The latest addition to the S-Class family is a new generation plug-in hybrid. With an on-board 7.2-kW charger that allows for fast charging of the battery, the S560e has an approximate all-electric range of 25 miles. The S560e Sedan debuted at the 2017 Frankfurt International

Auto Show in September and is expected to go on sale in the U.S. in mid2019.

Plug-in hybrids represent a key technology on the road to a locally emission-free future for the motor car. This is because they offer customers the best of both worlds; in the city they can drive on battery power alone, while on long journeys they benefit from the combustion engine's range. Hybridization also makes the internal combustion engine more efficient, and ensures more dynamic performance. The hybrid drive system in the S560e combines the 362 hp of the V6 spark-ignition engine with an electric output of 90 kW.

The third-generation hybrid transmission evolved on the basis of the 9G-TRONIC

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PLUS automatic transmission. The torque converter, clutch and electric motor are housed in the innovative hybrid drive unit. The compact design was achieved by integrating and connecting the separating clutch, torsional vibration damper and torque converter lock-up clutch within the rotor of the electric motor. The torque converter with its powerful and highly efficient hydraulic circuit offers smooth, effortless acceleration in hybrid mode.

Developed with Bosch as part of the EM-motive joint venture, the electric motor was specially designed for the 9G-TRONIC plug-in hybrid transmission. The new, significantly enhanced power electronics have allowed further increases in output and torque. The electric output of 90 kW and 325 lb-ft contributes to the effortlessly superior driving sensation in the S-Class.

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The S560e has an approximate all-electric range of 25 miles. A crucial factor here is that, although the battery size remains unchanged, the new lithium-ion battery has an increased rated capacity of 13.5 kWh. Evolving the cell chemistry from lithium-iron-phosphate (LiFePo) to lithium-nickel-manganese-cobalt (Li-NMC) allowed the cell capacity to be increased from 22 to 37 Ah (amp hours). The highly efficient battery system in the S-Class comes, for the first time, from the wholly owned Daimler subsidiary Deutsche ACCUMOTIVE. U.S. range and overall electric motor specifications will be announced at the time of launch.

The power electronics are now housed in the engine compartment. Despite an increase of around 50 percent in its energy content, the dimensions of the new battery are smaller than those of its predecessor, increasing trunk capacity as a result.