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EDITOR’S TOP DEAD CENTER

NOTE Jeff Zurschmeide

The Road to Electric

IMAGE DAIMLER GLOBAL MEDIA

Recently I took my parents for a ride in an electric car. It was not a Mercedes, but that's not the important part. I showed my folks how the electric car regained energy while we coasted downhill, and how everything else worked pretty much like a normal car. We talked about its range, where we could charge it in the small town where we all live, and how nice it would be not to have to pay for gasoline.

That's the quiet part of the coming shift to electric vehicles; the part where we learn that they're not all that different, and certainly not frightening. The other part is that the transition is now inevitable. It seems every week or two, another automaker announces the end of development on internal combustion engines and a date after which they will sell only electric vehicles.

Take note, because we're all living through the biggest change in transportation since the invention of the automobile itself. It's fitting that Mercedes-Benz would be a leader in both of those historic moments. Of course, then as now, there are folks who think the new technology is not an improvement, and they may be right. But if you look where Mercedes-Benz is investing their money, the future is clear.

In this issue of The Star, you'll notice that the news is mostly about electric vehicles that are here now, or will be coming soon. But we're the MercedesBenz Club of America, so we also present for you the best of Mercedes history, including classic feature cars, the summer's celebrations, and a wine tour I took here in the Pacific Northwest. I hope you enjoy the variety as much as I do.

Contributors

Greater Washington Section member Brian Armstead’s media career has spanned 46 years. Brian is currently Editor-in-Chief of NAMADTreadsMagazine, and contributes both automotive and lifestyle content to WTOP. Com, Pursuitist.com, TheDetroitBureau. com and ForbesWheels.com. Brian is also a member of the North American Car, Truck and SUV of the Year (NACTOY) Jury. Keith Henry’s “Trip of a Lifetime” (see article on page 60) is the culmination of his thirty-year dream to own and drive a Mercedes-Benz W113 Pagoda SL. Based in Yorktown, Virginia, Keith has been a member of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America’s Virginia Section off and on in parallel with the ups and downs of achieving his automotive dream. Mike Spicer is an automotive writer and photographer based in Portland, Oregon. Bitten by the car bug at an early age, he always has a variety of interesting cars follow him home. Today, Mike shares his passion for classic cars through articles, photographs and videos. You can find more of his work by paying a visit to spicercollectorcars.com.