The Mercedes-Benz A250e Plug-In Hybrid Saloon: The Complete Guide For India

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Electric Cars: The Basics

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For those of you new to zero-emission electric driving, we recommend a read of the following articles:

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The Mercedes-Benz A250e Saloon PHEV

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Mercedes-Benz, simply known as Mercedes, is a leading global luxury automative manufacturer based in Germany. The company is headquartered in Stuttgart and is famed for its high quality passenger vehicles, to include the Mercedes-Maybach. However, the company is also a leader in manufacturing commercial vehicles, to include the plug-in Mercedes eSprinter commercial EV and the plug-in Mercedes eVito electric van.

Mercedes-Benz EQ is the sub-brand used by the company for its portfolio of battery-electric vehicles (BEVs), plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) and mild hybrids. The pure electric cars are branded as EQ, while the PHEVs are branded as EQ Power. The mild hybrid vehicles are branded as EQ Boost. The PHEV portfolio includes:

• Mercedes A-Class Hatchback PHEV
• Mercedes A-Class Saloon PHEV
• Mercedes B-Class Hatchback PHEV
• Mercedes E-Class Saloon PHEV
• Mercedes E-Class Estate PHEV
• Mercedes S-Class Saloon PHEV
• Mercedes CLA Coupé PHEV
• Mercedes CLA Shooting Brake PHEV
• Mercedes GLA SUV PHEV
• Mercedes GLC SUV PHEV
• Mercedes GLC Coupé PHEV
• Mercedes GLE SUV PHEV
• Mercedes GLE Coupé PHEV

The Mercedes-Benz A Class premium vehicle is currently in its fourth generation. It was first introduced in 1997. The fourth generation model was launched in 2018 and also included the saloon body style. The A Class also includes the A250e saloon plug-in variant.

For a start, the A250e saloon PHEV is a cheaper option compared to the Mercedes C-Class, E-Class and S-Class plug-in hybrid models. For those seeking luxury and lower tailpipe emissions, the A Class saloon PHEV is certainly a good entry-level option to consider. It is a very efficient medium-sized PHEV.

The Mercedes-Benz PHEV has a 15.6 kWh EV battery, which is an average EV battery size for PHEVs. The real world electric range will be lower than the claimed range (44 miles/ WLTP), and will depend on a number of factors, to include: driving profile, services used, speed, weather and road conditions. Expect a real world zero-tailpipe emission electric range closer to 38 miles. However, for most urban commutes, this range is more than sufficient and the EV can help save money and improve local air quality. The EV also incorporates regenerative braking, that further improves the efficiency of the vehicle.

The Mercedes electric saloon has a 7.4 kW onboard charger, capable of single phase AC charging. Though the EV can be charged using a domestic 3-PIN socket, we at e-zoomed encourage using a dedicated home EV charger like Easee. A 7 kW EV charger will charge the EV from 10% to 100% in 3 hrs and 15 minutes. Do keep in mind that most homes in the UK are supplied by single phase power supply and most EVs are charged overnight. Moreover, from a practical point of view, we recommend a ‘topping-up’ approach to EV charging. This way the EV battery is never fully depleted and charging times are shorter.

The Mercedes plug-in hybrid combines a 1,332 cc (4-cylinder) petrol engine with a 75 kW electric motor, resulting in lower tailpipe emissions (22g CO2/km). The performance of the electric car is appropriate for both city and highway driving. Given the electric motor, the EV also delivers instant torque (0-62 mph: 6.7 seconds). In electric mode, the top speed of the EV is 87 mph, which is more than sufficient for town and city driving, given the speed restrictions and traffic congestion. For highway driving, the internal combustion engine (ICE) can be propelled to a top speed of 140 mph.

The electric vehicle is technology-laden and incorporates the standard Mercedes features, to include: Mercedes-Benz User Experience (MBUX) infotainment system, 10.25in touchscreen display, keyless-entry, ambient lighting in 64 colours and a lot more. The top variant of the EV also features a panoramic glass sunroof. The EV incorporates numerous safety features. The EV is practical, despite a slightly smaller boot space (345 l), compared to the conventional internal combustion engine (ICE) variant.

The plug-in electric car is suitable for both private and company car drivers. 

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PROS	CONS
7.4 kW on-board charger	Cheaper PHEV alternatives
Good EV range (44 miles)	Options are expensive
Low tailpipe emissions	Boot space limited

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The Mercedes-Benz A250e Saloon PHEV (credit: Mercedes)

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Driving an electric vehicle (EV) is cheaper than driving a petrol or diesel vehicle. As an example, in India, filling a full tank of fuel for the internal combustion engine (ICE) Tata Nexon SUV will cost up to Rs 5,000 (assuming an average cost per litre of Rs 100. The Tata Nexon has a fuel tank capacity of 44 L).

In comparison, the Tata Nexon Pure Electric SUV will cost less than Rs 300 for a full EV battery charge (EV Battery size: 30.2 kWh). In India, the average cost for residential electricity is between Rs 5 to Rs 10 per kWh(unit). Therefore the cost to drive per km (or mile) in a pure electric vehicle is substantially lower than a petrol or diesel vehicle.

At an average one can expect a cost per km of Rs 1 for a zero-emission EV, while for an equivalent petrol or diesel vehicle, the cost per km could be up to Rs 7 per km. The annual cost savings achieved by switching to electric driving is significant!

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At A Glance
EV Type:	Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV)
Body Type:	Saloon
Engine:	Petrol-Electric
Available In India:	No

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Variants (3 Options)
A250e AMG Line Executive Edition
A250e AMG Line Premium Edition
A250e AMG Line Premium Plus Edition

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EV Battery & Emissions
EV Battery Type:	Lithium-ion
EV Battery Capacity:	Available in one battery size: 15.6 kWh (10.6 kWh Usable Battery)
Charging:	On-board charger 7.4 kW AC
Charge Port:	Type 2
EV Cable Type:	Type 2
Tailpipe Emissions:	22g (CO2/km)
Warranty:	6 years or 62,000 miles

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Dimensions
Height (mm):	1446
Width (mm):	1992
Length (mm):	4549
Wheelbase (mm):	2729
Turning Circle (m):	11
Boot capacity (L):	345

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Mercedes-Benz A250e
EV Battery Capacity:	15.6 kWh
Pure Electric Range (WLTP):	44 miles
Electric Energy Consumption (kWh/100km):	15.7 – 14.8
Fuel Consumption (MPG):	282.5
Charging:	On-board charger 7.4 kW AC
Top Speed:	149 mph (electric: 87 mph)
0-62 mph:	6.7 seconds
Drive:	Front-wheel drive (FWD)
Electric Motor (kW):	75 kW
Max Power (hp):	218 (system output)
Torque (Nm):	450 (system output)
Transmission:	Automatic
Seats:	5
Doors:	4
Kerb Weight (kg):	1,700
Colours:	7
NCAP Safety Rating:	Five-Star

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Electric Car Charging: A Snapshot

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Charging an electric vehicle (EV), is really quite as simple as charging your smart mobile phone i.e. plug and play! Both, battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) are charged in the same manner. Below is a brief guide to charging an electric car:

• Just like a conventional internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicle is filled with fuel, similarly, an electric car is filled with ‘fuel’, the only difference being that the fuel is electricity and not petrol or diesel. In a petrol or diesel car the fuel is stored in a fuel tank, while in an electric vehicle, like the Tesla Model Y, the electricity is stored in an EV battery, usually a lithium-ion battery.

• Electric cars can be charged at home or at public charging points. Most EV charging is done at home overnight via a dedicated EV charging station. However, some households still use a 3-PIN domestic plug to charge an EV. We strongly discourage the use of a 3-PIN domestic plug and instead encourage the installation of a high quality home EV charging station, like Webasto or EVBox.

• Pure electric cars take longer to charge than plug-in hybrid electric cars, as pure EVs have a larger EV battery. In most cases a pure electric car will have an EV battery between 30 kWh and 100 kWh, while a plug-in hybrid electric car will usually have an EV battery between 8 kWh and 15 kWh. Charging an EV at home can take between 3 to 15 hours, depending on the size of the EV battery and the type of charge point or 3-PIN plug engaged for charging. Home charging is AC charging, and in most cases up to 7.4 kW, as most homes, to include, India, are singe-phase.

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Charging Times (Overview)
Slow charging AC (3 kW – 3.6 kW):	6 – 12 hours (dependent on size of EV battery & SOC)
Fast charging AC (7 kW – 22 kW):	3 – 8 hours (dependent on size of EV battery & SoC)
Rapid charging AC (43 kW):	0-80%: 20 mins to 60 mins (dependent on size of EV battery & SoC)
Rapid charging DC (50 kW+):	0-80%: 20 mins to 60 mins (dependent on size of EV battery & SoC)
Ultra rapid charging DC (150 kW+):	0-80% : 20 mins to 40 mins (dependent on size of EV battery & SoC)
Tesla Supercharger (120 kW – 250 kW):	0-80%: up to 25 mins (dependent on size of EV battery & SoC)

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• Public charging, to include workplace charging, is quite similar to home charging, except, the charging stations are faster and sometimes more expensive to charge per kWh. Public charging stations are both AC and DC charging, however, the AC charging is at a much faster rate (22 kW). DC charging, is the fastest way to charge an EV and depending on the EV battery size, DC charging can fully charge an EV battery in less than 40 minutes. In general, plug-in hybrid cars do not use DC charging i.e. DC charging is mostly used by pure electric cars. DC charging stations can range between 50 kW to 300 kW.

• We always encourage EV owners to carry an EV cable in the car, as not all public charging points are tethered (attached cable). We recommend the use of a 5m EV charging cable, and preferably a high visibility colour. Of course, you can buy high quality EV charging cables and EV charging stations via e-zoomed.

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