What happens when Mercedes adds a hybrid drivetrain to its largest sedan?

#8. The big news is the battery

As clean-car aficionados know, high-mileage hybridization and electric driving are all about better batteries – compact, quickly rechargeable and durable. The S400 is the first mass-production car packing a lithium-ion battery – the same technology found in consumer electronics like laptops. (The low-volume Tesla Roadster also uses one.) The S400's shoebox-sized 32-cell, 120-volt lithium-ion battery is cleverly stashed in the engine bay where it can't eat away at the sedan's voluminous rear seat room or trunk space.

Mercedes-Benz S400 Hybrid Research
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