Mercedes-Benz is no stranger to electrification, having already wowed us with the 740-horsepower SLS. As impressive as that car is, though, the astronomical price put it beyond the reach of mere mortals. For the rest of us, Mercedes offers the B-Class Electric Drive.
The B-Class was born of Daimler's partnership with Tesla Motors, which provided much of the drivetrain stuffed inside this compact four-door. But then, at $41,450 (before the $7,500 federal EV tax credit), you'd expect that. Pricey? Yes, but on par with the BMW i3, another car meant to convince upscale buyers that going green doesn't mean surrendering luxury.
Daimler's raided the Tesla parts bin before to bring us the Smart ForTwo Electric Drive. That car was utterly unremarkable, but Mercedes seems to have gotten it right with the B-Class Electric Drive. The 28 kilowatt-hour pack gives the B-Class an EPA-rated range of 82 miles--comparable to the Honda FIT EV and Fiat 500e and a bit better than the Ford Focus Electric. It's also got an 8-year, 100,000-mile warranty. Plug it into a 240-volt line like your dryer uses and you're good to go in 3.5 hours. You're definitely gonna want 240, because if you plug it into 120 (like your TV uses), you're looking at 32 hours to fully charge the battery. That makes 120 best for opportunistic charging.
This is all standard fare for an EV of this sort. What makes the B-Class unusual is its automatic regenerative braking system. It's a clever riff on the radar system Mercedes developed for its adaptive cruise control. With the B-Class Electric, Mercedes applied the tech to the brakes, creating a system that varies the intensity of regenerative braking to suit the circumstances. If the system senses you're approaching the car ahead just a bit too quickly, for example, it ramps up the regen to slow the car; if some nitwit cuts you off, it clamps down with more authority to avoid a collision. The automatic regen mode is one of four--the others being D+ for heavy regen, D for moderate and D- for light--you can choose from to suit your driving style and preference.
We spent a little time (too little for a proper review) driving a B-Class Electric Drive and can say the system works. Driving down a winding road in Palo Alto with nothing ahead but curves, the system was completely unobtrusive. Ease off the accelerator and the car slows as if under engine braking. There's no sudden decrease in speed, no herky-jerky movement. Later, when a VW Jetta cut in front of us at an intersection, the B-Class instantly upped the resistance to slow the car. The downside is the feeling through the pedal in auto mode was inconsistent as the system responded to traffic and obstacles, but not so much that it was distracting.
Another nifty trick is the car's Range Plus option. When activated, it temporarily bumps the battery capacity by about 15 percent to provide another 18 miles of range, according to Mercedes-Benz. To tap that added capacity, you push a button on the dashboard before charging the car, telling the system to charge the batteries to their absolute capacity. Mercedes said intermittent use of this feature won't adversely impact battery life, but using it to regularly "max-out" the pack will diminish charging capacity over time. The idea is to provide just a little extra range for those occasions when you might need it. Think of it as a reserve mode.
This being the modern age, there's also an app that allows you to check all of its charging metrics, or find the nearest charge station. When the B-Class is plugged in, you can use the app to activate the climate control to pre-cool or pre-heat the car before you arrive.
Out on the road, the B-Class performs admirably. The drivetrain is good for 132 kilowatts (177 horsepower) and 251 pound-feet of torque. Yes, the car weighs a hefty 3,924 pounds, but with all that torque it doesn't feel like a two-ton car. The suspension is taught enough to keep it level through turns, so it never produces the side-to-side sloshing feeling you get from even compact SUVs. Put the B-Class in "sport" mode and you can hit 60 mph from a standstill in 7.9 seconds.
Leaving sport mode engaged, Mercedes says, cut the car's range by 10 percent, but for a short-distance drive, that's a tempting trade-off. In sport, you can still get some tire squeal out of a turn. When in regular mode, however, the car is relaxed. Acceleration from a stoplight requires serious depression of the drive-by-wire accelerator pedal before you even feel any propulsion. Then again, one doesn't purchase a hatchback EV for performance, and when making a nervous merge onto a highway, the B-Class's Tesla motor picks up when necessary. For driving in traffic or through towns, the accelerator mapping makes the starts smooth and elegant, for which you can partially forgive the otherwise subdued acceleration.
The styling is a bit... bland, but then it is a B-Class. If you have no idea what that is, that's because Mercedes has not widely sold the B-Class in the United States. Diesel and gas variations are in Europe, and Mercedes has long used the platform for its alt-fuel experiments, but the car is new to the U.S. It's a practical vehicle, a design that marries the convenience of a minivan with the size of a hatchback in something akin to a crossover utility vehicle.
Inside, the car is nicely appointed, bordering on luxurious. It's roomy and comfortable, with loads of headroom and plenty of space for four adults. In an era of stylishly short windows and sketchy visibility to the rear, the B-Class stands tall, literally. A thick three-point steering wheel and small details like the stitching around the leather give the car a sporty, luxurious feel that belies its practical sensibilities. You're reminded of the car's humble origins if you tap the plastic wood trim, but the car feels solid--the doors close with a satisfying thud--and everything works with just enough smoothness to know this is a proper Mercedes.
For those seeking maximum utility, you can fold the rear seats down to open up nearly 52 cubic feet of storage. Before adding options, the B-Class comes with a long list of features that make the car feel like its price. It comes with the blind-spot radar that flashes in your rear-view mirror if something is in that space, parking sensors, hill-start assistive braking, window and knee airbags, and navigation.
Unlike other cool alt-fuel B-Class models we've seen, the electric version is actually headed for showrooms. Look for it on the East and West Coast this summer, and nationwide in the first half of next year.
