Official Mercedes B-class EV thread

[gsleaf]

What do you all think the chances are that MB will put a quick charge port in the B-class in the future? We're looking at getting one, but it's a real bummer it doesn't have one.

They would have to redesign the body panels to fit the oversized CCS port.

Chances of happening... near zero.

Ahh, bummer.

Do we know how the safety ratings of the B-Class EV would compare to the non-EV version? I'm having a having trouble finding out too much about the safety of the vehicle. It seems like it does fairly well, is this assumption correct?

http://www.euroncap.com/en/results/mercedes-benz/b-class/10982" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

It also seems like they did a reasonably good job of protecting the battery to prevent fire. Does this seem correct as well?

 

[GlennD]

What do you all think the chances are that MB will put a quick charge port in the B-class in the future? We're looking at getting one, but it's a real bummer it doesn't have one.

They would have to redesign the body panels to fit the oversized CCS port.

Chances of happening... near zero.

Ahh, bummer.

Do we know how the safety ratings of the B-Class EV would compare to the non-EV version? I'm having a having trouble finding out too much about the safety of the vehicle. It seems like it does fairly well, is this assumption correct?

http://www.euroncap.com/en/results/mercedes-benz/b-class/10982" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

It also seems like they did a reasonably good job of protecting the battery to prevent fire. Does this seem correct as well?

Tony Williams has a Chadmo conversion for the Tesla powered RAV4 EV. He has stated that the Tesla protocols are the same for the B Class and he plans to port the DC charging adapter to the B. He has already received a test mule.

 

[gsleaf]

Does anyone know what the maintenance for the B-Class EV is over the first 30k miles and what the approximate costs?

 

[redLEAF]

Unlike the LEAF, where the first 3 battery inspections are 'free', each MBZ dealer appears to take a different approach, some cover this special filter but not the labor; as most would not already have 30K miles accumulated, this thread on a sister forum to this one shows pricing all over the board for the first 10K service ... apparently the MBZ B-class EV has a 'battery air dryer cartridge' or 'battery dryer/dessicant cartridge' that requires changing (similar to a Tesla, helps extend battery life) that gets fairly involved

http://www.mybclasselectricdrive.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=304

We also happen to have owned a smart (mfg by MBZ); first an '08 and now a '14 cabrio and while the first maintenance is 'free' (first 10K miles) the others, even for a car as small and fairly simple as a smart can get pretty pricey with the MBZ labor rates.

 

[redLEAF]

If they get anything close it would indeed be something ... still one of my favorites and still not available in the Midwest US (unless of course you go for a used one)

Mercedes B-Class ED Set To Get Range Bump To Over 300 Miles – Report

http://insideevs.com/mercedes-b-class-ed-set-bump-range-300-miles-report/

 

[TonyWilliams]

I predict that "310 miles" of range is about 225 EPA miles, which is what will be required to compete with:

1) 2018 Nissan LEAF (48kWh battery, 175 EPA miles)
2) 2017 GM Chevy Bolt (40kWh battery, 170 EPA miles)
3) 2018 Tesla Model 3 (50-55kWh battery, 200 EPA miles)

 

[gsleaf]

Hopefully this question doesn't cause any issues since I know it's probably asked by web trolls a lot. I'm mostly asking because I have kids in car seats who wouldn't be able to quickly exit the vehicle if there was a fire. Do we know how well the Mercedes handles fire safety around the batteries? Using the Tesla chemistry I'm assuming they are subject to thermal run-away unlike the Leaf cells which seem like they have an extremely low risk of fire.

 

[gsleaf]

I predict that "310 miles" of range is about 225 EPA miles)

That would be awesome. I've test driven the B-class a couple of times and really liked it. That amount of range would be outstanding, especially if they added quick charging.

 

[GRA]

I predict that "310 miles" of range is about 225 EPA miles)

That would be awesome. I've test driven the B-class a couple of times and really liked it. That amount of range would be outstanding, especially if they added quick charging.

I think from here on out, any BEV (other than an NEV) that doesn't at least offer QC capability will be DOA. It will be ridiculed by everyone, now that BEVs (other than Tesla-powered) are in prospect with enough range to make them viable for shorter road trips.

 

[gsleaf]

Man, after reading about the sudden loss of drive issue over at the B-Class forum I'm pulling this car off my list of EV choices ... (Especially since this would be my wife's primary vehicle not mine).

http://www.mybclasselectricdrive.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=380

 

[Valdemar]

Meh, sounds like a firmware update fixes it. Gas cars are not different, our Subaru Tribeca had a similar issue early on, the transmission would shift to neutral randomly, an ECU update took care of it. Unless you have a reason to believe the issue has no resolution I wouldn't cross it off my list just because of it.

 

[edatoakrun]

Man, after reading about the sudden loss of drive issue over at the B-Class forum I'm pulling this car off my list of EV choices ...

In case you missed it, the B-class EV's most serious flaw, the Tesla drivetrain, reportedly will be remedied with its update:

...A new report from a German auto magazine, known for having an ear on the happenings behind the scenes at Daimler, Auto Motor Und Sport, says the company’s Mercedes-Benz brand intends to bump the B-Class Electric Drive’s range up to 310 miles (500 km), while also removing the Tesla drivetrain from the equation, and instead opting to build it in house for the next generation...

http://insideevs.com/mercedes-b-class-ed-set-bump-range-300-miles-report/

Of course, the B-class update will include a DC port.

We'll probably never know whether Tesla or MB was more responsible for omitting the DC port from this BEV in the first place.

 

[gsleaf]

In case you missed it, the B-class EV's most serious flaw, the Tesla drivetrain, reportedly will be remedied with its update

Yeah, but that's the next generation. We don't have any idea of when it might be available do we?

 

[user 10599]

I haven't seen any indication of when the next B would be available. However, MB seems fairly consistent with their schedules. The first gen of the B was 2005 - 2011 (7 model years). In 2015, we are now in the 4th model year of the 2nd gen B. So my money would be on 2018. But as noted, this is just speculation on my part.

For me, a 2018 B with 310 mile range would be very tempting. Shoot, the current B is tempting except that my commute is a little too long for the current range. And any EV buyer has to factor in degradation over time.

 

[RegGuheert]

In case you missed it, the B-class EV's most serious flaw, the Tesla drivetrain, reportedly will be remedied with its update

Yeah, but that's the next generation. We don't have any idea of when it might be available do we?

Also, just pulling the electric drivetrain in house does not mean that it will be more reliable.

 

[TomT]

Exactly. MB has a fairly poor record with the reliability of electrics and electronics in their cars...

Also, just pulling the electric drivetrain in house does not mean that it will be more reliable.

 

[redLEAF]

More bad news ...

http://insideevs.com/mercedes-benz-...isk-linked-to-faulty-tesla-supplied-software/

The MBZ B-class EV was among my listed possibilities for a future LEAF replacement, may need to change my plans ... I had the chance to drive a '15 MBZ GLA 250 4MATIC as a service loaner recently (one benefit of driving a smart (wife's car) is you get MBZ's as loaners when you bring your car in for service) and even though it's among some of the lowest price cars that can call themselves a Mercedes came away fairly impressed.

One interesting 'feature' was its econ mode where you get that 'start/stop' at traffic lights (you can shut it off as well); this one once you get used to it wasn't bad and the instrument panel appears to have a 'regen' function built-in to recharge the 12V battery that you can see in action; not sure if this was adapted (a bit) from the B-class EV, but then again, that's a full EV. Fit & finish was good, a bit of hard plastic, MB-TEX seats, a bit on the small side but decent taunt ride and AWD for winter. Really liked most of the driver controls and switch gear; some things I was looking forward to with the B-class EV.

As it hasn't made its way to Chicago yet will still wait and see but hopefully this will be fixed ... over-the-air updates (like an original Tesla S sedan) sounds like the way to go, but this particular model I'm sure will be short-lived.

 

[gsleaf]

More bad news ...

http://insideevs.com/mercedes-benz-...isk-linked-to-faulty-tesla-supplied-software/

Actually it's good news. It's been a known issue for a while now. It's great they are finally fixing it.

More about it on the B-Class forum.
http://www.mybclasselectricdrive.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=380

 

[palmermd]

More bad news ...

http://insideevs.com/mercedes-benz-...isk-linked-to-faulty-tesla-supplied-software/

Actually it's good news. It's been a known issue for a while now. It's great they are finally fixing it.

More about it on the B-Class forum.
http://www.mybclasselectricdrive.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=380

The page listed shows a bunch of drivers with sudden loss of power or shift into neutral and they were all fixed with a software update. It does not seem that the Tesla supplied hardware is a big problem that needed fixing as some of the posts above were highlighting. I'm aware that the gearbox in the Tesla has been troublesome for the Rav4 and the Model S owners, but I've not heard much from the B-Class (not paying attention really) but after looking, it does not appear that this issue was/is Tesla hardware related. They are blaming Tesla for the software issue, but that might be just good PR on MB's part. Software integration on the Rav4 was also an issue and several things did not seem to mesh perfectly. These handshakes can be solved by software changes at either end. It's just easier to blame the vendor. For the vendor, its best to just say "the customer is always right" even if they are not.

 

[gsleaf]

Hmm, there were two issues causing this issues. One was fixed last year and this one with the speed sensor has not be fixed (until this recall). That thread might have been for the first issue then.