Battery range on C350e

[StephenB]

Hi All, just curious, what kind of range are people getting on their hybrid plug in batteries?

I purchased an approved C Class and so far the best I can get on the battery being fully charged is 11 miles showing, and even driven carefully, I'm lucky if that converts into 4 or 5.

Are others seeing the same? Mine a 2016 model.

 

[MikeInWimbledon]

I’ll let owners comment on their experience, but it’ll help to clarify

If you’ve only just bought the car - so you’re talking about winter driving, or whether you’ve had it for a while;

Whether you live in the balmy South, or the chilly North;

Whether you’re using the heater when you get in the car; and

What kind of roads you’re getting that five mile range over. Are they in built up areas at 20-30 mph, or A roads & motorways at 50+ mph.

And finally, whether you’ve been driving your new car “a bit briskly,” or whether it’s been speeds as normal.

Might seem a bit daft, but these things all affect actual and estimated range.

 

[W1ghty]

I think winter seems to halve the cars expected electric range

 

[Jigglyjohnson]

First thing to do is fully re-charge the h.v battery and the reset all the trips counters in the instrument cluster. This then resets the battery display from an average battery usage to what the actual capacity of the battery is. How the system works is after a few drive cycles and re charge cycles it works out what the average distance the battery has been giving. When you reset you should be looking at a rough figure of around 17 to 19 miles displayed. As mentioned cold weather affects batteries and also how old the vehicle is and how much battery capacity is still remaining in the battery pack this should have been checked by the dealer as part of the car check.

Also to prolong the battery life and extend the electric driving range use the pre-departure function which will both warm the vehicle up and also the battery system to optimum range. Try this for a good few weeks and see how you get on

 

[StephenB]

I’ll let owners comment on their experience, but it’ll help to clarify

If you’ve only just bought the car - so you’re talking about winter driving, or whether you’ve had it for a while;

Whether you live in the balmy South, or the chilly North;

Whether you’re using the heater when you get in the car; and

What kind of roads you’re getting that five mile range over. Are they in built up areas at 20-30 mph, or A roads & motorways at 50+ mph.

And finally, whether you’ve been driving your new car “a bit briskly,” or whether it’s been speeds as normal.

Might seem a bit daft, but these things all affect actual and estimated range

I've had the car about 2 years now. I always try to drive light on the pedals, I tend to drive mostly 20 to 50mph locally, I've noticed moving above 50 pushes the hybrid mode towards the ICE.

 

[MikeInWimbledon]

I've had the car about 2 years now. I always try to drive light on the pedals, I tend to drive mostly 20 to 50mph locally, I've noticed moving above 50 pushes the hybrid mode towards the ICE.

And you’ve been experiencing these range figures through Summer as well as Winter - it’s not just a Winter thing? (I see that you live in the sunny South East, so no Northern freeze for you)

Again, as a non-owner, I’m avoiding comment on range but your experience certainly seems worse than most.

And the mileage on your car? Presumably it’s not into six figures at six years old?

 

[StephenB]

And you’ve been experiencing these range figures through Summer as well as Winter - it’s not just a Winter thing? (I see that you live in the sunny South East, so no Northern freeze for you)

Again, as a non-owner, I’m avoiding comment on range but your experience certainly seems worse than most.

And the mileage on your car? Presumably it’s not into six figures at six years old?

33k only and yes, costa-del-Surrey in the sunny south

 

[MikeInWimbledon]

Them there C350e owners are being slow to answer your thread.

Can I suggest that you try posting your question here:

C350e owners club | Electric Mercedes models

It’s a good thread on the joys of owning a C350e, answering issues like “what’s the mpg like if you include cost of (home) electricity in your calculation?”

(Answer: about 40mpg in normal usage if you avoid external chargers)

 

[rayasun]

Well, I have a 2017 model. After a full charge, the panel displays 11 miles. I too see a good reduction in miles, pretty much half of what I got in summer months.

 

[DubMerc]

Shortly after buying my C350e I changed all the settings from Miles to Kilometres. Psychologically it is a little more satisfying to have 17-21/22kms shown as EV range rather than the lower miles equivalent. I know, just fooling myself!

Now in reality this time of year (and using the heated seats mostly and heating sparingly) I struggle to get more than 6 miles. This is not going max 30/40mph as it is urban driving and driving like a man who is a couple of penalty points away from a ban.

 

[DubMerc]

Them there C350e owners are being slow to answer your thread.

We were all busy charging..

 

[Paddywack0]

Had mine for 9 months now. 2016 model with 85k mileage and I was getting around 9 - 10 miles in the summer down to about 4 to 6 depending on the temperature in Winter. Not brilliant. I was putting most of it down to the age of the battery but looking at all the old threads about the car when it first came in I don't think that has changed that much. Always pretty poor. However, it works for most of the driving that I do around town. Recently my Type 2 charger (3 pin mains) failed so had to fork out for a replacement. £110 chinese generic charger seems to do the job well and has much more info on ot than the Merc one. Also bought a waterproof box to put it in though! Electric Vehicle PHEV/EV Charger Type 2 5m Cable Portable Car Charger 13A 3Pin 6019088983680 | eBay

It would be nice to think that some day we could all upgrade our batteries to the new 60 mile range versions. Sadly I can't see that happening. We need some 3rd party companies to start doing refurb/upgrades.

 

[Diesel Benz]

...

It would be nice to think that some day we could all upgrade our batteries to the new 60 mile range versions. Sadly I can't see that happening. We need some 3rd party companies to start doing refurb/upgrades.

Are you referring to the latest models, W206 and W223 etc. when you refer to 60 miles? That would be quite unfair. Even update or upgrade to the C300e/E300e with some double battery capacity is not really possible because these run a twice the battery voltage. The electric motor, power electronics and chargers are all different, not only the battery.

Since battery technology is evolving, one would expect more emphasis on upgrades or updates but car manufacturers do not seem to care about that. Obviously their interest is to sell new cars rather than updates to make old models competitive. Would be an argument for current buyers, not only for plug-in model buyers but also EV buyers.

 

[DubMerc]

What is the average W206 getting @Diesel Benz? I take it stated range is 60 miles so real world 30/40?

@Paddywack0 It certainly would be great to have the a battery that even stored enough charge capable of the stated 19 miles in the real world. Won't come from MB though as Diesel Benz has said so would be reliant on 3rd party companies as you say to provide something but doubt the market would be big enough for any serious development. There are a tiny amount of c350e's in the world compared to Priuses.

The one thing that MB could do is provide a better (heavy duty - for the want of a better description) starter as the ones they are providing are not fit for purpose. Although using a starter to begin with in a hybrid car was a mistake that can't be corrected now.

 

[DubMerc]

Had mine for 9 months now. 2016 model with 85k mileage and I was getting around 9 - 10 miles in the summer down to about 4 to 6 depending on the temperature in Winter. Not brilliant. I was putting most of it down to the age of the battery but looking at all the old threads about the car when it first came in I don't think that has changed that much. Always pretty poor. However, it works for most of the driving that I do around town. Recently my Type 2 charger (3 pin mains) failed so had to fork out for a replacement. £110 chinese generic charger seems to do the job well and has much more info on ot than the Merc one. Also bought a waterproof box to put it in though! Electric Vehicle PHEV/EV Charger Type 2 5m Cable Portable Car Charger 13A 3Pin 6019088983680 | eBay

It would be nice to think that some day we could all upgrade our batteries to the new 60 mile range versions. Sadly I can't see that happening. We need some 3rd party companies to start doing refurb/upgrades.

Thanks for this info on the charger. This will no doubt be useful to others. Aren't the three pin chargers type 1 rather than type 2? I may have this wrong.

 

[pmcronin]

Again, sorry for being late to the party on this one.

I agree with all the comments from m’learned colleagues re range in winter vs summer - on colder days here, I see about 10/12 km at best … BUT some small things can make a real difference:

• Precondition the battery before journeys
• Pre-heat the car while its still connected to the wall box
• plan your journeys to take advantage of the Hybrid mode ( eg keep it for city/town driving)
• Have realistic expectations re battery usage - its not built to be a pure long range EV

I don’t drive like a saint, but try to relieve the tedium of commenting by making little mental challenges

Consumption since I got the car last summer:

 

[Paddywack0]

Thanks for this info on the charger. This will no doubt be useful to others. Aren't the three pin chargers type 1 rather than type 2? I may have this wrong.

Type 2 is the later type of plug that goes into the car. Can have a 3 pin mains or a wall charger plug on the other end. Type 1 was an earlier style of plug I believe. Charging leads Type 1 and Type 2: What’s the difference? The type 2's have better locking mechanism and are better suited to high capacity charging.

 

[grober]

My general comment concerning the purchase of older second hand EV and hybrid vehicles at present is don't do it. The drivetrain technology is evolving so rapidly that vehicle obsolescence is currently a major factor in any EV or hybrid purchase older than three years. Far better to buy the latest model under some form of leasing arrangement to future proof your investment?

 

[Paddywack0]

My general comment concerning the purchase of older second hand EV and hybrid vehicles at present is don't do it. The drivetrain technology is evolving so rapidly that vehicle obsolescence is currently a major factor in any EV or hybrid purchase older than three years. Far better to buy the latest model under some form of leasing arrangement to future proof your investment?

Personally I don't like leasing and when I picked up my 350e 9 months ago it was a steal! 60% cheaper at least than a new car for a top range fully specced very smart car (OK it was quite high mileage but its a Merc right!) and it's doubly good for the environment in terms of recycling. 2nd hand prices have gone up since. However, if you want to keep up with the latest and the best I can see that lease is the way to go although looking at quotes £600 to £700 per month is more than my mortgage! I'll maybe buy the ex lease car for my next one.

 

[grober]

Personally I don't like leasing and when I picked up my 350e 9 months ago it was a steal! 60% cheaper at least than a new car for a top range fully specced very smart car (OK it was quite high mileage but its a Merc right!) and it's doubly good for the environment in terms of recycling. 2nd hand prices have gone up since. However, if you want to keep up with the latest and the best I can see that lease is the way to go although looking at quotes £600 to £700 per month is more than my mortgage! I'll maybe buy the ex lease car for my next one.

SORRY meant to say PCP

Personal contract purchase (PCP)​

This normally has lower monthly repayments than other types of car finance as your payments only cover the estimated depreciation of the vehicle, rather than its full value.

You’ll usually pay an initial deposit, then make monthly repayments for the agreed term. At the end of the contract you’ll be given three options. You can pay a balloon payment to own the car, you can swap it for another car, or you can hand it back to the dealer.