Mercedes Diesel PHEV Good for 55 Miles on Electric
Diesels are clearly still in fashion at Mercedes, as the German automaker announces a diesel-powered PHEV which can drive for over 50 miles on electric power alone.
The vehicle, named GLE 350 is part of the third generation of PHEVs from Mercedes, following the non-PHEV version of the SUV last month. It is powered by a diesel in-line 4 engine, paired with a 100 kW electric motor. Using a 31.2 kWh battery, the car is capable of driving solely on electric power for 55-61 miles, depending on driving conditions. It produces emissions of 29g/km and 256 MPG (213 MPG US).
Mercedes is also announcing a gasoline PHEV, the GLC 300 e 4MATIC. This cannot do as much driving on electric power alone, as its battery capacity only measures 13.5 kWh – less than half of the diesel GLE 350 – making it good for 24-26 miles on electric. It’s powered by an inline 4 gasoline engine, mated with a 90kW electric motor, producing 57g/km of CO2 emissions, with 112 MPG (94 MPG US).
Due to the onboard chargers in the two PHEVS, they can be fully recharged in one and a half hours using a 7.4kW wallbox charger, or 5 hours from a conventional plug socket. By the end of 2019, Mercedes says it will have 10 plug-in hybrids on the roads, with these cars available to order shortly.
