The Mercedes-Benz B250e Plug-In Hybrid Hatchback: 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 B250e Hatchback 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 B Class premium hatchback is currently in its third generation. It was first introduced in 2005. The third generation model was launched in 2018 at the Paris Motor Show. The B Class also includes the B250e plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) variant.

Like the Mercedes A-Class plug-in hybrid, the B-Class plug-in hybrid is also well suited for private and business drivers, who seek a premium badge, lower tailpipe emissions and a higher level of fuel efficiency, in a smaller-sized electric vehicle (EV). In common with both models, is the size of the EV battery. The B250e PHEV also has a 15.6 kWh onboard EV battery, with a zero-tailpipe emission electric range up to 65 km (WLTP).

The vehicle size and EV range is well suited for driving in cities and towns, but also just as appropriate for shorter distance motorway driving. Driving the EV on electric mode will help save money and also reduce local air pollution. Driving a PHEV on pure electric mode is substantially cheaper, compared to driving a conventional combustion engine car! So, bottom-line, driving on e-mode does lower the cost of motoring and help achieve real financial savings.

The more a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle is driven on the EV mode, the higher the fuel efficiency of the vehicle. Mercedes claims the PHEV has a fuel economy up to 1.1 l/100km. Real-world economy will certainly be less efficient, but substantially better compared to the conventional internal combustion (ICE) variant.

The PHEV has a 7.4 kW AC onboard charger. Put another way, the EV is capable of single-phase AC charging. Given that most homes in India are supplied by single-phase power supply, the 7.4 kW onboard charger is well suited. The Mercedes plug-in hybrid does not offer fast DC charging.

The best way to charge an EV at home is to use a dedicated home EV charger, like Easee. We at e-zoomed discourage the use of 3-PIN domestic sockets for charging an electric car.

The Mercedes B-Class plug-in hybrid is practical, easy to drive and park. Perfect for congested town and city centres. The interior of the EV is luxurious and high quality, as one can expect from Mercedes. There is also ample headroom and legroom for rear seat passengers. Though the boot space has been reduced due to the onboard EV battery, it still offers decent cargo space (405 L).

Moreover, the EV is technology-filled, to include: Mercedes MBUX infotainment system, wireless charging, driving assistance package, 10.25-inch touchscreen media display, active brake assist – forward collision warning system with autonomous braking intervention, Mercedes me remote services, KEYLESS-GO starting function and a lot more.

In terms of driving performance, the front-wheel drive B250e PHEV will neither disappoint, nor exhilarate! The Mercedes plug-in hybrid combines a 1.3-litre (4-cylinder) petrol engine with a 75 kW electric motor. The electric car achieves 0-100 km/h in 6.8 seconds (maximum power: 218 HP). In electric mode, the top speed of the EV is 140 km/h and using the combustion engine, the top speed is 235 km/h.

The EV has claimed tailpipe emissions up to 24g CO2/km. Again, substantially lower than the emissions of the conventional petrol variant. Bottom-line, electric driving is good for the environment and the wallet! The Mercedes-Benz electric car is not available in India.

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PROS	CONS
Well suited for urban driving	Cheaper PHEV hatchback alternatives
Good emission-free EV range (65 km)	Exterior style a little outdated
An efficient electric car and low tailpipe emissions	DC charging not available

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The Mercedes-Benz B250e Hatchback PHEV (credit: Mercedes)

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

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Variants (1 Option)
Mercedes-Benz B250e (Rs N/A)

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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)

• Note 1: SoC: state of charge

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EV Battery & Emissions
EV Battery Type:	Lithium-ion
EV Battery Capacity:	Available in one battery size: 15.6 kWh
Charging:	DC charging not available. On-board charger 7.4 kW AC
Charge Port:	Type 2
EV Cable Type:	Type 2
Tailpipe Emissions:	24g (CO2/km)
Battery Warranty:	6 years or 100,000 km

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Dimensions
Height (mm):	1574
Width (mm):	2020
Length (mm):	4419
Wheelbase (mm):	2729
Turning Circle (m):	11
Boot capacity (L):	405

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Mercedes-Benz B250e
EV Battery Capacity:	15.6 kWh
Pure Electric Range (WLTP):	65 km
Electric Energy Consumption (kWh/100km):	15.4
Fuel Consumption (l/100km):	1.1
Charging:	DC charging not available. On-board charger 7.4 kW AC
Top Speed:	235 km/h (electric: 140 km/h)
0-100 km/h:	6.8 seconds
Drive:	Front-wheel drive (FWD)
Electric Motor (kW):	75
Max Power (hp):	218 (system output)
Torque (Nm):	450 (system output)
Transmission:	Automatic
Seats:	5
Doors:	5
Kerb Weight (kg):	1,725
Colours:	6
NCAP Safety Rating:	Five-Star

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History Of Electric Cars: Quick Facts

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• An electric vehicle (EV), also referred to as a battery-electric vehicle (BEV) is not a new invention or even an invention of modern times. Indeed, EVs were first developed more than a 100 years ago in the 19^th century. Put another way, Mahatma Gandhi was yet to be born, when inventors from various countries, to include European countries and the United States were already investing electric motors and batteries.  

• The first practical electric cars were built in the second half of the nineteenth century, with the first US electric car introduced in 1890. Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi had just turned 21! 

• Electric vehicles came into prominence in the early 1900’s, a time when horse-drawn carriages were the primary mode of transportation. Archived black and white photographs from that period show famous avenues like Madison Avenue in New York city filled with horse-drawn carriages. In stark contrast, a similar photograph taken a decade later of Madison Avenue showed not a single horse-drawn carriage. Instead the avenue  was filled with motor vehicles, a new invention. It was the beginning of man’s love affair with cars that has lasted more than a century and still going strong. 

• However, the uptake of electric vehicles in the early 20^th century was short-lived, as gasoline powered vehicles propelled by internal combustion engines (ICE) become the preferred mode of transportation.  

• Bottom-line, manufactures chose internal combustion engines over electric cars in the early 1900s for various reasons, to include, the costs and production volumes.  

• It is not definitive as to where EVs were invented or to credit a single inventor. However, one known electric motor (small-scale) was created in 1828 by Anyos Jedlik, a Hungarian inventor, engineer, physicist and Benedictine priest. Hungarians and Slovaks still consider him to be the unsung hero of the electric motor.  

• Shortly after, between 1832 and 1839, a Scottish inventor Robert Anderson created a large electric motor to drive a carriage, powered by non-rechargeable primary power cells. Through the 19^th century a number of inventors were inspired to develop electric motors to include, Thomas Davenport, an American from Vermont credited with building the first DC electric motor in America (1834). Unlike many of his contemporaries and other trying to build electric motors, Davenport did not have a background in either engineering or physics.  In fact, he was a blacksmith. 

• Move forward a few decades and at the end of the 19^th century, William Morrison created what is believed to be the first practical electric vehicle. Morrison, another American from Des Moines, Iowa, was a chemist who became interested in electricity. He build the first electric vehicle in 1887 in a carriage built by the Des Moines Buggy Co.  His first attempt was not a great success. In 1890, he attempted again, with more success. 12 EVs were built using a carriage built by the Shaver Carriage Company.

• The batteries were designed and developed by William Morrison. The vehicle had 24 batteries with an output of 112 amperes at 58 volts that took 10 hours to recharge. Available horsepower just under 4 horsepower. The vehicle could accommodate 6 individuals and had a top speed of 14 mph (22.50 km/h).

• Morrison’s success led to others also developing large-scale practical electric cars.  At the turn of the century cities like New York had 60 electric taxis. The first decade witnessed strong popularity for electric vehicles. However the popularity was short-lived as internal combustion engine (ICE) gasoline powered vehicles replaced the early electric vehicles. Henry Ford’s success with the then ubiquitous Ford Model T was the ‘beginning of the end’ for electric vehicles. The Model T was cheaper than the prevailing electric cars (US$ 650 Vs US$ 1,750) and could be manufactured at scale. As they say — the rest is history.  

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