Mercedes unveiled its new 2017 E-Class at the 2016 Detroit Auto Show this week and announced the details of its new plug-in hybrid powertrain option: 350e. While Mercedes is working on 4 new all-electric vehicles to be released before the end of the decade, the automaker is introducing more electric hybrid powertrains in its established lineup of luxury vehicles and the 350e is the first we get to see.
The new sedan will be able to travel 18 miles (30 km) on all-electric mode before the four-cylinder petrol engine kicks in. These figures are likely to be closer to the NEDC-rated ones than normal driving conditions. The estimated efficiency (not yet EPA-rated) is 134.5 mpg (2.1 l/100 km).
Its engine, in conjunction with its electric motor, gives it a total system output of 210 kW (286 hp) with a system torque of 550 Nm and Mercedes claims it should accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 6.2 seconds.
The car should be available later this year. There’s no word on the pricing of the PHEV option yet, but as a reference point, the 2016 E-Class started at $54,000 in the US.
Here’s a gallery of the new E-Class:
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- E 400 4MATIC, AMG Line, selenitgrau magno, Leder schwarz/sattelbraun E 400 4MATIC, AMG Line, selenit grey magno, leather black/saddle brown
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- E 400 4MATIC, AMG Line, selenitgrau magno, Leder schwarz/sattelbraun E 400 4MATIC, AMG Line, selenit grey magno, leather black/saddle brown
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- E 400 4MATIC, AMG Line, selenitgrau magno, Leder schwarz/sattelbraun E 400 4MATIC, AMG Line, selenit grey magno, leather black/saddle brown
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- E 400 4MATIC, AMG Line, selenitgrau magno, Leder schwarz/sattelbraun E 400 4MATIC, AMG Line, selenit grey magno, leather black/saddle brown
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- E 400 4MATIC, AMG Line, selenitgrau magno, Leder schwarz/sattelbraun E 400 4MATIC, AMG Line, selenit grey magno, leather black/saddle brown
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- E 350 e, EXCLUSIVE, kallaitblau, Leder sattelbraun/macciato E 350 e, EXCLUSIVE, callait blue, leather saddle brown/macciato
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- E 350 e, EXCLUSIVE, kallaitblau, Leder sattelbraun/macciato E 350 e, EXCLUSIVE, callait blue, leather saddle brown/macciato
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- Interieur, Leder schwarz/sattelbraun Interior, leather black/saddle brown
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- Interieur sattelbraun/macciato Interior saddle brown/macciato
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18 miles NEDC? Wow. Impressive. 🙂
I’m sure this is not just another compliance car.
18 mile range would handle 99% of my trips. YMMV
Hybrid cars are not necessarily meant to drive on all electric, it is actually counter productive to use a hybrid car that way.
Hybrid cars are designed in such that the electric motor can help the gasoline engine to operate in area where the gasoline engine is not very efficient. Engine operating efficiency window is very small and operating above and below it drastically reduces the efficiency, that is where the electric part comes in.
So while 18miles may sound like very little to us, if used properly with the ICE it can drastically reduce emissions and increase mileage.
This misconeption of what hybrid cars are suppose to do is what is giving them a bad rep. It should not be measured on total electric miles but on overall mileage like regular gasoline vehicles.
I didn’t know that Mercedes is synonymous for “what a joke” 😉
18 miles! That’s enough to get the valuable government rebate…
And enough to get me all the way to work and back every day. This would cover my needs for 365 days without nary a drop of gasoline, aside from occasional (and I mean once every 3-6 months) longer trips. Pretty good deal for the environment, and I get to drive in style while doing it instead of being behind the wheel of a sideways refrigerator like most electrics.