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Microprocessor Design/Multi-Core Systems
Taking the idea of superscalar operations to the next level, it is possible (and frequently desirable) to put multiple microprocessor cores onto a single chip, and have the cores operate in parallel with one another.
Symmetric Multi-core Edit
A symmetric multi-core processor is one that has multiple cores on a single chip, and all of those cores are identical.
Example: Intel Core 2:
The Intel Core 2 is an example of a symmetric multi-core processor. The Core 2 can have either 2 cores on chip ("Core 2 Duo") or 4 cores on chip ("Core 2 Quad"). Each core in the Core 2 chip is symmetrical, and can function independently of one another. It requires a mixture of scheduling software and hardware to farm tasks out to each core.
Example: Parallax Propeller:
The Parallax Propeller is an example of a symmetric multi-core processor. The Parallax Propeller has 8 cores on chip, each one a 32-bit RISC processor. Each core in the Parallax Propeller chip is symmetrical, and can function independently of one another.
Asymmetric Multi-core Edit
An asymmetric multi-core processor is one that has multiple cores on a single chip, but those cores might be different designs. For instance, there could be 2 general purpose cores and 2 vector cores on a single chip.
Example: Cell Processor
IBM's Cell processor, used in the Sony PlayStation 3 video game console is an asymmetrical multi-core processor. The Cell has 9 processor cores on board, one general purpose processor, and 8 data-processing cores. The one multipurpose core, known as the Power Processor Element (PPE) controls the communication between the other cores, and distributes computing tasks to the other cores for processing. The other 8 cores are known as Synergistic Processor Elements (SPE), and are specially designed to have high floating-point throughput, especially with vector operations.
Example: Kilocore
Rapport's Kilocore processor, is an asymmetrical multi-core processor. The Kilocore has one general purpose processor, a PowerPC processing core, and either 256 or 1024 data processing cores on-chip. The cores are designed to run at extremely low power, so the overall chip is faster and yet uses less power than typical desktop CPUs[1].
Symmetric Multicore Edit
A symmetric multi-core processor is a processor which has multiple cores that are all exactly the same. Every single core has the same architecture and the same capabilities. An example of a symmetric multi-core system is the Intel Core 2 Duo processor.
Each core has the same capabilities, so it requires that there is an arbitration unit to give each core a specific task. Software that uses techniques like multithreading makes the best use of a multi-core processor like the Intel Core 2.
Asymmetric Multi-core Edit
In an asymmetric multi-core processor, the chip has multiple cores on-board, but the cores might be different designs. Each core will have different capabilities.
Example: IBM Cell Processor Edit
An example of an asymmetric multi-core processor is the IBM Cell processor.
|Block diagrams of the IBM Cell processor. The Cell processor has 8 SPE cores (left) and 1 PPE core (right). The PPE core is the primary core, and controls the behavior of the SPE cores.
The IBM Cell processor has 1 PPE that controls the chip, and 8 SPEs that are designed for high mathematical throughput. The IBM Cell processor is designed as follows:
Notice how the SPE cores only connect to the PPE, and not to each other. Notice also that the PPE core is much larger than the individual SPE cores.


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base - Establish IS-A relationship with base class at compile time
package Baz;
use base qw(Foo Bar);
Roughly similar in effect to
require Foo;
require Bar;
push @ISA, qw(Foo Bar);
Will also initialize the fields if one of the base classes has it. Multiple Inheritence of fields is NOT supported, if two or more base classes each have inheritable fields the 'base' pragma will croak. See fields, public and protected for a description of this feature.
When strict 'vars' is in scope, base also lets you assign to @ISA without having to declare @ISA with the 'vars' pragma first.
If any of the base classes are not loaded yet, base silently
requires them (but it won't call the
import method). Whether to
require a base class package is determined by the absence of a global $VERSION in the base package. If $VERSION is not detected even after loading it, base will define $VERSION in the base package, setting it to the string
-1, set by base.pm.
This module was introduced with Perl 5.004_04.
Due to the limitations of the pseudo-hash implementation, you must use base before you declare any of your own fields.

subset: commoncrawl


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Immigration Act of 1990
NumbersUSA's Position:Oppose
S. 358 was a bill to radically increase annual immigration numbers by removing or increasing limits in most immigration categories. As well, S. 358 created the diversity visa lottery. Traditional American immigration had averaged around 250,000 a year until the 1980s when it dramatically rose to around 500,000. Largely as a result of S. 358, annual legal immigration has risen to around 1,000,000 (one million) a year.


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Mixing politics and bonuses doesn't pay
Hats off to Larry Summers. The president's chief economic advisor told ABC News' George Stephanopoulos on Sunday that there's nothing to be done about the fact that American International Group is contractually obliged to pay millions of dollars in bonuses to thousands of employees, some of whom helped ruin their company -- and, to some extent, the national economy. "We are a country of law; there are contracts. The government cannot just abrogate contracts."
From what I can tell, the bonuses do stink -- although some are as small as $1,000 and presumably go to people who had no significant part in the credit-default-swap-derivative mania of recent years. But let's assume that they're all gratuitous. Summers was still right.
When the federal government, on behalf of taxpayers, opted to essentially nationalize AIG -- we now own 80% of the company -- we made a choice to keep it alive. If the firm had gone out of business through bankruptcy, there would be no bonuses. But we chose not to do that. Which means those bonuses are just one more toxic debt we are on the hook for. For good or ill, we chose to defy the natural order. And now we own this monstrous white elephant.
And here's a general rule of life: When you buy an elephant, you can't refuse to buy the manure that comes with it. You can try, but, soon enough, you'll be knee-deep in problems anyway. And they'll continue to pile up no matter how loudly you complain that "this isn't what I paid for."
Unfortunately, it looks like Summers is fighting a losing battle.
New York Atty. Gen. Andrew Cuomo is getting set to churn out subpoenas to investigate the bonuses. Rep. Elijah E. Cummings (D-Md.) demanded that AIG Chief Executive Edward Liddy, who came onboard after these contracts were signed and the company imploded, resign. Somehow I doubt that would make hiring a new caretaker any easier.
Meanwhile, Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) wants to fire anyone who takes the bonuses. "These people may have a right to their bonuses. They don't have a right to their jobs forever," Frank said on NBC's "Today" show Monday. "Forget about the legal matter here for a second. These bonuses are going to people who screwed this thing up enormously, who made terrible decisions."
One wonders, given that logic, why Frank is accepting a congressional pay raise considering his role in the Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac debacle.
Later in the day, President Obama caved to the populist chorus. He said he asked Treasury Secretary Timothy F. Geithner, who also helped oversee the mess we're in, to "pursue every single legal avenue to block these bonuses and make the American taxpayers whole." Obama said all Americans ask "is that everyone, from Main Street to Wall Street to Washington, play by the same rules. That is an ethic that we have to demand."
Again, an interesting standard given how many tax cheats Obama has invited into his administration, starting with our supposedly indispensable Treasury secretary.
Still, hypocrisy aside, Obama is right when he says that everyone should play by the same rules, and that's called the rule of law, as Summers suggested.
We should have learned from the government takeover of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac what dangers lie ahead: The rule of law and political manipulation of the economy don't mix well. Liddy -- the front-line sweeper behind the AIG elephant -- has already warned the administration that letting politics dictate salaries and bonuses will make it difficult for the firm to hold on to talented staff.
But the unintended consequences surely won't end there. What signal does it send when the president and Congress make it very clear that they will revisit legal contracts that run afoul of populist outrage? Already, many banks that have received bailout money are returning it -- or trying to -- because the political strings attached hinder them against competitors. Worse, the highly politicized climate requires financial firms to become dependent on the whims of Washington, which can't help thaw out frozen credit markets, particularly when Geithner has yet to explain what his actual policy will be.
Wells Fargo Chairman Richard Kovacevich, who was forced against his better judgment to take TARP funds, is livid with the Treasury secretary. "Is this America," he asks, "when you do what your government asks you to do and then retroactively you also have additional conditions?"
The New York Times reports that the administration is worried about a coming "populist backlash." It's right to be worried. But further blurring the lines between politics and the market isn't the answer. That's how we got in this mess in the first place.
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MIDDLEBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — Officials fed up with public swearing in one town say that forcing the potty-mouthed to pay up might be the right antidote.
Residents attending town meeting in Middleborough on Monday night were scheduled to vote on whether to impose a $20 fine for public swearing. Officials insist the proposal, offered by the town's police chief, is not intended to censor casual or private conversations, but instead crack down on loud, profanity-laden language used by teens and other young people in the downtown area and public parks.
"They'll sit on the bench and yell back and forth to each other with the foulest language. It's just so inappropriate," said Mimi Duphily, a store owner and former town selectwoman.
Duphily, who runs an auto parts store, is among the downtown merchants who think it's time to take a stand against the kind of swearing that can make customers uncomfortable.
"I don't care what you do in private. It's in public what bothers me," she said. "Because the older people get really upset, the kids ask their mothers, 'What did he say? What does that mean?'"
The measure could raise questions about First Amendment rights, but state law does allow towns to enforce local laws that give police the power to arrest anyone who "addresses another person with profane or obscene language" in a public place.
Matthew Segal, legal director for the American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts, said the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that the government cannot prohibit public speech just because it contains profanity.
The proposed ordinance gives police discretion over whether to ticket someone if they believe the cursing ban has been violated.
Middleborough, a town of about 20,000 residents perhaps best known for its rich cranberry bogs, has had a bylaw against public profanity since 1968. But because that bylaw essentially makes cursing a crime, it has rarely if ever been enforced, officials said, because it simply would not merit the time and expense to pursue a case through the courts.
The proposed ordinance would decriminalize public profanity, allowing police to write tickets as they would for a traffic violation. It would also decriminalize certain types of disorderly conduct, public drinking and marijuana use, and dumping snow on a roadway.
Segal praised Middleborough for reconsidering its bylaw against public profanity, but said a proposal to fine people for it isn't much better.
"Police officers who never enforced the bylaw might be tempted to issue these fines, and people might end up getting fined for constitutionally protected speech," he said.
Another local merchant, Robert Saquet, described himself as "ambivalent" about the no-swearing proposal, likening it to try to enforce a ban on the seven dirty words of George Carlin, a nod to a famous sketch by the late comedian.
"In view of words commonly used in movies and cable TV, it's kind of hard to define exactly what is obscene," said Paquet, who owns a downtown furniture store.


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Mercedes-Benz is showing the way ahead in environmentally responsible electromobility by presenting its near-series Concept BlueZERO at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. Based on a single vehicle architecture, this intelligent, modular concept allows three models with different drive configurations, all of which are able to meet customer requirements in terms of sustainable mobility:
- the BlueZERO E-CELL with battery-electric drive and a range of up to 200 kilometers using electric drive alone
- the BlueZERO F-CELL (fuel cell) with a range of well over 400 kilometers using electric drive
- the BlueZERO E-CELL PLUS with electric drive and additional internal combustion engine as power generator (range extender). This version has an overall range of up to 600 kilometers and can cover a distance of up to 100 kilometers using electric drive alone.
The three BlueZERO variants are based on the unique sandwich-floor architecture which Mercedes-Benz introduced some ten years ago, initially for the A-Class and then for the B-Class, one of the aims being to integrate alternative drive systems. Advantages of the modified construction include the positive effect of the major drive components on the centre of gravity, their space-saving design, and the fact that they are extremely well protected within the vehicle underbody. The five-seater BlueZERO concept cars also set standards in terms of lightweight design, interior layout, and body form.
"The flexible BlueZERO concept allows electromobility for every requirement and highlights the fact that Mercedes-Benz is the world's only car manufacturer to already have in place all the key technologies for electric cars offering full everyday practicality", says Dr. Dieter Zetsche, Chairman of the Board of Management of Daimler AG and Head of Mercedes-Benz Cars.
The BlueZERO principle: flexible design, compact exterior, and generously sized interior
All three BlueZERO variants share the same key technical components, while the design and vehicle dimensions are identical. Measuring just 4.22 meters in length, the BlueZERO models combine compact exterior dimensions with a generously proportioned and variable interior and luggage compartment. Five fully-fledged seats, a payload of around 450 kilograms, and a luggage compartment capacity of over 500 liters make for outstanding everyday practicality. Thanks to their sandwich construction with a raised sitting position, the cars also offer an exceptionally high level of crash safety for the passengers and the technology, not to mention excellent all-round visibility.
Compared to electric cars based on conventional vehicle platforms and originally only designed for use in combination with internal combustion engines, Concept BlueZERO offers the following conclusive advantages:
Interior space is retained in full. As the energy accumulators/generators are integrated into the spacious sandwich floor, no compromises are necessary with respect to passenger space, luggage capacity, or variability.
The powertrain technology built into the sandwich floor ensures a low centre of gravity and, consequently, extremely reliable and agile handling.
Crash safety is of the extremely high standard associated with Mercedes thanks to the sandwich concept and the housing of major powertrain components between the axles.
As a result, the BlueZERO models are very different to conventionally constructed electric cars, which have the heavy and voluminous storage battery housed in the boot or in the rear-seat area, for example.
Modular design assures flexibility and efficiency
"Our modular system allows different drive configurations for every customer requirement", says Dr Thomas Weber, the member of the Daimler AG Board of Management responsible for corporate research and development at Mercedes-Benz Cars. "The modified sandwich-floor platform provides the perfect basis for a wide model range with electric drive systems. We are also developing a new, additional platform for future compact models with power units based on optimized internal combustion engines. The intelligent networking of both architectures enables us to develop our product portfolio extremely flexibly and efficiently. From 2009, we will be producing the first Mercedes fuel-cell cars on a small scale. Small-scale production of Mercedes-Benz cars with battery-electric drive alone will then commence in 2010. This means we are extremely well equipped for the future."
All three BlueZERO models feature front-wheel drive, which is typical for this class of car. The Mercedes engineers have put together a modular system comprising several flexibly combinable drive components. These include state-of-the-art liquid-cooled lithium-ion batteries with a storage capacity of up to 35 kWh and the compact electric motor with a maximum output of 100 kW (continuous output 70 kW), which develops a peak torque of 320 Nm. All three variants accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in less than 11 seconds. Their top speed is electronically limited to 150 km/h in the interests of optimal range and energy efficiency.
Electric drive systems with a range of 100, 200, and well over 400 kilometers
With a charging capacity of 15 kW, the powerful lithium-ion batteries in the BlueZERO E-CELL and the BlueZERO E-CELL PLUS can store enough energy for a range of 50 kilometers within 30 minutes. In terms of purely electrical drive, one or two hours of charging time is needed for a range of 100 and 200 kilometers respectively. The charging times are doubled if the charging capacity is 7 kW, as would be the case in a normal household. Both of these BlueZERO vehicles incorporate an electronic control unit that supports intelligent charging stations and billing systems.
At the rear, the BlueZERO E-CELL PLUShas the same 1.0-litre turbocharged gasoline engine as the smart fortwo as an additional range extender. This compact three-cylinder powerplant has an output of 50 kW at a constant 3500 rpm. If required, it can recharge the 17.5-kWh lithium-ion battery by means of a similarly rated alternator. A range of up to 600 kilometers is possible on a single tank. The purely electrical, locally emission-free range is up to 100 kilometers. The BlueZERO F-CELLwith fuel-cell drive achieves a range of well over 400 kilometers with zero emissions (as per NEDC).
BlueZERO design: both elegant and functional
Leading-edge technology is uniformly and attractively packaged in all three BlueZERO variants. The unique and distinctive Mercedes design idiom displayed by the body highlights the progressive nature of Concept BlueZERO at first glance.
The powerfully elegant front end is dominated by the radiator grille with its centrally located star. The excellent aerodynamics of the BlueZERO are partly due to the closed front apron, whose design means that cooling air intakes are not required. The 20-inch wheels have also been aerodynamically optimized, while low-friction tires are fitted to reduce rolling resistance.
The striking character lines along the flanks lend the BlueZERO an extremely dynamic side line and accentuate its bionic structure inspired by nature. This characteristic feature of the Mercedes-Benz bionic car was adapted and modified for the BlueZERO models. These elements lend the body its dramatic power.
New-quality light production
The compact rear end of the Concept BlueZERO is characterized by tail lights in the shape of a curved "L". In addition, the Mercedes designers have achieved a new-quality light production: transparent lenses produce a red light curtain which tapers smoothly towards the sides, creating a lightly diffused effect. This effect is repeated, albeit in white this time, by the front headlamps. What's more, the front lights feature new lens technology and a plexiglass edge to produce "C" shaped daytime driving lights with the help of state-of-the-art LED technology.
Intelligent technology made visible
Translucent surfaces make the normally concealed technology visible. The light-gray tailgate is made completely from lightweight but highly robust Lexan, allowing a view of the aluminum structure that makes up the rigidifying frame, for example. At the same time, this transparent tailgate provides a view of the vehicle interior, making the advantages of the sandwich-floor platform obvious at a glance: for maximum customer benefit, the luggage compartment and passenger area remain fully usable, since there are no technical components that need to be accommodated here.
"It was very important for us to ensure that the guiding Mercedes-Benz principle of 'Fascination and Responsibility' was clearly reflected in the design of the Concept BlueZERO", says Mercedes-Benz design chief Gorden Wagener. "This is yet another clear statement that environmental awareness and driving pleasure will continue to go together in our vehicles in the future. We want people to realize at first sight that the Concept BlueZERO is definitively not a lesser option."
The Mercedes-Benz designers have emphasized this aspiration by introducing paint finishes in three new ALU-BEAM colors. Each of the three variants makes its individual mark: the BlueZERO E-CELL is painted in fresh ALU-BEAM yellow, while the BlueZERO F-CELL has ALU-BEAM green paintwork. Confidence-oozing ALU-BEAM orange was chosen for the BlueZERO E-CELL PLUS.
Extended version
Mercedes-Benz Concept BlueZERO: three-fold proof of the everyday practicality of zero-emission vehicles
Current challenges such as growing worldwide mobility requirements, declining crude oil reserves, and increasingly stringent exhaust emission regulations are making the electric car more and more a focus of public attention. Thanks above all to major advances in battery technology, electric drive is seen as a promising answer to the question of how individual mobility can be made sustainable.
Battery-electric drive systems offer a wealth of advantages in this respect: they provide a high level of torque, are compact and quiet, run extremely efficiently and with zero local emissions, and they operate without the need for fossil fuels. However, it is not currently possible to fulfill all mobility requirements with a single electric vehicle concept. Those who drive predominantly or even exclusively in urban areas do not place as much emphasis on vehicle range but very much like the idea of lower noise levels and emissions. For such customers, a battery-electric vehicle is an attractive solution.
Those who also wish to cover long distances on country roads and motorways combined with low noise levels, no local emissions, and short refueling times have a viable alternative in the shape of the fuel-cell electric vehicle. This technology clearly shows the way ahead in terms of sustainable mobility after the "crude oil age" but requires a hydrogen-fuel-supply infrastructure. The beneficial combination of maximum range, fast energy storage on board from an existing infrastructure, and noiseless and locally emission-free mobility in urban areas is offered by a battery vehicle with range extender.
Concept BlueZERO: modularity assures optimal everyday practicality
The sandwich-floor architecture and the modular design allow three different drive configurations that are able to meet an extremely wide range of different requirements. Measuring 4.22 meters in length, 1.89 meters in width and 1.59 meters in height, the extremely compact BlueZERO concept offers decisive design advantages over electric cars based on conventional vehicle platforms and designed only for use in combination with internal combustion engines.
Interior space is retained in full. As the energy accumulators/generators are integrated into the spacious sandwich floor, no compromises are necessary with respect to passenger space, luggage capacity, or variability.
The powertrain technology located in the sandwich floor and integrated directly at the front axle assures a low centre of gravity and, consequently, extremely reliable and agile handling.
Crash safety is of the extremely high standard associated with Mercedes thanks partly to the housing of the powertrain components between the axles.
Furthermore, all three BlueZERO electric cars are highly suitable for electromobility in urban areas on account of their compact dimensions, easy entry and exit, raised sitting position, and optimal all-round visibility. All of which makes Mercedes-Benz the first and, to date, only car manufacturer in the world to offer three optimal solutions that meet all customer electromobility requirements.
Intelligent sandwich platform assures the highest possible level of safety
Featuring a modified version of the sandwich-floor platform, the BlueZERO concept sets standards for the electric car sector in all areas relevant to day-to-day motoring. The best possible crash safety is assured, since almost all of the drive components are housed within the sandwich floor, that is to say in the protected area between the axles.
Typically for this class of car, all three versions of the Concept BlueZERO are front-wheel drive models with an electric motor at the front axle. The batteries are located in the center of the vehicle floor behind this, in a position which protects against intrusion in the event of a frontal or rear impact, since the energy accumulators are located outside of the body's impact and deformation zones. Furthermore, the extremely robust construction of the sandwich floor can offer a high level of protection for both the battery and the occupants, even in the event of a side collision. This advantage is also of economic benefit, since the battery is the largest cost factor in electric drive systems. Consequently, if the battery remains undamaged in an accident, the follow-up costs are reduced considerably. By virtue of its proven nutshell effect, the sandwich floor is the safest place for housing the still relatively expensive energy accumulators.
Room for five occupants and luggage thanks to highly efficient use of space
This clever sandwich construction also has obvious advantages where packaging is concerned: locating the drive modules in an underfloor position makes it possible to retain all of the passenger and luggage space in this 4.22-meter long five-seater, with no restrictions whatsoever. In the purely battery-powered BlueZERO E-CELL, for example, up to two of the lithium-ion battery packs developed by Mercedes-Benz can be accommodated in the sandwich floor.
In addition to exemplary safety and unrestricted everyday practicality, the BlueZERO models have further strengths that are by no means the norm for electric cars, namely agility and driving enjoyment. This is in large measure due to the low centre of gravity, another benefit of the low installed position within the sandwich floor, and the front axle suspension. In combination with uncompromising attention to centered masses, this results in outstanding roadholding and handling agility.
Modular drive concept for individually configured electric vehicles
Mercedes-Benz will present two BlueZERO variants at the 2009 NAIAS show in Detroit: the BlueZERO E-CELL as a purely battery-powered vehicle and the fuel-cell version, the BlueZERO F-CELL – both of which are emission-free in local operation. Mercedes-Benz development engineers are also working on a third version with a range extender, the BlueZERO E-CELL PLUS. This is additionally equipped with a compact internal combustion engine as a generator that produces power during a journey.
All these models feature battery packs based on the latest lithium-ion technology. This new battery technology has decisive advantages over conventional battery types, among them very compact dimensions, significantly higher performance, excellent reliability, and a long operating life. The identical components used in the modular system also include the compact, permanent-magnet synchronous electric motor, which operates at a maximum of 13,280 rpm. It develops a peak output of 100 kW and a continuous output of 70 kW. Its peak torque is 320 Nm, while the continuous torque is 180 Nm. The maximum torque is available from the first revolution of the electric motor and exceeds the figure achieved by a current V6 gasoline engine at 2500 rpm.
BlueZERO E-CELL: agile, quiet and locally emission-free
The BlueZERO E-CELL is equipped with a lithium-ion battery with a capacity of 35 kilowatt hours (kWh). The liquid-cooled high-voltage cells have an operating voltage of 240 to 426 V. With this battery, the BlueZERO E-CELL has an operating range of up to 200 kilometers. Recharging the empty battery takes three to four hours. The BlueZERO E-CELL accelerates from zero to 100 km/h in less than eleven seconds and, in the interests of optimal range and energy efficiency, has an electronically limited top speed of 150 km/h.
BlueZERO F-CELL: emission-free driving on long journeys with the fuel cell
The new-generation fuel cell used in the BlueZERO F-CELL is more compact and – with a maximum output of 90 kW (continuous output 80 kW) – also more powerful than its predecessor. It can be cold-started at temperatures down to minus 25 degrees Celsius and also has the benefit of short refueling times.
On the road, the BlueZERO F-CELL assures a high standard of dynamic handling, yet this family-friendly compact car consumes just 2.9 liters of fuel (diesel equivalent) per 100 kilometers. According to the NEDC, the BlueZERO F-CELL is able to cover well over 400 kilometers on one tank of hydrogen.
In the fuel cell version of the BlueZERO, the electric motor, high-voltage battery, and hydrogen tank are likewise positioned beneath the passenger cell to save space. The system uses the most efficient energy source for the current driving situation. When parking or maneuvering at slow speed, for example, the electric motor uses only battery power. When accelerating, energy is provided by both the fuel cell and the battery. When braking, the electric motor acts as a generator and charges the battery. This efficient system therefore makes use of the energy that would be converted into heat during conventional braking and stores it in the powerful lithium-ion battery.
For longer journeys too, Mercedes-Benz sees the fuel cell as one of the key technologies for zero-emission driving. Providing a suitable network of hydrogen filling stations is in place, this technology offers ideal possibilities for sustainable mobility well into the future. The hydrogen-powered fuel cell combines zero emissions with a long operating range, since electrical power is generated on board during the journey. There are no exhaust emissions whatever, and no CO2 is emitted either. The BlueZERO F-CELL emits nothing more than steam. Moreover, a fuel cell drive system is almost twice as efficient as an internal combustion engine.
BlueZERO with range extender: flexible solution with a long range
In the third version, the BlueZERO E-CELL PLUS, the Mercedes engineers combine the electric drive system from the purely battery driven BlueZERO E‑CELL with an additional internal combustion engine that serves as a range extender. The compact 50-kW three-cylinder turbocharged gasoline engine from the smart fortwo charges the battery whilst the car is being driven.
Advantage of the range extender: as with conventionally powered cars equipped with a gasoline or diesel engine, the customer benefits from a significantly longer range (up to 600 km), especially as the BlueZERO E-CELL PLUS can also be quickly and easily refueled at any normal filling station. The customer can therefore be sure that the car is available for use anywhere and at any time. And when an urban area is reached after an overland journey, the driver can continue on their way under electric power alone.
The BlueZERO E-CELL PLUS therefore allows electric mobility at the touch of a button, a particular benefit in densely populated urban areas with environmental zones, toll charges, and other access restrictions affecting cars with internal combustion engines.
The BlueZERO E-CELL PLUS with the range extender clearly highlights the advantages of the sandwich-floor platform: here too, the key drive components are integrated in the underfloor area to save space. The internal combustion engine is installed near the rear axle, in the spare wheel well. Thanks to the range extender, the BlueZERO E-CELL PLUS has a range of up to 600 kilometers, of which 100 kilometers are in locally emission-free electric mode, with no drop in performance. The NEDC fuel consumption is 4.5 liters per 100 kilometers. In conjunction with a plug-in battery and the resulting CO2 bonus, the car emits just 32 grams of CO2 per kilometer.
In addition, the highly efficient modular concept allows further variants to be individually configured. If the system is designed appropriately, the internal combustion engine used as a range extender can also be employed temporarily as a direct drive unit – when driving on country roads, for example. This setup leaves the full battery capacity available for driving in town. Other conceivable variants might be to use the fuel cell as a range extender, or a combination of the fuel cell and plug-in batteries. Thanks to this versatility, the Mercedes-Benz modular electric drive concept is able to cover every conceivable option for electric driving.
Instead of a fuel filler cap, the car features plug-in connectors to EU and US standards for rapid recharging with electrical power. One contact is intended for conventional power cables that fit any household power socket. The second is suitable for connection to public recharging stations.
BlueZERO design: both elegant and functional
Cutting-edge technology is very attractively packaged in all the BlueZERO variants. The future-oriented yet unmistakable Mercedes-style body contours accentuate the progressive nature of the Concept BlueZERO at first glance.
The Mercedes-Benz designers have emphasized this aspiration by introducing paint finishes in three new ALU-BEAM colors. Each of the three variants makes its individual mark: the BlueZERO E-CELL is painted in fresh ALU-BEAM yellow, while the BlueZERO F-CELL has ALU-BEAM green paintwork. Confidence-oozing ALU-BEAM orange was chosen for the BlueZERO E-CELL PLUS.
Striking design idiom with bionic structures
The striking character lines along the flanks give this compact concept car a very dynamic side line and accentuate its bionic structure. This characteristic feature of the Mercedes-Benz bionic car was adapted and modified for the Concept BlueZERO. These elements lend the body design its dramatic power.
The lower line emerges from the flank in the front doors at the height of the wheel hub, then rises gently to turn steeply upwards and harmoniously continue the body line to the tail lights. This has the effect of stretching the body in visual terms, while suggesting dynamic forward movement despite the comfortable vehicle height. The precisely placed edges break the light to striking effect and lend the BlueZERO a masculine character that is a hallmark of the new Mercedes-Benz design idiom.
Translucent surfaces make the normally concealed technology visible. The light-gray tailgate is made completely from lightweight but highly robust Lexan, allowing a view of the aluminum structure that makes up the rigidifying frame, for example. At the same time, this transparent tailgate provides a view of the vehicle interior, making the advantages of the sandwich-floor platform obvious at a glance: the luggage compartment and passenger area remain fully usable, since there are no technical components that need to be accommodated here.
Key features at the distinctive rear end of the BlueZERO models include tail lights in the form of a curved "L", whose flame-like shape add a futuristic touch. In addition, the Mercedes designers have achieved a new-quality light production: four transparent lenses produce a red light curtain which tapers smoothly towards the sides, creating a lightly diffused effect.
This effect is repeated, albeit in white this time, by the front headlamps. What's more, the front lights feature new lens technology and a plexiglass edge to produce "C" shaped daytime driving lights with the help of state-of-the-art LED technology. The extremely energy-efficient LED technology offers the same brightness but requires ninety percent less power than conventional lights.
The lenses are held by supports which also serve as direction indicators.
Aerodynamic design with eye-catching effects
The radiator grille with its centrally located star and even more pronounced V‑shape is a striking reinterpretation of the world-famous Mercedes-Benz radiator grille. The excellent aerodynamics of the BlueZERO are partly due to the closed front apron, whose design dispenses with any cooling air intakes. The 20-inch wheels are also aerodynamically optimized. Low-friction tires are fitted to reduce rolling resistance.
Like many other design features, the wheel covers are transparent and allow a view of wheel spokes, which are visually enhanced with three-dimensional light effects. All BlueZERO variants are also equipped with a semi-transparent, lightweight panoramic roof into which solar panels have been integrated. The thin-layer cells used here allow 20 percent of the light into the interior. Given enough sunlight, they generate sufficient electric power to charge cell phones or mobile MP3-players, for example.
Progressive interior design
The interior features an all-new, progressive design idiom: the lines are curved and blend in subtly with the organic surfaces. The Concept BlueZERO is a logical continuation of the bionic design line and is similar to the Mercedes-Benz bionic car. A wealth of structures inspired by nature and modeled based on organic growth can be found in several of the paneling components: in the door stowage areas, the cockpit, the centre console, the load compartment, and the load sill guard.
The array of colored transparent surfaces lends the interior a feeling of lightness. This is enhanced by semi-transparent surfaces whose edges form striking light breaks. This interplay between transparency and edge emphasis contrasts extremely well with the soft design idiom. The suggested fluorescent conductor paths in the center console represent the advent of a future drive technology.
The sporty front seats feature seemingly inserted upholstery and dynamically shaped backrests. The overall impression is one of lightness and litheness, all
of which makes the vehicle interior feel much more open. As a five-seater, the Concept BlueZERO offers the flexibility and functionality of a modern-day compact car.
The material concept is largely based on a tone-in-tone composition enriched by touches of color. By way of example, the belt color and the seam thread in the paneling components establish a link with the car's exterior, while the leather strip in the seats creates a visual link with the high-quality steering wheel.
Thanks to their surface quality, the materials are highly resistant. The material mix of textiles and plastics combines a high level of value with high-tech appeal.
Concept BlueZERO: a blueprint for efficient electromobility
With the BlueZERO concept studies, Mercedes-Benz provides a very specific outlook on the immediate future of electric motoring. Major components of this modular drive concept will shortly be used in standard-production cars made by Mercedes-Benz. These include the fuel cell drive system, which will enter small-scale production in 2009. In 2010, the first Mercedes-Benz electric car will also be introduced into small-scale production.
Modular design as a strategic guideline
With this intelligently conceived modular system, Mercedes-Benz will also be able to realize tailor-made drive configurations for individual requirements in the electric car sector. For the brand's clients, this means a wide choice of purpose-made, efficient, and affordable solutions.
The product implementation presented by Mercedes-Benz on its "Road to the Future" is uncompromisingly wedded to the modular design principle: modular drive technologies that can be used individually or in combination depending on vehicle class, operating profile, and customer requirements are a key factor in this.
Modular drive concept also for hybrid vehicles
This particularly applies to hybrid models such as the S 400 BlueHYBRID, which is due to be launched in 2009 as the most economical gasoline-powered luxury saloon and CO2 champion in its class. For its hybrid models with gasoline and diesel engines, Mercedes-Benz has developed a modular system which can be expanded with respect to performance and range of applications.
In the S 400 BlueHYBRID, the hybrid module with its start-stop function, recuperation and boost effect already makes considerable savings possible.
With a suitable configuration, it is also possible to drive under electric power alone with this hybrid module, while the operating range in electric mode depends on the battery capacity.
The plug-in hybrid represents a further step, where the battery can also be charged from the mains in order to increase the electric operating range.
Intelligent drive mix for sustainable mobility
In the view of Mercedes-Benz, there will be no single technology as the ideal solution for sustainable mobility in the future. Instead the company is responding to the varied requirements with equally versatile solutions. The respective advantages of the individual technologies in terms of optimal fuel consumption and emission values are applied in specific application areas. Mercedes-Benz is basing its strategic planning for the future of individual mobility on the following mix of drive systems:
For long-distance operations, sophisticated internal combustion engines with or without a hybrid module will be used, as well as fuel cell powered vehicles.
For rural operations, plug-in hybrids will increasingly be added to the mix.
For urban operations, locally emission-free vehicle concepts with battery and fuel-cell drive systems are considered to be the most suitable.
The electric drive configuration presented in the Concept BlueZERO does full justice to this requirement profile. Mercedes-Benz has conducted intensive research in the field of fuel cell technology since as early as 1991 and, therefore, has enormous experience with electro- mobility. The brand has the world's largest fleet of fuel cell powered vehicles undergoing client trials, for example.
And in the field of battery-powered vehicles, the company has also gained unrivalled experience from fleet trials involving 100 smart electric drive cars in London. The Concept BlueZERO impressively reflects this in-depth know-how.


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Every day, Watch This offers staff recommendations inspired by a new movie coming out that week. This week: The Last Exorcism Part II has us thinking about other movies about possession.
All Of Me (1984)
In 1984, the Best Actor Oscar race boiled down to a face-off between Amadeus' two stars, with the remainder of the category filled out by the leads of serious films about alcoholism (Under The Volcano), alien possession (Starman), and the Khmer Rouge genocide (The Killing Fields). Both the National Society of Film Critics and the New York Film Critics Circle, however, bucked convention that year by recognizing a superlative comedy performance, handing their prizes to Steve Martin for his physically astonishing work in a very different movie about alien possession, Carl Reiner's All of Me. Martin plays an attorney for a bedridden millionaire (Lily Tomlin) who plans to transfer her soul into the body of a young hottie (Victoria Tennant), allowing her to finally experience the vitality she's always been denied. The mystic she's hired (Richard Libertini) screws up, however, and Tomlin's soul winds up in Martin's body instead—but controlling only the right side, while Martin retains control of the left.
Nothing against F. Murray Abraham, whose Salieri is a splendid portrait of anguished envy, but the critics got it right. Plenty of actors could have shined in Amadeus, but All Of Me would be utterly forgettable without Martin's bisected duet; with the exception of a young Jim Carrey, it's hard to imagine anyone who could duplicate his feat. The moment when Martin first discovers Tomlin's presence, spastically jerking his way down the street like a defective robot, limbs flailing in anti-tandem, ranks among the most gloriously silly—yet also impressively acrobatic—physical-comedy routines since the glory days of the silent era. The movie as a whole is as hit-or-miss as most of the Reiner-Martin collaborations (which also include The Jerk, Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid, and The Man With Two Brains), but the occasional mediocre one-liner is a small price to pay for such an unexpected tour de force. The Academy should (as usual) be ashamed.
Availability: Available on an ancient (and budget-priced) DVD and for digital rental/purchase.