E320 Bluetec, and in my opinion far more deserving of such an award. In fact, the press release even states it wasn't so much about the efficiency or emissions of the cars considered:

"...[the E320 Bluetec] deserves the award for its role in enabling a diesel re-entry to the North American market."

Even if this was true, IMO it hardly makes the car worthy of what sounds like a global award for efficiency.

 

My apologies for making an incorrect assumption. However, please keep in mind that VW is adopting MB's Bluetec technology; without it, there would be no VW Polo "Bluemotion". IMO, this award reflects MB's leadership in developing the world's cleanest diesel technology and its willingness to share it with other manufacturers (like VW, Audi, Chrysler & Jeep). The presenters of the award made it clear that is wasn't just about "efficiency". Rather, as you correctly pointed out, the award is for MB enabling diesels to re-enter the North American market. It should be clear to all that the E320 Bluetec is the harbringer of a new diesel generation, one that will make a profound impact on the amount of energy consumed.