EV for the unbrave

The Mercedesbenz C 350e is the perfect EV for those with a fear of commitment

It’s not a full-on battery electric vehicle (BEV), but it’s probably the closest thing to it. As we run through the next few years of the transitioning phase between petrol power and electric, we are seeing ranges increase in BEVS, PHEV batteries increase in size and range, hybrids improve economy, and the fear of the unknown: the frightening topics of range anxiety and battery life often cloud the conversation.

For those with the fear of running out of battery, or adopting too early, the plug-in hybrid EV is the perfect choice for right now.

And a model that’s taken a big step for Phev-kind is the Mercedesbenz C 350e, one of the first to offer 100km+ of electric range.

The C Class sedan may be a traditional staple of the family luxury car over recent decades, but with SUVS taking over and now more than half of all global vehicle sales, the new C Class has arrived somewhat understated. But for those who feel a premium sedan is a signature of status, the C Class remains a great hook upon which to hang your tailored Hugo Boss suit.

When launched in March last year, the two model variants offered plenty in terms of features and luxury and performance, with 1.5 and 2.0 litre engines in the 200 and 300 models, respectively.

While we wait for the full-house AMG model, this 350e is a nice addition to the range when everything is currently about fuel prices and economy.

First, forget any government rebates, as the C200 is already well over the $80k price cap, while the 350e starts at $111k. But while the eco-friendly C200 offers a frugal 6.9l/100km, in the week we had the 350e, we saw a positively astonishing average of 0.8l/100km — and as low as 0.6l/100km, despite the official claim of 1.6l/100km.

That’s the key advantage of a good PHEV: the driver has a level of involvement that can dictate money savings . . . even for $100k cars. We were quite diligent in charging and kept the battery topped up as frequently as possible, but even when the long trip demanded it — a 113km drive from Hamilton to Auckland — the battery stayed as the only source of motivation for 102km (or 99 per cent) 110/100km/h motorway driving, before the stop-start final 11km where it drove as a hybrid, recharging under braking and downhills, minimising time the petrol engine needed to fire up.

The large (for a PHEV) 25.4kwh battery is largely responsible for all this, and while a smaller (than C200/C300) 50-litre fuel tank is fitted, the offset created is fine by us, with petrol range for our week with the C 350e actually increasing from 495 to 505km, thanks to the frequent charging.

Being such a big battery, there is the potential to exhaust and recharge from the home wall 230v socket, so in those cases, its 0-100 per cent charge would take theoretically around 20 hours — we saw 1.8kw charging rates from the home socket, which would bring it down to 14 hours, making the wall socket still feasible for overnight charging, for the most. A home charger, offering around 7.4kw, drops that time to charge from flat to full to around 3.5 hours.

However, there is the option to take on DC fast charging (not always a PHEV given), up to 55kw, once the temporary switch option is enabled — as before finding that option in the MBUX charging menu, we spent way too long at a 300kw charger sitting at 11kw. At 55kw, a full charge takes around 45 minutes from flat to full.

All that charge and battery translates to the C 350e offering an Ev-like driving experience. In our week with the 350e, we used around 5-10km of petrol, proving 100km of PHEV power is a magic number and highly practical as a real step into electric without the practical sacrifice or having to adapt or think about charging. After all, EV ownership is all about mindset.

It also has a good bump in power, too, positioning its 0-100km/h performance between the C200 (7.3 secs) and the C300 (5.9 secs), with a solid 6.1 seconds.

It wasn’t perfect, though, as the few times it did transition to petrol power — twice, in fact — there was a noticeable surge shift in power delivery between the drivetrains as the petrol power kicks in.

There are also subtle movements in the drivetrain when power kicks in and out, even when parked. On two occasions when parked and still “running” for accessories, the car shifted (maybe out of gear and into park?) enough for me to think someone bumped into the car. First world problems, though.

The Mercedes-benz C 350e represents the next evolution of PHEVS, and its 100km+ EV range, fast charging and ultra-economy are a reassuring sign of things to come.

While not everyone can afford a $100k Mercedes, this is the type of PHEV tech we’re sure we’ll see soon in smaller and lighter cars.