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.
The C300e is, then, a PHEV that’s ideal for everyday uses, but also for longer journeys. “With its digitised cockpit, sweeping design and plush upholstery, the latest C-Class really wants to be an S-Class impersonator at half the price.” It does a very good impression, too.
Subscribe to MoneyWeek
Subscribe to MoneyWeek today and get your first six magazine issues absolutely FREE
Sign up to Money Morning
Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter
Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter
The impressive tech is all wrapped up in Mercedes plush hardware, says Steve Fowler in Auto Express. The material quality is top class, the design cohesive, and the cabin dominated by an 11.9-inch central touchscreen. With older PHEVs, “the salesman was never keen to let you see inside the boot or rear passenger compartment for fear you’d spot how much space had been robbed to fit in the battery cells”, says electrifying.com. But the Mercedes has solved that problem too, and the driving experience “hardly differs from a pure electric car”, switching from the battery to the engine gently and quietly.
The good news for drivers of company cars, which are taxed at different levels according to carbon emissions, is that the electric-only miles a car can drive are also considered – the rival BMW 330e will incur benefit-in-kind charges of 11%, while the levy for the C300e is just 7%.
So are PHEVs really an alternative to your favourite diesel-powered cruisers? The answer is “an emphatic ‘yes’”, says Alan Taylor-Jones in Car magazine. And the charming and accomplished C300s is the one to go for. Price: £45,000
-
How to do a mid-retirement MOTYou may have heard of a midlife MOT, but experts say a mid-retirement MOT is also essential to ensure your finances are on track and your pension savings last as long as you do
-
Burberry’s share price surges despite collapsing profits and job cuts announcementBurberry’s share price has soared, despite collapsing profits and around 1,700 jobs potentially set to be cut, as markets assess the turnaround plan’s effectiveness
-
Global car shares slide amid lower demand in China – what happens now?Has the car sector run into trouble? Britain’s Aston Martin and Germany’s Volkswagen are among the key automobile brands that have issued profit warnings.
-
Volkswagen mulls closure of German factoriesWhy is Volkswagen considering the closures and how is the carmaker performing?
-
Is China winning the electric car race?China now sells more electric cars than conventional ones within its territory. Western countries seem determined to stop them from crossing their borders. Why?
-
Val d’Isère is a valley of delightsMoneyWeek Travel Matthew Partridge reviews Airelles Val d’Isere and Hotel Mont-Blanc in the famous French ski resort
-
Review: The Ozen Collection – a dream stay in the MaldivesMoneyWeek Travel Ozen Life Maadhoo and Ozen Reserve Bolifushi, where luxury meets nature, are almost too good to be true, says Nicole García Mérida.
-
Review: An odyssey through Sri LankaMoneyWeek Travel Merryn Somerset Webb explores the South Asian country’s ruins, jungle and fabulous food.
-
Flexjet review: the only way to flyMoneyWeek Travel Chris Carter flies with Flexjet, a provider of fractional ownership of private jets, to St Moritz in Switzerland for the Snow Polo World Cup.
-
South American nature holidays – take a walk on the wild sideTravel We find holidays in South America where you can explore nature in all its diversity.
