An sudden side-effect of the run-up in new automobile pricing is that Mercedes-Benz has a strong declare to the title of worth chief with the EQB250, a $53,900 (base worth) battery-electric compact crossover with an EPA-estimated driving vary of 245 miles.
It’s attainable to run up the worth tag of the EQB, certainly one of Mercedes’ smaller EVs, by including extra energy, all-wheel-drive, and an non-compulsory third row of seats. However my budget-minded check automobile was outfitted the way in which I’d desire, with a watch towards holding the road on prices.
That signifies that the EQB250 is provided with the 188-horsepower, 284-lb.-ft. single motor driving solely the entrance wheel. This mix produces more-than-acceptable acceleration for a household automobile and contains loads of luxurious choices just like the panoramic sunroof.
I’d splurge to get some coloration somewhat than the no-charge white paint on the check automobile (black can also be free), however the one paint with any precise pigmentation is a vivid pink that prices $1,700. Nonetheless, I believe it could be price it to keep away from the uninteresting monochromatic monotony that has seized trendy roads. And no, the fairy story about insurance coverage costing extra for pink automobiles shouldn’t be true.
The check automobile’s backside line is $60,410, which after my common expertise of sticker shock most new automobiles, got here as a pleasing shock. In response to Kelley Blue E-book, the common transaction worth for a brand new automobile within the U.S. is $48,334 and the worth for an EV averaged $53,469 in July. Maintain the road on choices (so lengthy pink paint!), and also you’ve received a Mercedes-Benz for the worth of a median EV.
As a result of it does have an inexpensive worth, the EQB250 doesn’t have a big battery and you’ll not discover YouTube choked with movies of EQBs smoking Dodge Hellcats on the drag strip, as is the case with some costly EVs. Mercedes says that it accelerates to 60 mph in a shade lower than 8 seconds. I didn’t do any acceleration exams, however that feels correct, that means that it’s as fast as typical sports activities automobiles of a era in the past.
The battery pack holds 66.5 kilowatt-hours, and the automobile averaged 3.4 miles per kWh throughout its time with me, which extrapolates to a variety of 226 miles if I had dared run the battery utterly useless. The automobile’s pc forecast a driving vary of 292 miles. A 130-mile freeway drive dropped the vary prediction to 115 miles, which advised that even the 226-mile ranking is optimistic throughout freeway driving which was about half at 60 mph and about half at 70 mph.
I used the EQB’s adaptive cruise management for a lot of the freeway driving, anticipating that it might ship a easy software of energy to optimize driving vary. The system works properly, although, on a freeway that ultimately had a site visitors sign, it was very stunned to return upon stopped automobiles whereas driving 60 mph. It didn’t brake till very late, inflicting pointless consternation on my half whereas I hovered my foot over the brake pedal ready to see what it could do. Suboptimal.
Equally, the lively steering help did an excellent job of maintaining the EQB centered within the lane with no effort on my half, whereas additionally not wrestling with me for management, which is the downfall of most such programs, inflicting me to show them off. On one significantly lengthy straight, nevertheless, it concluded from the shortage of battle that I had no palms on the wheel and popped up an alert to place my palms on the wheel.
I wasn’t positive methods to inform it that my palms had been in actual fact on the wheel. Gripping the rim extra tightly didn’t make any distinction, and it continued to alarm. So lastly I simply yanked on the steering and gave it an aggressive wiggle within the lane, which placated the pc. That was the only real hiccup in my use of the Energetic Steering Help on the freeway.
A battery EV that’s good for greater than 200 miles in quick freeway driving that gives Mercedes-Benz consolation and facilities for $60,000 (or much less) is a cut price. In all probability due to the smallish battery capability, DC fast-charging functionality is simply 100 kilowatts.
Mercedes says that’s ok to cost from 10 p.c to 80 p.c state of cost in 32 minutes, however my expertise says {that a} extra highly effective charger would make this extra doubtless. Not less than 150 kW, to use the extra frequent DC quick chargers, could be useful, even when 350 kW charging stays impractically costly for a car on this worth vary. Sure, Hyundai and Kia present 350 kW charging in equally priced fashions, however these automobiles absolutely lower your expenses in different areas the place Mercedes has been extra lavish on the EQB.
Mercedes-Benz EQB
My house 9.6-kW ChargePoint Stage 2 AC charger ran at a constant 9.5-kW charging the EQB, delivering fast house fees. A be aware in regards to the automobile’s cost port, nevertheless: Beneath the outer door, which is analogous to that of the gas door in a gasoline automobile, the EQB’s SAE J1772 AC cost port and Mixed Charging System DC port are lined by hinged doorways, which makes them simpler to shut than automobiles which have detachable rubber plugs that the motive force has to stay again into the port, which is annoying within the daylight and typically troublesome in the dead of night.
That’s good. Nevertheless, when you simply slap the outer door shut, or attempt to, it jams on the port covers somewhat than levering them closed. A little bit thought put into the inside contours of the outer door would let drivers slam that shut and shut the inside covers on the similar time. Particulars like this add up when it’s an motion that you’re doing each single day.
The EQB’s entrance seats are very comfy, and the seat controls are blessedly on the door panel as an alternative of being managed on the infotainment display screen, so life is less complicated on this respect. I’d nonetheless desire a rotary quantity knob on the dashboard, however curler knobs on the steering wheel and console aren’t dangerous.
The Mercedes-Benz EQB’s cost port with hinged cowl.
The check automobile had strong black inside upholstery, which even with the panoramic sunroof, made the cabin too darkish. There’s a beige various for no price that gives a lighter environment, so that might be my alternative. Plus, it could look good with the pink paint!
The again seat has two good seating positions and a center seat that may solely be thought of viable for brief hops or perhaps because the anchor place for an toddler seat. Entrance and rear seats on each the left and proper sides have seize handles above the door openings, which is a characteristic lacking from too many automobiles.
The check automobile was not outfitted with the non-compulsory third row, which is nice, as a result of there’s simply not sufficient house again there for a useable third row. There may be sufficient house for a extremely giant cargo space, although, which makes the EQB very sensible for family hauling duties.
Journey and dealing with are wonderful, even within the base mannequin with out the out there Adaptive Damping system. Too many new automobiles are constructed with Nurburgring lap occasions apparently as a precedence and ship respectable dealing with (not nice, as a result of EVs weigh an excessive amount of for that and SUVs are too tall) on the worth of a punishing trip. That’s not the case right here. Abandoning observe pretensions let the EQB ship a soft day-to-day trip with completely good steering response.
Such issues matter, as a result of the EQB250 has earned a spot on my private “would purchase” checklist. That is uncommon, in a world of too-expensive, too-uncomfortable, and/or too thirsty automobiles. The EQB250 strikes the appropriate steadiness between worth and vary out there with as we speak’s know-how.
