Mercedes B250e | Fully Charged

It's just possible that this is close to an actual car review. Many thanks to the very generous Andy Seal who lent me the car for the day.
It truly is a very impressive machine with one rather major drawback.
More info:
goo.gl/mSioyT
Patreon:
/ bobbyllew

[@suzettekitselman6914]

Thanks for this review! Living in LA and selling Real Estate here, this car is perfect for me! I bought a 2017 that had just been returned to the dealership after a 3 year lease, and got it for $17,000! Super price, and the slow charge issue is not a problem for me because I rarely go over 60 miles in a day; I just come home at the end of the day, and plug it in. Next morning, drive away in electric bliss! If I want to do a road trip, I just rent something fun and sexy. Can't say enough about this car, I love it! It does make some strange groaning noises unlike a gas powered vehicle. Have had it checked out at the dealership twice, and they say nothing is wrong with it. A beautiful thing about the EV is that there is much less to go wrong than in a gas vehicle which has so many more moving parts. I guess they aren't advertising it because they cut their teeth on this one, and now are rolling out their much more expensive EV line. Just think: if they advertised this slow-charging model as their first all EV, the Mercedes reputation would suffer. It's like a prototype they made while learning the EV technology from Tesla. I'm happy with it!

[@JamesYoung61]

You are probably the most qualified electric car journo out there and MB should listen. Keep up the good work.

[@LivingstonHooper]

I have one of these and I love it. Its ideal for me. I travel 15 miles to and from work daily in london, no congestion charge, no road tax and low insurance. Its has a very comfortable ride and is quite responsive. It has multi regen modes including auto which detects you're driving status activates reg based on distance between you and cars in front, using radar and ultrasonics. You can also tell it yo warm up via a smart phone ap. Rapid charging is an issue however I have a 7KW charge point at home which charges the batteries fairly quickly. The system only uses the 28KW capacity in normal mode, in extended rage you get access to 36KW which increases the rage by about 17 kilometres.

[@TheEVGuy85]

I came across these a few months ago and here in the states they can be had for $15k USD. I'm finally able to buy an EV and am looking at anything that has 100+ miles of range, in town only (as most cities are 100+ miles apart and usually separated by mountains). The Chevy Spark EV has CCS fast charge, same range or a little better and costs $10k USD. But the B class electric drive is so nice and around town it's perfect. Thanks for the vid!

[@markgaudie80]

Robert I test drove the same car last year. I loved it! But just like you I thought "why is there no rapid charge option?" Obviously when MERCEDES first designed this car. The thought to themselves, let's not put a rapid charge option on there so nobody buys one. Because deep down they thought electric cars would never work. Oh by the way. The flappy paddle regen braking on this car is simply genius. All EV's should have this. Keep up the great work Robert. Best channel on KZbin by a country mile!!! 👍

[@PaintTheWeb]

I own this car (lease) in California and it's wonderful for my local needs. The demo car was missing the keyless option which is available. Very surprised that car didn't have because it had the premium display and wheels. My dealer almost forgot to give me the button that goes in the "Ignition" to make it keyless. One NEVER buys this car you lease it. It's a piece of technology and as such wait till we get closer to peak EV before buying. BTW I suspect MB HATES this car and probably loses $15,000 USD on each one. When I picked up my car at the dealership I got a 3 minute demo since no one knew anything about the vehicle. I have had it a year and just learned about adjusting the regen from the video. Ha!

[@AJ-qd5cs]

Hi Robin, I wonder if you could spare a few minutes to feedback on the vehicle ? I am about to buy a 2016 2nd hand B250e and I wonder what your experience with the car has been/was ? I will use it for school runs and 24miles commute to work, so the fast charge is not an issue for me. Thanks. J.

[@TheGokki]

I would totally consider this as my first electric car over, say, a Tesla M3 but the lack of fast charging is a dealbreaker. There's really two things that can't be negotiated with EVs - either have a long range when you don't need to charge during a trip or have very fast charging so i don't waste time at a station (even if i have to charge multiple times during a trip).

[@ToumalRakesh]

A friend of mine got Mercedes to build an AC fast charger into the car. Then again, he ordered a whole fleet.So Mercedes CAN do it. They just don't want to for the average customer.

[@MuadDib1402]

A superlative car, sir. With just two minor flaws. One, it doesn't have a rapid charger. And two, it doesn't have a rapid charger. Now I realise that technically speaking that's only one flaw but I thought that it was such a big one that it was worth mentioning twice.

[@0tispunkm3y3r]

Brig. Gen. Jack D. Ripper I'd say the range is pretty poor as well. 80-90 miles is only the same as what the likes of the leaf have been doing for a while. The new i3, leaf, Zoe with their bigger batteries all do more now ( I think). Just seems a bit behind the curve.

[@MuadDib1402]

Totally agree, it does nothing for me. I'd rather wait for a Model 3.

[@salemyr]

The car was launched in 2014... at which point it was a front runner (I've done 130 miles in mine)

[@0tispunkm3y3r]

salemyr oh, didn't know that. thought it had just come out hence he was reviewing it! are they ashamed of this car or something?

[@salemyr]

Dunno... they've had commercials, but I suppose marketing differ from market to market. You see loads of that car where I live in Norway, but that shouldn't come as a supprise...

[@HisnameisRich]

I do love your regular content and your enthusiasm, first subscribed ages ago because I knew and liked you from scrapheap but stayed subscribed and watch every video you make because they are all engaging, well produced and well thought out. Keep it up!

[@LowreyContractorsUK]

It’s a commuter car. Horses for courses Plenty of rage for commuting or the school run. Which is 95% what most people do

[@dalvindersingh5679]

I have just bought this Car (2017 B250 E Sport is the exact model with lot of options came with it :) )..Its a stunning high spec Luxury Car, Mercedes build quality is great that can be seen in this Car both interior & exterior. Whosoever out there thinking to go electric & if your 80-90% journeys are in Town / commute wise go for this Car you will be surprised with its abilities.

[@MartinStJohn-tb1fh]

I bought one of these in Nov 2016 from a reseller company. Mine was just over 14 months old with 5k miles. It had started life as a Mercedes group car, so it had every extra going. I got it for half the new list price. I get the "no rapid charge" bit, but that's not a great issue for me. I got a 6kw home charging point from Polar and do almost all my charging at home (pay the extra and get a tethered charger, it's well worth it) I can charge up to 80% capacity in about 4-6 hours and that gives me an indicated 65-80 mile range depending on weather etc, although I've found that indicated range often translates into more miles when driving, e.g. start with 80 miles, drive 20 miles, end with 70 miles. Weird! Charge to 100% capacity is possible and will give extra range, but it's not recommended if you want to keep your battery happy. I test drove the Mercedes and Nissan Leaf. Mercedes won it for me with the sheer quality of the drive and interior space. I can fit golf clubs and a trolley into the Mercedes boot, impossible with the Leaf. For my style of motoring the Mercedes was a good choice and I have no regrets so far. If you can live with the range and slower charge it's well worth a place on your shortlist. I got the blue colour and had the rather silly "electric drive" decal removed from the side. Love the 'Fully Charged" KZbin reviews. Lots of relevant information uncluttered by pretentious presentation. Keep it going!

[@JA-xz4vr]

Hey do you still have it as i am thinking of buying a 7 year old one

[@JA-xz4vr]

And do you still love it?

[@hylacemess]

Just to clarify things: The B250e is not available with a DC charging port. Neither CCS nor Chademo but it does come with a 11kW onboard charger standard which is quite remarkable.

[@thatpersonsmusic]

They have the effort of putting a 11kw charger in the car, but they can’t do fast charging? Absurd

[@hylacemess]

@@thatpersonsmusic Actually Tesla had the effort. All drivetrain components are supplied by them. This car could technically even use their superchargers. Everything is there. Tesla specifically offered this to other OEMs. But Mercedes declined.

[@oilerlord6513]

By the way, does this car have a fast charger? (Kidding) I bought my Mercedes B250e in June, and have put over 9000km on it since. Given the car's range maxes out at around 160km, not having fast charging wasn't deal breaker for me - especially since fast charging is nearly non-existent where I live anyway, except for one Tesla Supercharger that's only compatible with Tesla cars. Because Mercedes essentially sole-sourced Tesla to build and supply the powertrain, battery, and on-board 10kW charger for the car (again, all Tesla components) any sort of Chademo or SAE combo DCFC charger would have been incompatible. With that said, I can charge my 28kWh battery in about 3 hours at home using a 50amp, 240v EVSE. I've never had a problem with range since only an hour on my charger puts nearly 10kWh back into the battery - or around 53 km depending how often you choose to murder electrons with "sport" mode. There are several 9.6kW public chargers I can use, like the one at Ikea that allows me to grab a quick inexpensive lunch while the car charges. Yes, this is still one great EV and there are certainly deals to be had on this car especially on the used market. It's also one of the larger EV offerings on the market with lots of space in the trunk. The trunk floor has an adjustable height so that when you fold the seats forward, the cargo floor is relatively flat with the back of the seats. The car also fits four adults comfortably, and since the battery is under the floor of the car, it doesn't reduce cargo space at all. After test driving a lot of EV's before buying one, I still believe the B250e is one of the best values on the road. It's solid & luxurious, as a Mercedes should be. Highly recommended.

[@japanluv]

oilerlord Hi. Did it prove to be good on the long term? Currently on a 2009 C180 Blueefficiency estate but we moved closer to my work ( 7 miles now). We are a family of 3 and this model makes more sense now:D

[@mrmichrom8553]

That makes sense - the socket looks like a Tesla one - so it looks like Daimler haven't been able to reach an agreement about Tesla's supercharging network. Hence the secret, yet finished car. Perhaps they are considering a cooperation with VW on their charging system.

[@GrrMeister]

*Well said, but at the moment (2019) to me it looks like the 'best way to go' is a **_Plug in Hybrid_** (not self charging rubbish) that will be capable of up to 30 miles on all electric mode, and for longer trips on ICE. A high proportion of my trips are less than 30 miles as I gather are many others, but for longer journeys it's nice to know you have NO Range Anxiety, if say for instance you require to get from home to Cornwall.*

[@MarkAtkin]

It has a fast charger. Just no rapid charger.

[@sergiorelvas]

Hi there do you still have it? Which charger do you use it? What speed and what kind of degradation did you have? Thanks for the information I'm looking for a city car and this is perfect.

[@LoanwordEggcorn]

e-Golf (and presumably other VW/Audi/Porsche EVs and hybrids) has multiple levels of adjustable regen via the tiptronic (left-right movement) control on the shift lever. It's very convenient and intuitive to use. However the best regen control is integrating regen with the initial travel of the brake pedal. That way, all the braking is on the brake pedal, where it ergonomically is preferred and expected.

[@fallinginthed33p]

Robert is right on this one. The B250e has a 11 kW Tesla *AC* charger that's faster than the 3.3 or 6.6 kW AC chargers on the Leaf, provided you have three phase service at home. What it doesn't have is a *DC* fast charger, the likes of which are popping up everywhere nowadays. The Leaf has this, so you can charge it overnight slowly on AC or do a 50 kW DC fast charge when you're out and about. It's a stupid omission because the B-class diesel is a comfortable vehicle for long drives, whereas the electric B gets relegated to being a plush golf cart.

[@brettjohnson925]

AHi Robert, I did offer you the option to test drive my B250e. If you had I would of informed you that it for one it can be charged at a higher rate than you stated! In fact in can take a 11kw charge off 3 phase, so form 0-100% takes roughly 2.5hours. It also comes with the range extender button which opens up the hidden part of the battery about 4kwh which gives about an extra 8-12 miles. For some reason Mercedes decide to limit single phase charging too 16a so if you charge your car on a 7kw charger it splits the charge to 3.6kwh but on 3phase your ok? I'm am unsure why they did this. People will of course give there own reasons.

[@philiptucker4700]

brett johnson f

[@Baisemannen]

It's a great car. We've had ours for 2 years and have driven it over 40000 km. Trunk space is simply superb. It would really be perfect if it had fast charging. There is a mod made by an american that actually can be fitted to the battery (jDemo) that will give you Chademo fast charging but it costs 3000-4000 dollars so might be a bit steep for most people.

[@americanhindi]

Mercedes didn't install DCQC (Rapid Charger) because that would make this 100% Electric variant more economical and sensible to buy than the petrol and diesel variants. God forbid, if the general public found out about a 100% Electric Mercedes with DCQC (Rapid Charging) that would allow it to go anywhere on the continent. Mercedes is still a Fossil Fuel car maker and they want to keep it that way for as long as possible, until they are forced to go 100% Electric by governments and by public demand.

[@jonathanburford]

Test drove one in the summer. Very well built car as mentioned. The deal breaker for me was no rapid charge which even I couldn't understand. The adjustable regen was very nice to use, and it had a nice bit of kit on it. Other points to make, the dealer I used in Norwich didn't know what they were selling, I had to do all my own research! Servicing costs were horrific for an EV also! I believe from memory the car will support 10kw charging, so as mentioned about 4 hours on a 7.7kw public charger should see you fully charged, but no good on a long journey.

[@johnratcliffe6438]

What servicing costs? There's nothing to service! Well, other than a brake fluid change every 2 years...

[@smge1lc]

I'm sure someone mentioned this, but the B series was built as a regulatory car for the California market. They shoved an electric drive train into the B series to meet California's requirements. Maybe you don't understand this in England, but there it is. And the car is great. We just returned one on lease and replaced it with an X, and missed this little gem.

[@lfo414]

People should congratulate Fully Charged for seeking out a vehicle to test, rather than castigate for factual errors. A car delivered from the manufacturer would no doubt have come with detailed info, that the kind owner may not have mentioned. As a delivery agent for vehicle demos, I often find Robert's videos tell me details few sales folk ever bother to learn.

[@jagman84]

It is a car for the school run. Waiting 4-5 hours for a recharge is fine in that scenario. For many, 90-100 miles would cover the whole week's travel. Also, the batteries will last far longer by not being fried by rapid chargers. The car may actually be worth a lot more than the 12 year-old Prius that only runs on the petrol engine as the batteries died a long time ago. I have bought the diesel version as the range of the EV is not enough for my needs. To be honest, none of the current (more affordable) EV's have a sensible range at present. Edit: I have since learnt that an 11 Kw/hr Tesla AC charger will work with this car. It runs at about 2 min per 1% of charge. So around 3 hrs for a full top-up.

[@r.b.4611]

Hey Kryten, I just checked out the new Red Dwarf. It's really funny! And sombre in places too. Great job guys, you're on form once more. I'm also very happy that this channel is succeeding, the content is top notch. All right, rock on.

[@h3llzz]

11:00 "It sounds like a mommy whale that has lost her baby whale in the sea" Couldn't have described it better, hahaha!

[@PeterStilwell]

I like the key. I hired a car with the proximity key thing and lost the key thing in one of my pockets. If only they'd put like a little holder for the key thing in an easily accessible place right next to my hand that you could put the thing in when in the car and take out when you leave.

[@ZeHoSmusician]

I wanted to test drive this car but the sales guy who contacted me basically wouldn't let me have a go until I was sure I was interested in buying it. To which I later realized a comeback could have been on the lines of, "I can't be sure I want to buy it unless I try it and compare it with other cars I've test driven." [And I do have a sizeable list to go by because other brands were far less stringent. Although I'm still wondering if BMW will ever let me test their i8...] Anyway--he won't be hearing from me any time soon...

[@Ecoenergy]

The on board charger is also 3ph, so on public ac it will charge at 11kw. according to original comments from Mercedes they said Tesla could not fit the second charger to bring it up to 22Kw on 3ph similar to the model S

[@KirbyCola]

The e-Golf and e-Up! can also adjust the level of regen. and turn it off

[@adibtheman]

I was seriously considering buying this car. Everything seemed just fine. I had assumed it had rapid charging, and of course, no Mercedes dealership corrected me. I am very thankful for your video. That is an absolute deal-breaker. No having a rapid charger would be ok if it had a 400-mile range, but a pedestrian 84-mile range AND no rapid charger? I sure hope this isn't their best attempt at an electric car.

[@superdau]

My guess why it's missing a rapid charger: they want it to fail so they can say "EVs are not wanted" and keep on selling their old ICE models. Soon the "old" car manufacturers will take the backseat to chinese manufacturers, who are developing electric vehicles (currently mostly for the chinese market, but I don't think they'll stay just there for long).

[@fromatic2]

sounds like it

[@saritabohannon9416]

They're shooting themselves in the foot then, what with the Bolt and the Model 3 coming out. Instead of getting people to stick with their ICE models the market will flock to other EV makers.

[@peterfaber9316]

superdau. either that or they have another model in the planning that does have a rapid charger and this one is just made to feel the market.

[@m1k869]

That is actually the case, at the motor show someone with daily commute that would have fit perfectly for the B-class ED (80km a day) asked for the car. The Mercedes dealer said it is a good car, but he would really recommend the diesel version, the electic model would be developing technology and you can't beat the economics of a diesel...

[@fdk7014]

I don't get this conspiracy theory that automakers don't want to sell electric cars. Automakers want to sell whatever car the public wants to buy, quite simply. There is no ideology, they will happily sell electric, bio-gas, natural gas, hydrogen or whatever other fuel car as long as there is a market for it to recoup investments. It's a business and their only real interest is in making money.

[@davfreim]

It is exactly as diesel B class Mercedes, great small car with loads of space, I love it! Diesels have the same key, same everything... So its just the same car with small battery back instead of diesel/petrol engine.

[@hannozulla6626]

I did a test drive with this car. The local Mercedes dealer's employee actively tried to dissuade me from the very concept of electric cars and actually made fun of me for wanting to test drive this "crippled car" that nobody wants. So yeah, Mercedes isn't doing much to market this car to an interested buyer. That said, I was underwhelmed by it.

[@E.T.1971]

Hanno Zulla - they are loosing money on it. That's why. Trust me it is great!

[@hannozulla6626]

Really, I don't know. I tried that car and while it was built pretty well, it was the least fun to drive of all the electric cars I tried.

[@slaughterround643]

E.T. You're really pushing an agenda aren't you? Merc fanboy trash

[@E.T.1971]

Slaughter Round - you are right, I am pushing an agenda - the one of facts over misinformation!

[@slaughterround643]

E.T. Except nothing you've said is factual. Stop spamming lies dude, it's sad

[@der-e-wolf]

3:06 here in Germany you get an 11kW charger - it's 400 V 16A - so I guess this is the same for the U.K.

[@E.T.1971]

Thomas Wolf - you are right. The review is full of errors. The reviewer even says it has no AC charger. Wrong!

[@sparkykevboss]

Very few houses in the UK have a 3 phase 400v supply.

[@peetbully]

really like the color grading on this one!

[@AndySeal]

Drove 95 Miles on a single charge today ( not range extended ). I had to use E+ all the way and the outside temperature was between 16.5ºC and 23ºC. I've kept the car for another year, and this year I've started taking 150 mile journeys and accepting the 2hr recharge ( 11kw chargers are very common now ). Having used it for sub 50 mile journeys for 2 years, I'd forgotten what a great car it is on the motorway. However, all the comments about Rapid DC charge are spot on. I honestly think that if Mercedes had fitted Rapid DC charge, Tesla would have been very unhappy. A lot of people would be entirely happy with the comfort and performance of this car and wouldn't have ordered a Tesla. Just my opinion.

[@markgaudie80]

I'm sure if this car had rapid charging it would be one of the best selling EV's like the Nissan Leaf. I like the fact it's a normal car with the advantages of being pure electric.

[@cinilaknedalm]

What's the point of making electric cars in 2016 with a 120 mile range?

[@craigyoung44]

How often do most people drive further than that? I reckon 90% of my driving is below 120 miles.

[@cinilaknedalm]

+Craig Young you're right, I was refering to Tesla model 3 and Chevy Bolt. Both probably cheaper than this and with a 200+ milea range. This is a pointless vehicle unless you're buying it solely for the badge.

[@salemyr]

Because it's a car deviced in 2014, at which point you could only get better range in a Tesla

[@cinilaknedalm]

salemyr good point. they shouldnt have bothered releasing it then with the new knowledge

[@salemyr]

cinilaknedalm Sorry, bad wording. It was released in the US in 2014, Europe early 2015 :)

[@bnkwupt]

While it doesn't have DCFC, it gets a Tesla 11kW onboard charger here in the USA. That at least allows for quicker charges at home, and allows you to top up between outings pretty quickly.

[@bnkwupt]

Following up on this comment, the B250e can indeed charge at 11kW on three-phase power in Europe. mobilityhouse.com/en/portfolio/mercedes-benz-b-class-electric-drive/

[@E.T.1971]

VeeDubTDI - you are right - here in Europe too. This 'review' is loaded with disinformation and errors.

[@SherrifOfNottingham]

It's not disinformation, the vehicle only has level 2 charging, yeah sure slightly faster level 2 charging than the leaf or soul, but those car's also have access to level 3 charging, where as Mercedes doesn't. Which was the point being made.

[@jurgenduda8433]

It does have adaptive regen. You have to pull the +pedal for more than 3 sec and then it is in D(auto). It is adapting the Regen depending steepness of the slope and the distance of the car in front of you.

[@andreasbrovig86]

I have a car like this in Norway (the most selling country for B 250 e) and it has a 11 kW onboard charger.

[@andreasbrovig86]

We use this as our second car - so no long trips. For that we use our Tesla Model S.

[@RedwoodGeorge]

Test drove a B250e and was strongly considering buying but there were quite a few glaring flaws: - Really cheap feeling pleather seats. Real leather was an option but not available on any car the dealer could locate. - Radar recuperation but no radar based adaptive cruise control - whaaat? - That electronic key that you still have to plug in and turn - is this 1990? - Soft, heavy ride. A cushy car is nice but for a car this small to have little to no road feel is a crime. - Ehhh acceleration. Better than a Leaf but that's not much to brag about. - Cluttered dashboard with many similar buttons. You almost need a copilot. - No DC charging, as Robert mentioned... Walked next door to the BMW dealer and test drove an i3. What a completely different vehicle!

[@MarcelloTheBandit]

Rapid charging or not, this, the Bolt, the e-Golf, and the Leaf are great options for older couples that are like empty nesters, but still do family things. My mom would probably think this is too rich for her, but then again, she doesn't drive but 60 miles a day (and that's on a BAD day), and when she's done driving, she's done driving. No late night/early morning emergency runs, no runs to the next town or anything. Normally 30 minutes round trip between work and two houses to pick up her grandkids and that's it.

[@ScottEdy]

Just a reminder; I had one on display at ElectrAA 2016. You were there. ;)

[@joewilder]

Perhaps an advantage of a slow charge is that the battery will last almost forever.

[@veganwally]

I agree.

[@pol1250]

Nope it won't....

[@MegaTechGuy]

@pol1250 It's true. (He is not literally meaning forever!) To make the battery last for 150,000 miles it would be best to keep the charge between 60%-80% which would be hard on a car with 90mile range. (18 miles gap between 60% to 80%.) I would tell anyone who was going to buy this car, WAIT FOR THE TESLA MODEL 3! haha

[@clarksonbarry]

Slower charging is ideal with solar panels

[@markcornwall8132]

Thanks Robert. Well Mercedes truly did manage to nobble what could have been a nice ev. Still they may catch up and have rapid charging by 2050. On the question of cost I saw somewhere an ex demo for sale for £10000.

[@banterman]

Seems to me the lack of rapid charge is a flaw by design, so as to not compete too well with the petrol/diesel variants?.

[@verticalFarm0]

Why would you spend loads on R&D to not sell it? Your point makes no sense. If they didn't want to risk competition, they wouldn't have built it.

[@nagrom97]

Its a compliance car. Basically they do the R&D on it, sell a few models of it and profit largely off the carbon credits that they get. Its sad, but selling drivetrains to compliance car manufacturers was largely how Tesla funded themselves in the early days. A little annoying how close the Mercedes is from being a good EV, a CHAdeMO plug isn't that hard?!?

[@E.T.1971]

Banter Man - there are no holes in the ignorance of the reviewer. The car charges 3 times as fast as a Leaf for instance from an AC charger!!!

Bullshit.

[@E.T.1971]

24.172 viewers and counting has been misinformed by this 'review' full of serious errors. Let me assure you, it is a great car. I've driven it for 25.000 km this year so far, so I have "a bit" more of experience with it than the reviewer. The battery is bigger than mentioned in review. It is not 28kWh but 36 - one of the biggest in its class. It is wrong that it does not have a connector for AC charging - it does and it is in fact one of the fastest at 11kW. Thus it charges 3 times as fast as for instance a Leaf from one of the many public AC chargers. The whole driveline and battery was supplied by Tesla. It even has Tesla stickers on the parts. Its my best Merc yet, and I have had two S-classes before.

[@fullychargedshow]

Now I understand your anger and dismissive comments about my 'review.' You drive a B250e and you love it, which is great. I loved the car which is why I'm slightly baffled by the determination and anger in your comments. But let me explain this. One, I am not a reviewer, never have been, never will be, not trying to be. I am merely trying to open the door to new ideas, technological breakthroughs, developments and social and political changes that are underway due to those developments. Although we clearly will continue to disagree about the speed of charging this car, I can see I made a major error in my description of the battery size. Not, at the end of the day, the biggest crime in the history of the human race but an error none the less. I did not know about the R+ button, it's a great shame I didn't as that is a brilliant feature. I have decided, in a future episode, to rectify this. But it doesn't have 'rapid' charging. That, my main criticism, still stands, is true, accurate and worthy of a proper car 'reviewer.' 11kw is fast, not rapid. It's just fast, faster than 3kW, much, much slower than 50 kW. The general public, used to litres, gallons, mpg and lpk do not necessarily know the difference yet. The ridiculous terms we use to describe the charging times are inadequate and confusing. One is 'fast' and one is 'rapid.' How is anyone supposed to understand the difference until they've tried to charge the car on a highway rapid chargers, wait 30 minutes for one, and 3 hours for the other.

[@E.T.1971]

Thanks for your feedback. The reason why, I am dismissive is because, I fear that a lot of people get the wrong impression of a great electric car. People - who are not knowledgable about EVs - will be led to believe that a car such as a Leaf with 50kW charging capability is much better/faster to charge than a MB with an 11 kW capability. But it is greatly misleading.. For instance, a colleague and myself each have an electric car. He has a Leaf and I have the MB. We work at 2 different locations (A and B) with a distance of app. 70 km between them and 70 km from each to Copenhagen (C) in rough figures. We often drive around in this triangle. If my colleague arrives from home to let's say workplace A, he has to recharge there for hours before being able to continue to B or C because of the slow 3,7 charger in the Leaf. However, once he is at location B, we do in fact have a 50kW DC charger there that he can take advantage of subject to availability. But he cannot park there. He has to move the car, once it is fully charged. As the battery in his Leaf is only 24 kWh (gross) he cannot even charge at the full effect of 50kW. The charger will automatically slow down not to damage his battery. But even if he succeeds to recharge without too much trouble and drives on to a meeting in C, he has to find and stop at one of the scarce DC-chargers at the destination or on the way home. Otherwise, he simply cannot make it home! I, on the other hand, plug in the car at either destination, because there are 11 kW type 2 outlets everywhere - and I can park there, not just stop and charge, while I wait. So, the reality is for everyday commuting like this, an 11kW built-in AC charger is a huge advantage to a 3,7 kW built-in AC charger and the added DC capability. The DC capability is in reality only a benefit for long journeys over 200 km. And if one often goes that far, neither is really suited.

[@MrSmaron2]

E.T. Driving mine for two months only but you described things much better than this report.

[@ellieban]

This is interesting. It suggests that Mercedes may have designed this car for how people actually drive rather than how we think we do. Unfortunately, whether it's valid or not, most people do suffer for range anxiety, and designers need to give them what they want, even if it isn't exactly what they need.

[@gnawershreth]

+E.T. Why not have both though? That still doesn't make much sense to me. If I'm buying a new Mercedes that's quite a lot of money I'm spending. Why can't it go 200 km for example? I don't have several different cars to choose from depending on where I'm going. Regardless of it's 11 kW it still seems odd to limit the car in such a way. In Denmark you're right about 200 km being considered a long trip but we're a tiny country. 200 km isn't considered that long in a lot of places and by not having the rapid charger option Mercedes really limits the interest in their vehicle. Why can't it have 11 kW *and* a rapid charger option? Now and then you might want to visit family in Jutland (To stick to the Danish example.) or go to Germany for vacation or to fill up on cheap beer.

[@TheMacdreamcatcher]

Entertaining and informative. As a city car, it probably does n't need rapid charging, I have an i3 with no rapid charger.......but I have the range extender in case I want go anywhere serious. But I hardly use it on my 45 miles round trip.

[@MylesHSG]

Was behind one of these on the way to work and had to look it up, had no idea they made these.

[@NickyCyclone]

We met Robert by chance up Clent whilst he filmed this. Charming man and very friendly.

[@gnarlin4964]

Designed and advertised to fail by Mercedes. A self-fulfilling prophecy.

[@toyjunky1608]

at the end of the day, Fully charged couldn't get the manufacturer to supply a Demo vehicle so a kind viewer let there own car, so the review was done on a British Spec B Class , maybe it didn't have all the options you can get in other countries, but it was a review at face value...... if your don't like the video or don't agree with it make your own review and post it...

[@danwiddon3854]

Kryten shows his feelings about the ridiculous Pedestrian Warning Sound (11:15). A real statement of intent by Mercedes, not to give this model the feature required overcome many people's range anxiety!

[@kensmith5694]

There is a perfectly good pedal on the floor that you use to tell the system you want to go fast. There is no need for "sport mode" and "eco mode". When you put your foot into it, it should get the hint. When you let off on the petal, you should be giving it the option to save power.

[@letsgocamping88]

Ken Smith same with the brakes

[@flinx]

Humans are rarely great at applying smooth acceleration curves that preserve range. Hence the reason for those modes, because they do a better job of of preserving range.

[@kensmith5694]

flinx If the petal worked that the first 3/4 the travel was for efficient driving and the last 1/4 was for getting going fast. No mode is needed. I could design you the logic for this one in an after noon.

[@letsgocamping88]

exactly, pretty sure allot of ICE automatic transmission cars have a button thats only hit when the pedal is on the floor, and makes the car hold a gear longer and give full beans.why not something similar for ev's?

[@kensmith5694]

Benjamin Harvey The "kick down linkage" used to be on practically all automatic transmissions. There was also a thing that caused an early up shift at light throttle for economy. It used the manifold vacuum to do it. There was also a thing in shock absorbers that made them get stiffer on large excursions away from the normal position so that the car would handle well on a bump or in a sudden swerve. The ideas aren't new. Given that computing power is now so cheap it can be considered as free, there is no excuse for the makers of cars to be putting more burden onto the driver.

[@mcruz120]

Got used to not having a rapid charge option. The range is good enough for all my trips. It is not a long range car, but when I had my Leaf it wasn't long range either and it had a rapid charger option.

[@arenjay3278]

In The USA it charges up to 10+ kW level 2. You didn't mention the Range extender.

[@AmperageY]

What range extender?

[@m1k869]

As the whole drivetrain is from Tesla, they could have all the good stuff. Supercharging, CHAdeMO adapter, a second 11kW Charger (yes, its the exact same unit as in the Model S). There is a lot of space left in the sandwich construction for all of that. But Daimler strangly didn't offer anything from that. Oh and batterywise, it's a 36kWh battery with 28 daily useable or 33,5 if you opt for "Range Mode" (charging to 100% like in a Tesla). Its made of 3696 cells, 18650 but a slightly lower capacity than the cells used in Model S.

[@thatpersonsmusic]

The good thing about it having a horrible range and no fast charge is that it has an insanely quick depreciation. And that’s a great thing, because I am actually able to have a chance of owning this car!

[@erhs79]

I LOVE this car ..I have one !!!!!

[@enieshadulshani5585]

hi... could u tell me plz how many kms can run when it Fully Charge????

[@IRWBRW964]

I think this was a test by Mercedes to see how well they could implement their electric drivetrain into one of their normal cars. Just imagine every car having an electric version in the future.

[@gui4j]

dude , your are the man.. one of the top eco journo's on the planet ... great review ..... keeping it comming , you are important in swinging middle class land towards eco change ... keeping fightening keeping raising awareness .... your a first class presenter and journo ande deserve for more exposure .... linking up with guardian would be nice to see , as your both leader the fight ro raise climate change awareness and show the population esplically the middle glass ,that being "green" doesnt envolve massive negative change to their lifes

[@thijsvanleeuwen]

e-golf has that regen setting option by moving the gearstick sideways.

[@tomgreenwood6174]

Like you say Robert, even the Zoe has rapid charging. We mainly just drive locally but occasionally go a long way and it is really handy. We've driven from the New Forest, UK to Oberstdorf in the German Alps in our Zoe. Yes, we had to charge a few times but it was possible because it can handle rapid charging. :-) And like this Merc, you can get really cheap deals on the Zoe as ex-display because Renault are rubbish at promoting it. Thanks for another good review.

[@hopsenrobsen]

The limiting factor for fast charging is not the charging plug. It is most likely that the charge-time is defined by the cells used in the batterypack..

[@elstner]

Not only Mitsubishi Outlander - also my VW e-Up! has a 4 step control regenerative braking. Not with paddles on the steering wheel of course, but at the gear shifter. That was one of the main points for me to buy it! (btw. e-Golf has it too...)

[@ebeirne1]

The regen mode is the same as the Outlander, you can adjust it up or down via the paddles

[@sketchpro12]

the VW e-Golf has multiple regen level controls, including full off, so you can coast. You can do the same regen control via the stick, although the prototype Golf e-motion had the controls on the paddles.... which I hope they add back to the next e-Golf.

[@MKDvRS]

From personal experience of Mercedes-Benz. This is how they are with customers. They want you to buy the car they want you to have, and not what you want to buy. I did try to purchase the C350e. Got promises of deals to get me in the show room, then the deal went but could do a deal of a diesel. So yes you can buy a smaller electric Mercedes-Benz bit we actually want you to buy the diesel or petrol. Saying that is the possibility of a low price is available it might be ok for people doing short journeys only.

[@Mortalomena]

No rapid charge because its meant for city driving to get local food. Theres the E-class in the garage for weekend journeys.

[@throbberikk]

probably made it to tick a certificate box somewhere.

[@olivergunn1913]

why would people buy this, 90 miles range with no rapid charging, ok

[@dzonikg]

mercedes dont want you 2 buy for now..that is why its like that ...egist just 2 please some governments

[@E.T.1971]

Oliver Gunn - because it does fast charge at 11 kW from the many available AC chargers! Other makes have SLOW AC chargers and depend on the few DC chargers, where u have to sit and wait, while it charges. The MB you can leave charging and it is (ironically) fully charged as soon as you are back from a meeting or whatever...

[@RechargeableLithium]

+E.T. ET - phone home and stop spamming the threads with your spin in the lack of DC quick charging. Plenty of people have experience with cars that charge on AC only. People have even added more chargers to their LEAFs and gotten more than the 45A this Benz is capable of. But again - when a person needs a car to replace ICE - and that's what we need! - then we must must have DC charging. 80% in 20 minutes is a must have moving forward - that's a full order of magnitude faster! If this car came out in 2010 with the 1st gen LEAF then sure - celebrate! It might work for you, but it's not enough for all.

[@StaceKarussos]

I test drove one last year. Besides the salesperson not have a clue that it was even electric, the price was way too high for what you get. EVs made from an existing gas model don't take into consideration for weight. I ended up getting the i3 for half the lease payment. BTW, the i3 weighs about 1,000 lbs less than the B-class.

[@kael13]

To meet compliance the rules should state that fast charging is required. And probably a bunch of other things to make produced models actually useful.

[@micgent]

Lexus IS300H has regen control using the Paddle Shift also (CVT) in addition to brake pedal pressure.

[@paolopanzarino]

Legend has it that if you write a comment early Robert will reply :-) Love your videos, keep up the good work :-)

[@melvynburchell]

Lack rapid charge is a serious showstopper! I am happy with 'B' mode regen braking on the Leaf which is quite harsh foot off the accelerator but the regen amount/braking is easily balanced with the accelerator when going downhill...

[@GrrMeister]

(4:40) *I have the B200 CDi AMG and have only used **_'Sport Mode'_** a few times, and on each occasion I do it frightens the pants of me, and my Passengers !*

[@radiodiagnostics]

Maybe the slow charge is because there is not active cooling of the battery pack? Just guessing

[@reggiebuffat]

Michael Palazzola that seems to be a good guess. Too few manufacturers cool the battery effectively, or warm it up in summer. Batteries have a preferred range of temperatures to function at properly

[@Turtytreeandaturd]

A compliance car?

[@Bfould3120]

Turtytreeandaturd I think it is a compliance car for CARB. In 2011 or 2012 Tesla needed money to build the models S and they make a deal with MB to make the drivetrain for a compliance car call the B class electric. This was a money maker for Tesla and let MB keep selling gas cars in CA. This car was simply seen by MB as the cost of doing business in CA. Details like rapid charging, a better low speed sound and appropriate tires was not worth the effort to MB as the car was viewed as a right off. I went to my local MB dealer and asked to test drive it. It took asking four sales people before any of them could confirm MB sold an EV. Then after they found one in the far end of the lot, I educated the dealer on how it operated. It's sad because it is a nice car just missing a few key EV features.

[@PaintTheWeb]

@Turtytreeandaturd Yes most likely for California. I'm surprised the dealership car was even charged.

[@mbirth]

The EU has such rules, too. The average CO2 output on the whole range of cars of a manufacturer must not be higher than 130 g/km. So if they build a "compliance car" with 0 g/km, they are allowed to build another car with up to 260 g/km. ((0 + 260) / 2 = 130)

[@williamerazo1685]

It is

[@TedKidd]

I love the Regen paddles too.

[@RahilSethi]

I have a strong feeling Mercedes made this car just for the purpose of pulling all kinds of crowd (both gas and electric car fans) to their brand, but then convincing them that their petrol or diesel version is much better and more comfortable to drive. How clever!

[@maxgreece1]

I think I can see an easy upgrade opportunity for Mercedes for their 2017 year model.

[@NAY2GAS]

No Rapid because they want it to fail. A CCS will fit in the Gas port turned 90 degrees counter clockwise

[@BlackhawkPilot]

Use the cruise control to hold the speed down hill. It will recharge Key button is about $15 from MB

[@berndbart3909]

Very good review. Very british. Thank you. Actually you can buy a 2017 Version with approx. 20000km for 19000 Euro.

[@SeanBZA]

Basically a Tesla drivetrain in there, so no real reason there is no rapid charge ability. Looks like they wanted to keep the identical MB layout and feel, even though you could do more with it, and reused all the body panels off the production line and the majority of the chassis as well. This basically was a half assed attempt, just to fit a tick mark, MB could definitely make a better version with a lot more ability, but they still want to sell moving pistons and blowers. Would be a killer if they upgraded it a little, as the brand name would be a big attraction, plus it is a perfect city car. If I had one that warning speaker would be disconnected in minutes. Even an ice cream truck player would be an improvement.

[@Aetherling]

Its a compliance car. I tried to arrange a test drive recently. I booked through the website and turned up only to find the car had been 'sold' at 5 a.m.

[@Aetherling]

that morning. Buggers didn't bother to call me to cancel and they never called back to rearrange.

[@christianrodriguez3531]

That key is in the exact perfect place to knock it with your knee, snap it in half and then you have to spend a ridiculous amount just to be able to turn on your car.

[@MehulKamdar]

A great review, but then, you know that that's to be expected! I shall look forward to your review of the Chevy Bolt / Vauxhall Ampera, as I plan to buy one over here, across the pond.

[@lancedreger6872]

Possibly at the build quality of batteries Right now MB decided that the rapid charger would shorten the battery's usable life span. My smart phone has rapid charge and battery issues are starting to crop up. Just a thought. You have got me thinking of an electric vehicle for my next commuter. One thing car manufacturers need to do is make a kit. You buy the vehicle and it comes with everything you need to charge it including a home adapter.

[@whatistruanymore7139]

Great info again Robert thankyou I agree entirely on this car such a shame no rapid charge and truthfully the range needs to be further like 200 miles as that's what is really needed .i have a Zoe 90 miles is not enough in wales very few chargers the further west you go so for me range is a problem and rapid charge a must .great show cheers.

[@lauram8554]

Love it! But like you said can't find this model ANYWHERE. Considering buying a used diesel version though. Thanks for sharing :)

[@briananthony4044]

I think the idea is you'd have it as a second car for the school run etc with an E class for the long distance stuff. If I had the money and garage space, that is how I'd go. The E being a E63S of course.

[@TommiHimberg]

Indeed, a very good question, why would they make an electric car without rapid charging (and not-too-amazing battery capacity)? Perhaps because they didn't want to make one at all, but were mandated to do so by legislation in the US? I'm not too familiar with what exactly is required of car manufacturers in e.g. Califormia, but have understood a certain percentage of the vehicles they sell (or produce?) have to be zero emissions vehicles. So, to sell all their luxury cars to Hollywood stars, they have to also sell ZEV's, and spending the absolute minimum time and effort making one makes sense. The fact that the B250e is exactly the same as the ICE versions probably means it is cheap for them to churn out a few electric ones. Too bad they don't realise they could actually get a nice share of a growing market with relatively little effort (yeah, I know nothing about making cars) of fitting in a little more cells and a rapid charger. Or perhaps it is a result of a compromise in a very conservative company - some people at MB want them to be in the EV game but because of the internal opposition, they have been given very little freedom to give it a go.

[@infernovideo]

Chevy is about to release the Bolt in the USA and a quick charger is not standard, you will have to drop an extra 800. In Canada on the other hand the base version will have quick charging... I wouldn't consider a car without this option, even if I only used it the odd time.

[@armanddesarrierespays719]

The reason for a lack of CCS is that it's quite old school. This car has been around for a while.

[@JimmyDSausDE]

great video! it puzzles me too that Mercedes did such a seemingly dumb move with the B250e! the same "regen-only-drive" feature lies with the new Bolt too btw, can't wait for you to test drive that one tbh! Could you do a video for the new Suzuki Swift please?? it has some VERY interesting rumored features, electric motor on the rear for its electric mode, electric on the rear and combustion engine on the front for its combined mode and ofc the extender mode that uses the engine to charge the battery! if that works as should, add a decent range plus the VERY clever gearbox of Suzuki, it would be the best city car on the market!

[@frankstocker5475]

About as much fun as going into a pub with no beer.