To state the obvious, LONGER RANGE PLEASE

[JeffRay]

I just read a WSJ article today saying that consumers top wish for smartphones has consistently been longer battery life and that the manufacturers/marketers have decided that features are more important. I hope that MB and others don't make the same mistake with us. I am enjoying driving the Be but 35 mile range in a cold urban environment is only workable because the dealer allows us to roll in and charge and eat their snacks. When the lease ends, I am hoping that range can be extended by 50+% which would greatly increase the radius of potential travel to include my family in the suburbs (without asking them if they mind me plugging into their 110 outlet while we socialize.

Don't forget to tell that to your friendly sales manager when you see them during your visits. Thank them for the twice weekly charge but say you don't like them that much!

 

[TonyWilliams]

Daimler said this car could go 200 miles, and I guarantee that there is enough room down there for all the batteries. That fuel cell "pit" alone could fit 20 or 30kWh !!!

 

[Jylkat]

Jeff, are you saying that you can't go 35 miles on a full (normal) charge???

 

[tomt]

In bitter cold, that would not be the least bit unusual...

Jeff, are you saying that you can't go 35 miles on a full (normal) charge???

 

[SmartElectric]

My Smart ED only has 17.6kWh battery (half of the B ED) and I for sure can exceed 35 miles of range in -20C cold.
I see about 60% of my summer range in the coldest winter days after the car is cold soaked for 7+ hours.

Is there something unusual about the B ED in terms of battery heating or requirements that reduce range to 40% instead of the 60% of the summer range I get?

 

[JeffRay]

Hey J.

To clarify. I live in NYC, park my car outdoors overnight, and mainly drive in stop and go urban traffic. So I in fact average 35 miles per charge. I charge the Be twice a week either at the dealer or right now in a parking lot near my home. So for my purpose, unusual as it is, it is fine. Today, I concluded what the h*ll, I am going to charge every day if I have to, just like my smartphone. Then, range anxiety will go away. Gonna try that for a couple of weeks.

If I drive out to our Long Island office, I can get 65+ miles on the highway.

So I am only comparable if you do exclusively urban stop and go driving. Get the Be, it is wonderful car.

 

[sendler2112]

My Smart ED only has 17.6kWh battery (half of the B ED) and I for sure can exceed 35 miles of range in -20C cold.
I see about 60% of my summer range in the coldest winter days after the car is cold soaked for 7+ hours.

Is there something unusual about the B ED in terms of battery heating or requirements that reduce range to 40% instead of the 60% of the summer range I get?

It depends how much time you spend stuck in traffic, not even moving, with the heater blaring.

 

[JeffRay]

Concur Sendler. Given my charging options near home and work, no reason to skip the luxury features for the sake of posting better range. When it drops below 1/2, I plug it in. Just like my smartphone. Charging while parked is not a hassle. Just a change in routine that this old dog can learn.

 

[wtzouris]

65/72 miles is the worst I ever got this last winter, that's regular charge / extended range charge. But I always pre-condition on the L2 charger at home and I was conservative with the heat -- not turning it off, but conservative settings. Also conservative driving, E+ mode. I would also use the electrically heated windshield.

 

[JeffRay]

So the 2020 question is now, "How much range is enough?"

With more 200 mile range cars on sale now, e.g. Bolt, Kia, Hyundai, iPace and more on the horizon, VW, EQC, Audi, is that enough? Or are you fascinated that Tesla churns out 300 mile range cars as their standard, e.g. Y, 3, X, and S?

It seems to be this is the age old story of legacy companies unable to trade off old in order to get new. In this case, it is the heavier cars and perhaps power hungry electronics. This is separate from potentially better battery technology although I doubt that unless Tesla has some patents that give them the range edge.

Back to the question, is 200 mile range enough for the warm times and 160ish miles during the cold times?

P.S. I vote yes as I have driven our 96 mile range B250e now for almost 6 years and would consider buying it at a discount at the end of the lease.

 

[PatricioEV]

Interestingly, the fact that more recent EVs have much longer range isn't enough for me to make a switch. Like you, I've driven a "short" range EV for years now and have learned I just don't need more range. It would be nice, but not needed. Same with DC fast charging - a nice option, but I never once used it in 6 years of driving my LEAF. There are three main reasons I haven't switched to a different EV:

* I live in Austin and I have never once seen another B class since I bought mine. I do like that it is unique.

* My B was paid off about 6 months after I bought it. Hard to justify spending money when what I really want doesn't exist, which leads to -

* No one makes what I want. I want a GLA that is fully electric (who knows if/when MB will bring the EQA to the US) or an Evoque EV. Teslas are nice but they don't offer an opening sunroof (3, Y), ventilated seats, head up displays, or even actual leather!

The Kona comes closest to having all I want in a size I want and the styling is nice. But you get inside and it's all hard plastic. My MB with the interior package is just so much nicer. EVs won't really take over the market until there is a wide variety of models to suit a wide variety of tastes. Range.. meh. People have learned they don't need 300 or even 200 miles.

 

[rrattie]

Well with the pandemic I haven't been driving much. Although I have done one very long trip (244 miles round trip) back in September. On top of that.. my company has gonna 100% remote so I won't even be commuting anymore. Once the pandemic subsides and schools reopen I have a feeling my wife will use the B for her daily commute frequently.

With that.. the B still covers all my needs. I still plan to get the JdeMO for my longer trips because I can't always find something to do for 3 hours while I charge.

 

[JeffRay]

Remind please how long to recharge using the jdeMO thing and what is it exactly?

 

[rrattie]

It's a ChAdeMO port mounted under the hood of the B that allows us to DC fast charge our B's. The other perk is that it lets you full charge the battery just like if you use the range extender button. So useful on longer road trips.

If I remember correctly it's like 45 minutes from basically empty to full.

Here is a link to the actual product page.
https://qccharge.com/products/jdemo-for-the-mercedes-b-class-ed-and-b250e

 

[theblakey]

Hi guys, my first post since buying my B250e here in the UK 2 years ago:
If later designed batteries in these new EV cars can go so much further, has anyone investigated replacing the existing batteries in their B250e with newer designed batteries? Would that give us more range in our beloved, luxury EV?