TorqueNews review of the B-Class Electric Drive

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marta

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Apr 24, 2014
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TorqueNews starts the review by saying the B-Class Electric Drive will hit the US as the "chief competitor to the radically new BMW i3". Then it turns sour, covering the low range, extra weight of the large battery pack, and poor aerodynamics.

Some interesting points, but overall fairly negative:
http://www.torquenews.com/2250/why-mercedes-benz-b-class-electric-drive-has-only-87-mile-range

However, the B-Class boasts unimpressive efficiency ratings compared to other battery electric vehicles on the market. It can offer 87 miles of range, slightly more than the i3 and Nissan LEAF, and 104 miles with the optional range extender package that allows the occasional maximum charge. But this range is due to a very large battery and is held back by a recently announced EPA-rated efficiency of just 84 MPGe combined
Click to expand...

b-class_0.jpg


The main culprit is weight. It is heavier because it is a legacy gasoline/diesel luxury vehicle constructed primarily of steel with the powertrain swapped out. In addition, the B-Class has a significantly larger battery than both the Nissan and BMW; it boasts 36 kWh of capacity compared with 22 kWh for the i3 and 24 kWh for the LEAF. The extra battery capacity adds significant weight. - See more at: http://www.torquenews.com/2250/why-mercedes-benz-b-class-electric-drive-has-only-87-mile-range#sthash.KrWhLy1h.dpuf
Click to expand...
 
But, alas, also true... For it's battery capacity, it is somewhat disappointing. If it winds up doing far better than its EPA rating like the RAV4EV does, than the limitations chronicled in the article will be largely forgotten... If not, well... It seemed like a pretty fair article overall to me.

marta said:
Some interesting points, but overall fairly negative:
Click to expand...
 

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