Mercedes C300e: an accomplished plug-in hybrid cruiser

The German carmaker’s hybrid model is impressive and a bargain to boot. Jasper Spires reports

Mercedes C300e
(Image credit: )

Plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEVs) – electric cars with fossil-fuelled back-up – are not everyone’s cup of tea. They make it possible to save on fuel costs, “but only if your driving habits fit a very specific pattern of behaviour”, says Richard Lane in Autocar.

However, the technology “is coming of age” with the new Mercedes C300e. Its 201bhp, 2.0-litre, turbocharged petrol engine is combined with a 127bhp electric motor fed by a 25.4kWh battery. The battery charges at a rate of 55kW, meaning a 100% charge should take around an hour and a half. And the electric motor has a range of 62 miles, double that of the outgoing version, and significantly more than the rival BMW 330e, which manages only 37 miles.

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Jasper Spires

Jasper is a former writer for the MoneyWeek and he wrote on an array of topics including travel, investing in crypto and bitcoin, as well as cars. Previous to that he freelanced at The Art Newspaper, PORT Magazine and The Spectator. Jasper is currently a freelance writer at FAD magazine and he has an English literature degree from the University of Exeter, and a Master's degree from UCL.