German premium carmaker Mercedes-Benz has announced pricing and specifications for the plug-in hybrid (PHEV) variant of its C 300 sedan, adding another electrified car option to the Australian market for those wanting to take advantage of low fuel costs and help reduce carbon emissions.
The Mercedes-Benz C 300e Sedan will start at $79,200 before on road costs and dealer delivery, and offer up to 52km of EV driving range, which is substantially more than Mercedes-Benz’s only other current PHEV offering, the C 350e which has 30km EV range.
With a 90kW electric motor in EV only mode delivering 44Nm instant torque, plenty of juice for running about town, the C 300e will replace the C 350e.
Combined with a 2 litre engine the C 300e delivers up to 235kW power output and 700Nm torque via a special hybrid version of the 9G-Tronic nine-speed automatic transmission that the carmaker has created for its EQ “power-enhanced” range.
Mercedes-Benz says the C 300e’s fuel economy is 2.1 litres/100km, an improvement on its predecessor’s 2.4 litres/100km, which equates to just 46 grams of CO2 released per kilometre.
The 13.5kWh li-ion battery can be charged via a Type 2 AC plug in just 2 hours when out and about at a public “destination” charging station, or at home if a 7kW wallbox is installed (this is more like 7 hours if it is charged straight off a 240V socket).
For those wanting to pre-heat or pre-cool their vehicle in winter or summer, the C 300e can also draw off the vehicle’s high voltage electrical system using the inbuilt refrigerant compressor or heater booster.
Those fitted with the Mercedes-Benz Comand system extend the functionality of the inbuilt navigation, camera and radar sensors to offer assistance in planning routes with the best energy efficiency and recuperation (that is, recovering energy to the battery when braking).
In terms of styling, Mercedes-Benz Australia hasn’t revealed a lot in terms of images although we did manage to source some RHD interior images courtesy of the C 300e’s Malaysian showcase.
Bridie Schmidt is associate editor for The Driven, sister site of Renew Economy. She has been writing about electric vehicles since 2018, and has a keen interest in the role that zero-emissions transport has to play in sustainability. She has participated in podcasts such as Download This Show with Marc Fennell and Shirtloads of Science with Karl Kruszelnicki and is co-organiser of the Northern Rivers Electric Vehicle Forum. Bridie also owns a Tesla Model Y and has it available for hire on evee.com.au.