Mercedes-Benz joins the electric-car fray with today’s announcement of its B-class Electric Drive, priced from $42,375. Buyers also may be eligible for a federal tax credit of $7500, bringing the price down to $34,875, while other states may offer additional credits for buying an EV.
The B-class Electric Drive (is that “BED” for an acronym?) is a handsome five-door compact crossover, and the electric version will be the only model sold in the States. Make that select states: Initially, the car will roll out only to dealers in California, Connecticut, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, and Vermont. Mercedes is expected to address availability in the remaining states in 2015.
Power is supplied by a 177-hp electric motor (developed by Tesla Motors) that produces 251 lb-ft of torque. According to Mercedes, that’s enough to propel the B-class to 60 mph in 7.9 seconds. The B-class ED features front-wheel drive and a 28-kWh lithium-ion battery good for an 85-mile range according to the EPA. Mercedes claims the battery can be recharged to a 60-mile range in approximately two hours on a 240-volt charger. MPGe figures are pending.
On the features front, the car includes nav, collision-prevention assist with adaptive brake assist, attention assist for distracted drivers, and three years worth of mbrace2, Mercedes’ telematics system. Options (for which no pricing was available) include blind-spot assist, lane-keep assist, parking assist, and Mercedes’ multimedia system, COMAND, with a seven-inch display.
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To provide owners with a worry-free experience, the B-class ED is covered by Battery Coverage Plus, which consists of an 8-year/100,000-mile battery warranty that covers defects as well as coverage for diminished battery capacity. In addition, the B-class offers no-cost annual maintenance and roadside assistance.
That’s the pricing part of the equation. In the second part of this story, we’ll take a closer look at this growing segment of electrics and investigate how the new B-class compares with the competition.
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