German car manufacturer Mercedes has produced a film, praising the benefits of the KERS system and its importance for the automotive industry.

In the film, Mercedes hails KERS as 'hybrid technology at its finest' and features an interview with Mercedes-Benz Motorsport Vice President Norbert Haug, who also pays tribute to the system.

A huge advantage of KERS for manufacturers is that it is directly relevant for the automotive industry, according to Dr. Thomas Weber, Member of the Board of Management of Daimler AG, parent company of Mercedes-Benz.

Weber, who is responsible for all R&D including the development of the Hybrid technology at Mercedes-Benz, said: “The major advantage of KERS in Formula One is that it helps cars to overtake and go faster, and it is exactly the same technology we use in production cars. For example, in our S-Class hybrid vehicle, we use it in order to save as much fuel as possible.

“Based on the same principle we have a vehicle on the road that needs only 7.9litres per 100km as it stores energy in its battery and therefore, to the benefit of the environment, uses less fuel.”

It is a view held similarly by fellow German auto-maker BMW. Mario Theissen, BMW motor sport director, said: “KERS is not only good for the manufacturers, who can benefit from its technology, but also for F1 itself – it will change the sport's image, reposition it and attract new sponsors.”

The system has also been praised for bringing cutting-edge environmental technology into the sport.

WilliamsF1 Director of Engineering Patrick Head said: “We fully support the FIA’s positive initiative in energy recovery systems which we hope will allow Formula One to make some contribution to the development of an environmentally beneficial technology that could help to reduce the carbon emissions of vehicles.”