The Mercedes-Benz GLE Coupé 350 de Plug-In Hybrid SUV: 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 GLE 350 de Coupé 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 GLE (formerly M-Class) premium mid-sized SUV was introduced in 1997. It is currently in its fourth generation, which was unveiled at the 2018 Paris Motor Show. The GLE PHEV Coupé is only available as a diesel/electric variant. The Coupé is distinctive in its exterior sportier styling compared to the standard GLE SUV. The sloping roofline adds to the appeal of the PHEV.

For a start, the GLE Coupé PHEV does stand out from the average plug-in hybrid electric vehicle, given the 31.2 kWh onboard EV battery. In general, most PHEVs tend to have an EV battery smaller than 15 kWh. With the larger EV battery, the GLE 350 de plug-in hybrid SUV also commands a higher EV range, in comparison to other PHEVs.

Mercedes-Benz claims the PHEV has a zero-emission electric range up to 87 km (WLTP certified). Real-world EV range will be lower, impacted by a number of factors, to include: driving profile, braking profile, road conditions, weather conditions, passenger load, etc. Either way, the EV should be able to deliver close to 70 km with zero-tailpipe emissions. This should be sufficient for most urban needs and also for shorter motorway driving.

The all-wheel drive Mercedes PHEV can be charged using both AC and DC charging. The EV can be charged up to 60 kW DC (10% – 80%: 20 mins). For AC charging, the electric car has a 7.4 kW onboard charger, allowing the EV to be charged up to 100% via a domestic single-phase EV charger in 3 hours and 30 minutes.

The 100 kW electric motor is coupled with a 2.0-litre (4-cylinder) diesel engine (a petrol variant is not available). Overall performance of the GLE PHEV is respectable: 0-100 km/h in 6.9 seconds and a 210 km/h top speed (320 bhp/ 700 Nm).

Given the hybrid engine configuration, the plug-in SUV is more economical to drive compared to the conventional internal combustion engine (ICE) variant. Mercedes claims a fuel economy up to 0.7 l/100km. Of course, the more the vehicle is driven on the pure electric mode, the greater the potential for fuel economy and savings.

The EV is a good blend of luxury and practicality. The SUV can seat up to 5 adults, with ample headroom and legroom for adults seated on the rear seats, despite the sloping roofline (7 seater option not available). However, the rear-view is slightly restricted compared to the standard GLE SUV. Making use of the reversing camera will be helpful.

Despite the large onboard EV battery, the EV has up to 510 L cargo volume. The PHEV is technology-packed, to include the Mercedes-Benz User Experience (MBUX) infotainment system that used Artificial Intelligence (AI) to predict the drivers behaviour and needs.

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
An efficient vehicle. Claimed fuel economy up to 0.7 l/100km	Only available as a diesel/electric PHEV
Good EV battery size and EV range	An expensive PHEV. Cheaper alternatives available
Low tailpipe emissions (24g CO2/km)	Onboard charger limited to single-phase AC charging (7.4 kW AC)

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The Mercedes-Benz GLE 350 de Coupé PHEV (credit: Mercedes)

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

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Variants (1 Option)
Mercedes-Benz GLE 350 de AMG Line (Rs N/A)

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EV Battery & Emissions
EV Battery Type:	Lithium-ion
EV Battery Capacity:	Available in one battery size: 31.2 kWh
Charging:	60 kW DC charging (10-80%: 20 mins). 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):	1730
Width (mm):	2157
Length (mm):	4939
Wheelbase (mm):	2935
Turning Circle (m):	11.8
Boot capacity (L):	510

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GLE 350 de 4MATIC
EV Battery Capacity:	31.2 kWh
Pure Electric Range (WLTP):	87 km
Electric Energy Consumption (kWh/100km):	25.9
Fuel Consumption (l/100km):	0.7
Charging:	60 kW DC charging (10-80%: 20 mins). On-board charger 7.4 kW AC
Top Speed:	210 km/h
0-100 km/h:	6.9 seconds
Drive:	All-wheel drive (AWD)
Electric Motor (kW):	100
Max Power (hp):	320 (system output)
Torque (Nm):	700 (system output)
Transmission:	Automatic
Seats:	5
Doors:	5
Kerb Weight (kg):	2,690
Colours:	11
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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While e-zoomed uses reasonable efforts to provide accurate and up-to-date information, some of the information provided is gathered from third parties and has not been independently verified by e-zoomed. While the information from the third party sources is believed to be reliable, no warranty, express or implied, is made by e-zoomed regarding the accuracy, adequacy, completeness, legality, reliability or usefulness of any information. This disclaimer applies to both isolated and aggregate uses of this information.

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