Driving The Mercedes S Class 580e PHEV

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The Mercedes S Class 580e PHEV is probably the world’s largest and most costly plug-in hybrid passenger automotive. It lists for $122,550 not together with vacation spot expenses or $126,850 in AMG trim. It comes with a turbocharged inline 6 cylinder engine that gives 362 horsepower and 369 ft-lb of torque. The engine sends energy to all 4 wheels via a 9 velocity automated transmission that distributes it by way of the well-known Mercedes 4Matic drivetrain.

An electrical motor provides 148 horsepower to the combination. No torque numbers are given by the corporate for the electrical motor. Nor does Mercedes specify the scale of the battery, nevertheless it have to be appreciable. Trunk house within the non-hybrid S Class is nothing to put in writing residence about at round 13 cubic ft however the 580e PHEV makes do with simply 8.1 cubic ft of trunk house. The Tesla Mannequin 3 has 19.8 cubic ft behind the rear seats — greater than double the large Merc. The corporate describes its plug-in hybrid expertise this fashion.

“Superior 4th-gen Plug-In Hybrid expertise delivers quite a few electric-car advantages whereas retaining the comfort of a gasoline engine. The compact electrical motor can ship a considerable increase in energy and torque, or allow you to drive as much as 46 miles on battery energy alone. Charging can come from the gasoline engine and regenerative braking, or plug it into an atypical AC outlet to go from 10 p.c to completely charged in simply 2.25 hours. Non-obligatory DC charging can go from 10 to 80 p.c in 20 minutes.”

Apparently , Mercedes elected to position the battery within the plug-in hybrid mannequin beneath the trunk. Autoblog staffer James Riswick discovered there was not sufficient top accessible to accommodate a normal grocery bag. 580e house owners might want to make do with comfortable sided baggage on highway journeys.

Trunk house apart, Riswick discovered to his shock he most popular the 580e PHEV over the fully electrical EQS. For one factor, though Mercedes says the automotive has an electrical solely vary of 46 miles, his instance confirmed 60 miles of vary on a full cost. That’s sufficient for two or three days of regular driving for most folk, which suggests this 208.2 inch lengthy Mercedes may very well be driving on electrons as a substitute of molecules more often than not.

There are a selection of CleanTechnica readers who’re Chevy Volt house owners, a plug-in hybrid with 55 miles of vary. They report the gasoline engine of their vehicles not often will get activated besides on journeys. After all, the key to getting essentially the most out of any PHEV is to plug it in when wanted. Riswick says there may be DC quick charging possibility accessible for the 580e however thinks it won’t get used typically sufficient to justify the $500 additional price.

Mercedes S Class 580e PHEV Specs

Mercedes says charging velocity utilizing an AC outlet tops out at 11 kW — sufficient to cost the battery from 10 to one hundred pc in 2.25 hours. If the automotive is supplied with the DC quick charging possibility, it may settle for 60 kW of energy (about the identical as a Chevy Bolt) and cost from 10 to 80 p.c in 20 minutes. The automotive makes use of the CCS charging commonplace.

EPA gasoline economic system is listed as 20 mpg/53 MPGe in metropolis driving. The numbers for freeway driving are 29 mpg/48 MPGe. Neither will set any data for a plug-in hybrid car nevertheless it appears unlikely anybody who would drop $125,000 on a automotive like that is too apprehensive about gasoline economic system. Maybe there are status factors down on the membership for having a PHEV.

The motive force can choose from 3 driving modes. One is pure PHEV — the automotive runs off the battery till it’s depleted. Solely then does the engine kick  in. There may be additionally a hybrid mode. The standard powertrain has a small electrical motor of its personal, making it a light hybrid when in operation. There may be additionally a “maintain” setting that saves the battery to be used later so you may drive usually on the freeway whereas saving the cost within the battery for later.

Driving in electrical solely mode, Riswick says, “The preliminary really feel of acceleration is ideal for an S Class — easy, torque-rich and completely quiet. Push a bit more durable, although, and…..that preliminary torque burst shortly fell off a cliff as the electrical motor revealed that it’s solely working with 148 horsepower. As I used to be in (electrical solely mode), the automotive tried its greatest for a beat simply to ensure I actually was all-in on this “accelerating shortly factor” earlier than bringing on-line the sophisticated inline six.

“Fortunately, that inline six sounds nice, with a satisfying muffled snarl. No mooing CVT enterprise as within the Lexus TX 550h+ plug-in hybrid I drove earlier than the S580e. Mercedes pegs the 0-60 time at 4.4 seconds, however you’d have to be in Sport for that with all energy sources primed for enterprise.” So if you’re doing the cease mild grand prix or must merge with swift transferring visitors, EL (for electrical solely) mode just isn’t your best option. EV drivers, after all, will not be required to make such changes whereas driving.

Riswick was pleasantly shocked to search out the plug-in hybrid S Class doesn’t characteristic the complete width hyper-screen accessible on the EQS. As an alternative, it has a generously sized touchscreen that may be oriented vertically or horizontally and does a superb job of displaying related data clearly and logically, in contrast to many vehicles as we speak.

Ambient lighting choices abound with 64 accessible colours. Mercedes has a number of pre-configured lighting schemes, together with one referred to as Miami Seaside that sends a flood of alternating hues of pink, purple, white, and teal all through the cabin of the automotive, a celebration trick that Riswick’s three yr previous son discovered fairly enchanting. Older drivers might too.

The Takeaway

The enterprise case for the S Class 580e PHEV is a bit exhausting to grasp except it’s meant to enchantment to conventional Mercedes prospects who merely can not carry themselves to belief a completely electrical battery operated automotive however wish to dip a toe into the EV revolution. One supposes that being cosseted by all the same old Mercedes Benz S Class attributes, reminiscent of speedy heating and massaging entrance seats and an ionizer that purifies the air contained in the automotive whereas including an assortment of soothing fragrances, make an individual neglect all about how the automotive is powered and simply wish to benefit from the experience.

Hopefully, house owners received’t neglect to plug in every so often nevertheless it’s our guess that many merely received’t be bothered after the primary week or so, which makes the aim of this automotive harder to discern. Maybe noblesse oblige sums it up greatest.