Mercedes Benz B-Class Electric Drive

Launched in 2015 and developed in conjunction with Tesla, the Mercedes Benz B-Class Electric Drive was based on the standard B-Class but with some innovative engineering.

Available in two different versions (Sport and the slightly more expensive Electric Art), the B-Class Electric Drive has a range of up to 142 miles on a single charge. The B-Class Electric Drive can also reach 62mph from a standing start in just 7.9 seconds which meant that at its launch it was heralded as class leading in terms of acceleration and range. All this whilst offering room for five passengers and space in the boot.

The B-Class has three driving modes – Economy Plus, Economy and Sport.

The battery is stored within a “sandwich” floor arrangement called “Energy Space” which in simple terms means the rear part of the floor is raised and the underfloor is lowered. This battery can be charged using the fast charging cable supplied with the car; charging takes from three hours to nine hours depending upon the charging source.

Comfort features for the B-Class Electric Drive include Thermotronic automatic climate control which in conjunction with “Mercedes Connect me” allowed the driver can pre-heat or pre-cool the vehicle - depending on the temperature ready for the journey. Inside you’ll find man-made “Artico” leather (with blue stitching) seats and an eight-inch multimedia screen whilst 18’ alloys add to the vehicle’s visual appeal.

Amongst the optional extras available is Mercedes’ Energy Assist Package featuring an adaptive energy recuperation systems to sense road conditions using a forward facing radar. This package also includes the ‘Range Plus’ button – intended only for occasional use but adding extra range to the battery capacity than would customarily be available. Another interesting optional extra was protection for pedestrians and cyclists which sees a specific Mercedes-Benz sound generated at low speeds.