C350e owners club

[seekay]

@Chris-S @raspy Thank you, that’s what I thought. At least one less thing to worry about. I didn’t have a chance to charge up the car last night so started with an 11% battery and had a 5.2 miles trip, going through the town and including some dual carriageways as well.
It was only 5 degrees outside, didn’t turn the heating/AC on, only for the driver seat and drove like a granny in eco mode. Managed to get 37.2 mpg, I was impressed.

 

[smythe]

So think i have an issue with my september 2016 c350e ,the 12v will not charge more than this and as been at 11.9v recently,i have the the grayed out EMODE and it only runs the ICE which when running is pumping in 14.75v ,gather its time for a new battery

 

[MikeInWimbledon]

Hi Mike, is it something like this you are looking for?

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Perfect. Even down to the right colour.

Exactly what I was looking for. Thanks !

 

[danik007]

The C350e will drive on battery only, up to a point. Assuming you have charge, put it in E mode and it won’t run the ICE unless you demand more performance than the battery/electric drive can deliver. In this mode, it ‘grabs’ the throttle pedal when you reach the limit so you know not to press harder...unless you want/need to, at which point it‘ll fire up the ICE. You get about 90bhp of electric urge on a full charge which is enough to drive moderately briskly at up to about 70 or so.

Some caveats, the EV performance is dependant on battery charge level too, you won’t be able to pull much power once the battery gets down to 30% or less. Sometimes the ICE will start no matter what you ask it to do - for ‘reasons’ us owners don’t need to know apparently.

Honestly, if you want to be driving on battery, a C350e probably isn’t the car for you, unless your typical trips are very short.

I find the short EV range a shame really, as it’s really quite nice wafting along in silence.

But what model year you talking about here?
am I wrong or the late 2020 models started having a bigger battery allowing you to travel around 40-50 miles on battery only? Because this is what I would want, to have 40 miles electric range and that would cover my typical daily commute

 

[seekay]

But what model year you talking about here?
am I wrong or the late 2020 models started having a bigger battery allowing you to travel around 40-50 miles on battery only? Because this is what I would want, to have 40 miles electric range and that would cover my typical daily commute

The C350e only comes with one battery size, a 6.38 kWh HV battery and the official electric range is up to 19 miles / 31 km. The car production was finished in late 2018.

 

[MercPassion]

The C350e only comes with one battery size, a 6.38 kWh HV battery and the official electric range is up to 19 miles / 31 km. The car production was finished in late 2018.

Just a quick question,when driving on the motorway in a Hybrid mode does the starter switch on/off as I have noticed it shows miles engine off even whilst driving?

 

[MercPassion]

Some real world numbers for you.......
Trip figures from this weekend which included Birmingham and back (m25,m40, m42) plus some A and B roads.
365 miles total, 10.10hrs drive time, 36mph average, 44.1mpg.
My commute which is short, though this is example which is painfully slow due to traffic.
18 miles total, 54mins, 20mph, 88.2mpg.
I have done the journey at 99.9mpg which is the highest the counter goes.
IMHO, this is the kind of daily journey that gets the most from this car.

Just a quick question,when driving on the motorway in a Hybrid mode does the starter switch on/off as I have noticed it shows miles engine off even whilst driving?

 

[MikeInWimbledon]

Battery life / replacement?

When the C350e came out, "I think" the original warranty for the battery was something like 62k miles or 6 years, with a potential replacement cost of £9k. (I don't know if that was 62k electric miles or 62k vehicle miles)

"In the real world," what actually is the experience of those who have driven bigger mileages, or who know people who have?

Are these things being replaced at 70k, or 140k? And is the cost of replacement actually as big as it was alleged to be, back when the cars were launched in 2015 ? Have replacement costs become a bit cheaper perhaps ? (Laughs nervously)

Under normal circumstances, I'd would have expected to find this with a few Google keystrokes, but all I seem to see is either the original expectations or anxious mutterings amongst owners who own cars that have done 60k miles and seem to be rolling on regardless.

My aim: to use it for short (less than 10 mile) local primarily EV runs to replace a low mileage 330i SE Touring.

Will using it as an "EV with a petrol engine on top" create more problems than for someone who's using it as a 2 litre petrol car, with City EV capabilities.)

I'm also assuming that the C350e's original manufacturer's warranty can't be extended annually, unlike my BMW's which still renews its new car warranty, after 12 years, for a mere £400 a year.

Any thoughts appreciated.

 

[Deleted member 126969]

But what model year you talking about here?
am I wrong or the late 2020 models started having a bigger battery allowing you to travel around 40-50 miles on battery only? Because this is what I would want, to have 40 miles electric range and that would cover my typical daily commute

As @seekay said, the C350e only ever had a 6.38kWh HV battery, the new model is a C300e (or C300de for the diesel variant) and they both have a 13.5kWh battery and a good bit more EV grunt with 120bhp vs 80bhp for the C350e

TBH, you'd still only get about 20-25 miles on a full charge, but certainly more useful than the C350e. 40-50 miles is never going to happen.

 

[Deleted member 126969]

So think i have an issue with my september 2016 c350e ,the 12v will not charge more than this and as been at 11.9v recently,i have the the grayed out EMODE and it only runs the ICE which when running is pumping in 14.75v ,gather its time for a new battery

I don't claim to understand the logic of the car, but it seems perverse that if the starter battery is a bit iffy, and the HV battery is full....it won't let you drive in battery only mode. Wonder what the thinking of that is?

Does it allow hybrid? If so, that's proper daft as you have the potential to be stopping/starting the ICE every few seconds there. I could understand if it only allowed ICE operation - start once and keep going kind of thing so you don't get stranded.

I'd love to see the 'decision tree' for the engine control logic.

 

[Deleted member 126969]

Just a quick question,when driving on the motorway in a Hybrid mode does the starter switch on/off as I have noticed it shows miles engine off even whilst driving?

The ICE will cut in & out as required to deliver the power needed. The engine off miles displays just that - how many miles travelled on battery on the given trip meter you are using at the time.

 

[smythe]

The ICE will cut in & out as required to deliver the power needed. The engine off miles displays just that - how many miles travelled on battery on the given trip meter you are using at the time.

i've often wondered if the MPG is just for the ICE and then you add the miles of the electric (there is no gallon) to that to get your total overall .

 

[smythe]

I don't claim to understand the logic of the car, but it seems perverse that if the starter battery is a bit iffy, and the HV battery is full....it won't let you drive in battery only mode. Wonder what the thinking of that is?

Does it allow hybrid? If so, that's proper daft as you have the potential to be stopping/starting the ICE every few seconds there. I could understand if it only allowed ICE operation - start once and keep going kind of thing so you don't get stranded.

I'd love to see the 'decision tree' for the engine control logic.

mines not running on electric or hybrid atm but will charge ,so a basic test shows starter battery as dead so new battery being delivered monday hopefully helps ,plus i'm on 90000miles and original battery.

 

[Deleted member 126969]

i've often wondered if the MPG is just for the ICE and then you add the miles of the electric (there is no gallon) to that to get your total overall .

I think the mpg is total miles vs petrol used, so to get true cost, as you say, you’d need to add the cost of charging too.

 

[Deleted member 126969]

mines not running on electric or hybrid atm but will charge ,so a basic test shows starter battery as dead so new battery being delivered monday hopefully helps ,plus i'm on 90000miles and original battery.

Are you DIYing the battery change? Looks do-able.

 

[smythe]

Are you DIYing the battery change? Looks do-able.

Definiatly it should be here monday and will be fitted straight away if i remember ill try and do a couple pics and post what the outcome is ,i.m taking the car to the independant wednesday (they have star) so if it needs pairing they will do it.

 

[smythe]

I think the mpg is total miles vs petrol used, so to get true cost, as you say, you’d need to add the cost of charging too.

in that case the cars mpg is crap !!! my V6 jag could do 40 mpg motorway miles and be happy at 25 around town and 35 ex urban,this battery change my improve that

 

[raspy]

As @seekay said, the C350e only ever had a 6.38kWh HV battery, the new model is a C300e (or C300de for the diesel variant) and they both have a 13.5kWh battery and a good bit more EV grunt with 120bhp vs 80bhp for the C350e

TBH, you'd still only get about 20-25 miles on a full charge, but certainly more useful than the C350e. 40-50 miles is never going to happen.

The new W206 C300e (which should come this year) will have a giant 25.4 kWh battery and promises an electric range of 100km. I am looking at that model if the hybrid architecture is as efficient as the latest A250e.

 

[raspy]

Battery life / replacement?

When the C350e came out, "I think" the original warranty for the battery was something like 62k miles or 6 years, with a potential replacement cost of £9k. (I don't know if that was 62k electric miles or 62k vehicle miles)

"In the real world," what actually is the experience of those who have driven bigger mileages, or who know people who have?

Are these things being replaced at 70k, or 140k? And is the cost of replacement actually as big as it was alleged to be, back when the cars were launched in 2015 ? Have replacement costs become a bit cheaper perhaps ? (Laughs nervously)

Under normal circumstances, I'd would have expected to find this with a few Google keystrokes, but all I seem to see is either the original expectations or anxious mutterings amongst owners who own cars that have done 60k miles and seem to be rolling on regardless.

My aim: to use it for short (less than 10 mile) local primarily EV runs to replace a low mileage 330i SE Touring.

Will using it as an "EV with a petrol engine on top" create more problems than for someone who's using it as a 2 litre petrol car, with City EV capabilities.)

I'm also assuming that the C350e's original manufacturer's warranty can't be extended annually, unlike my BMW's which still renews its new car warranty, after 12 years, for a mere £400 a year.

Any thoughts appreciated.

@MikeInWimbledon My understanding is that battery warranty relates to miles travelled, regardless of what proportion was electric vs petrol.

I don't know anyone who has a battery replaced. Maybe they are cheaper (used ones on ebay etc for £1,500-£2,000)? Although, not sure how much labour is required to fit a replacement battery? That may be the expensive bit?

Bear in mind that the C350e in particular (like any PHEV) was designed as a compliance car in terms of being able to get lower company car taxes etc - and as a car alone, it has compromises, the biggest one being the extra weight, which affects the ride and handling even though they fitted airmatic. Secondly, the 2.0 petrol engine itself is rough and relatively thirsty, and I find the hybrid powertrain to be clunkier and worse at regen of energy than my 2016 Prius. I find the car is lovely at two extremes, either at very low speed on battery power in urban areas or cruising along on the motorway (I love the airmatic at high speeds)

Also note that in colder temps (like right now), range (like anything with a battery) drops considerably. In coldest winter, I might get 4 miles on battery power.

There are people who use the C350e (and other PHEVs) for short journeys on battery power and go quite a long time between filling the petrol tank up. I don't think the MB extended warranty is exactly the same as the manufacturer's original 3 year warranty, but it's fairly comprehensive and I pay £516 a year for my car.

I do not trust the MB hybrid system in terms of longevity (contrast MB to Toyota who offer extended hybrid battery cover up to 15 years from date of registration, provided you have an annual hybrid check) and whilst I've enjoyed my C350e (I bought privately for financial advantages in certain parts of London as well as hoping I could reduce my emissions on short journeys) I struggle to recommend it as a used private purchase as a 5+ year old car, unless you are happy to accept the compromises (of PHEVs in general) and are willing to take on the risk of the MB hybrid system causing problems later in the car's life.

 

[MikeInWimbledon]

There are people who use the C350e (and other PHEVs) for short journeys on battery power and go quite a long time between filling the petrol tank up. I don't think the MB extended warranty is exactly the same as the manufacturer's original 3 year warranty, but it's fairly comprehensive and I pay £516 a year for my car.

I do not trust the MB hybrid system in terms of longevity (contrast MB to Toyota who offer extended hybrid battery cover up to 15 years from date of registration, provided you have an annual hybrid check) and whilst I've enjoyed my C350e (I bought privately for financial advantages in certain parts of London as well as hoping I could reduce my emissions on short journeys) I struggle to recommend it as a used private purchase as a 5+ year old car, unless you are happy to accept the compromises (of PHEVs in general) and are willing to take on the risk of the MB hybrid system causing problems later in the car's life.

Thanks for the candid reply. It's very helpful.

As I said, I'm interested in it primarily as a short-distance runabout, looking at it as a £15k five year old well-specified alternative to something like a C200 petrol.

I fancy dipping my toe into the water, but was just trying to understand if battery replacement is an alligator lurking under the surface.

Gives me something to think about. I have huge respect for Lexus and Toyota, but I just struggle with the detailing, from GS via RX to LS. Awe inspiring quality and reliability, but just...