Mercedes E-Class Hybrid Review

Range

There are small differences in electric-only range between the petrol E300e and diesel 300de Saloons and the E300de Estate, but broadly speaking you should get between 30 and 34 miles of pure electric running from the 13.5kWh battery pack. For the diesel that’s class-leading as there’s nothing similar on the market, while for the petrol that type of range is about the same you’d get from a BMW 530e or a Volvo S90 Recharge T8. Switching into Eco mode can really improve the range too, as the car takes into account sat-nav data and speed limits to adjust the brake regeneration, helping to claw back some electric range.

Battery

Both the E300e petrol and the diesel E300de carry 13.5kWh battery packs. This is slightly larger than the batteries in the BMW 530 and the Volvo S90 Recharge T8, and it gives a healthy 30 to 34 miles of pure electric range. Unfortunately, it’s clear to see the Mercedes E-Class platform wasn’t designed to neatly carry the battery pack as it sits behind the rear seats. That means it encroaches into the boot and reduces the space quite considerably – something that rivals are able to solve. And it doesn’t matter if you go for the Saloon or the Estate as both have the same problem. 

Charging 

You’ll find the charging port in the rear bumper of both the E300e and the E300de, which means you’ll have to reverse into parking bays when charging. Flick it open and you’ll find a Type 2 socket and, just like the BMW 530e and the Volvo S90 Recharge T8, there’s no CCS connector so you can’t rapid charge it. Generously, Mercedes gives you two eight-metre charging cables – one with a three-pin plug, the other for use with a wallbox home-charger or a public charger. Charging via a three-pin socket takes between four and five hours while a top-up from a 7.4kW home wallbox or public charger takes 1hr 45 minutes.