Photo: Mercedes-Benz USA
The first production electric car from Mercedes-Benz is almost here, and by “here” we mean the world. Set to first launch in the United States in the upcoming Spring and in Europe in the Autumn of 2014, the Mercedes-Benz B-Class Electric Drive is a pretty risky bet by the Germans.
We say this because the model's last unknown - its starting price - will probably be the deal-breaker for most Americans when it arrives in US dealerships next year.
Its main arch enemy - the recently-launched BMW i3 - starts at $41,350, so the B-Class electric Drive would need to simply go not much higher than that to be a complete slam dunk for the three-pointed star brand.
Compared to the BMW rival, the B-Class Electric Drive has a better range, a faster recharge time and a much larger interior room, so if it also manages to be offered with a reasonable (for a premium electric car) starting price it's pretty much all set.
Powered by a Tesla-source 177 hp electric motor, the first mass-produced electric Mercedes-Benz can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 7.9 seconds, which is just 0.7 seconds slower than the much lighter BMW i3, so even in the performance department is not exactly a slouch compared to the Bavarian.
If you're interested in more details about it, the folks from AutoBlog were recently offered a ride in a Mercedes-Benz B-Class Electric Drive and wrote some rather interesting driving notes about it.
Its main arch enemy - the recently-launched BMW i3 - starts at $41,350, so the B-Class electric Drive would need to simply go not much higher than that to be a complete slam dunk for the three-pointed star brand.
Compared to the BMW rival, the B-Class Electric Drive has a better range, a faster recharge time and a much larger interior room, so if it also manages to be offered with a reasonable (for a premium electric car) starting price it's pretty much all set.
Powered by a Tesla-source 177 hp electric motor, the first mass-produced electric Mercedes-Benz can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 7.9 seconds, which is just 0.7 seconds slower than the much lighter BMW i3, so even in the performance department is not exactly a slouch compared to the Bavarian.
If you're interested in more details about it, the folks from AutoBlog were recently offered a ride in a Mercedes-Benz B-Class Electric Drive and wrote some rather interesting driving notes about it.
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