A few months back, we went to the trouble of wrangling up the current crop of EVs
mandated by the feds and aimed at the proletariat. Of course, the
well-heeled are throwing Krugerrands at Elon Musk on the stock market
and snapping up his Tesla Model S sedan like positron hotcakes, but aside from the relative success of the Nissan Leaf, we’re not seeing a run on mainline-leaning EVs, even in northern California.
But Sacramento says EVs must be constructed, so automakers are
constructing them. Latest into the breach is Mercedes-Benz, which first
tested the EV waters with the Smart Fortwo ED.
The best thing that could be said about the prior iteration of the
diminutive two-seater was that it didn’t feature the gas car’s infernal
transmission. The newest example, launched last year, is an improvement.
It still placed last in our comparo.
B Is for ’Burbs
But if the weensy Fortwo is a city car, this new Mercedes B-class
electric drive is built for the suburbs. Constructed from the same bits
bin as that of the CLA, GLA, and smaller A-class,
the B was designed from the start with two floorpans. The gasoline and
diesel versions available elsewhere feature a flatter floor; the
battery-electric and CNG examples sport an underfloor compartment to
house an array of cells or a tank for the compressed natural gas.
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We won’t see the CNG cars here. And so far, we won’t see the gas or
diesel versions, either. If you had your heart set on an old R-class
but felt it was a mite hulky for your tastes, prepare yourself for
electric motoring. If you couldn’t quite scrape together the cheddar for
a Tesla S but find Toyota’s RAV4 EV too déclassé, well, here’s another Tesla-powered vehicle not built in Fremont, California.
The B’s 28-kWh battery pack, 177-hp electric motor, and associated electronics, however, are
assembled at the former NUMMI plant. They then wind their way to
Rastatt in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, to be installed in the B-class.
According to Mercedes, they expect the buzzless B to garner an EPA range
estimate of 85 miles, which is a smidge less than a third of the
Tesla’s range with its 85-kWh pack. The base price, at $42,375,
is a few thou more than half of the Tesla’s $70,890 sticker. Of course,
tax credits can shave $10,000 from the price. In California, which
offers a $2500 credit on top of the federal $7500, a B-class ED is
suddenly an indirect competitor to the Toyota Prius V and Ford C-Max Energi. Tesla Benziness at practically plebeian prices!
Plebeian Shade of Benziness
Of course, you’re also stuck with a rather plebeian shade of Benziness.
Stylistically, the B resembles a first-generation M-class with a styling
refresh by the Shenzen whiz kids at BYD in China. There’s none of the
visual tech-swoop drama that characterizes the new S-, CLA-, or C-class, nor is there the people-pod futurism of the BMW i3,
which retails for $100 less. Interior-wise, the B retains some quality
touches—like satin-pewter air vents that require the perfect amount of
pressure to reposition—but the broad swath of plastic that makes up the
dash contrasts poorly with the satin burl veneer found elsewhere in the
model we tested.
Plebeian Shade of Benziness
Of course, you’re also stuck with a rather plebeian shade of Benziness.
Stylistically, the B resembles a first-generation M-class with a styling
refresh by the Shenzen whiz kids at BYD in China. There’s none of the
visual tech-swoop drama that characterizes the new S-, CLA-, or C-class, nor is there the people-pod futurism of the BMW i3,
which retails for $100 less. Interior-wise, the B retains some quality
touches—like satin-pewter air vents that require the perfect amount of
pressure to reposition—but the broad swath of plastic that makes up the
dash contrasts poorly with the satin burl veneer found elsewhere in the
model we tested.
Save the Electrons
In the electron-conserving “E” mode, the B exhibits the classic
languorous Benz accelerator tip-in. Switch it to “S,” and it’ll spin the
front tires in a series of chirps as the low-rolling-resistance rubber
struggles for purchase. Mercedes claims the tires are more efficient
than the pizza cutters on the BMW i3, although it concedes that the
BMW’s 155-section tires have an aero benefit over the 225s on the B.
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Despite 251 lb-ft on tap, the B never threatens to torque-steer off
course. Handling is predictable (it understeers, but not horribly), and
ride quality is cheap-Benz nice, which is to say it’s perfectly fine,
but it’s no E-class. The rear end does exhibit a tendency to get busy on
rough pavement at speed: Lead-footed Michiganders, beware. Midrange
acceleration is swift and effortless. The brake pedal is firm and easy
to modulate. Unlike the grabby system in the C-Max Energi,
it takes no getting used to. In fact, that’s the B’s mission—to be an
EV that slots into everyday life as simply as possible. Unfortunately,
almost everything about it feels a little too everyday for our tastes.
If you’re over range anxiety, want to support Elon via Herr Gottlieb’s
monolithic house and find the offerings from Toyota and Ford a shade
chintzy, the B goes on sale in July in the states following California’s
ZEV mandate. Availability in the rest of the U.S. is slated for next
year. On the other hand, if you’re an entry-luxe intender who wants a
Benz for getting around the suburbs with some modicum of efficiency, buy
a GLK250 BlueTec. That diesel’s a peach and offers seriously long driving range.
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