So what is a Mercedes PLUG-IN HYBRID? First thing to understand is this.
- There is a petrol driven Mercedes engine under the front hood. It is a 2-litre petrol driven engine that produces 286hp and maximum torque of 350 newton metres.
- Then there is an electric motor with a battery system which has an output of up to 65 kW and delivers torque of 440 newton metres.
A ‘hybrid module’ of the standard 7-speed automatic transmission incorporates both the electric motor (item 2 above) and an additional clutch between the petrol engine (item 1 above) and the electric motor. When driving in all-electric mode, this decouples the petrol engine from the drive train. It also, however, offers the possibility of starting on your journey using just the petrol engine.
There is charging plug (with cables provided sitting in a compartment in the boot) that allows you to charge the electric motor battery (item 2 above) and this can give you a range of 33 kilometres in purely electric mode (no petrol being used at all).
The electric motor battery is water-cooled, weighs around 100 kilograms and is mounted in a sheet steel housing underneath the rear axle in order to maximise crash safety, driving dynamics and boot space.
The 4-cylinder petrol engine working with the electric motor, gives this E-Class a total power output of 286hp and torque of 550Nm. The new E 350 PLUG-IN HYBRID thus delivers the performance of a sports car and yet offers real world best possible case consumption figures of just 2.1 litres of fuel per 100 kilometres which is a huge savings in your petrol bill.
Thanks to the combination of petrol engine and electric drive, hybrid drive systems deliver impressively low consumption, but with high performance. The electric motor is able to replace or support the petrol engine and makes practical use of energy generated while braking by converting it into electric energy and storing it.
