Crave (Enlarge photo)

18/09/2008 23:27. Mercedes is gearing up to release the BlueHybrid S400 -- its first hybrid car. What's more, it looks as if this sucker will be the first production vehicle to use lithium-ion batteries instead of the nickel metal-hydride cells found in things like the Toyota Prius .

This is pretty big news. The NiMH battery assemblies most hybrids and all-electric vehicles use, like the G-Wiz , are heavy and occupy a huge amount of room -- the entire floor in many cases. The BlueHybrid S400's Li-ion pack is roughly the size of an ordinary car battery, so it's lighter and fits snugly under the bonnet.

The battery pack powers a 15KwH (20bhp) electric motor, which when combined with the BlueHybrid S400's 3.5l V6 engine, produces a very respectable 299bhp. That allows for a 0-60mph time of 7.3... // Crave