B-Class E-CELL Plus Shows Mercedes' Range-Extended Electric Future

Let's face it, the Mercedes' electric Smart is probably not the future of electric vehicles. While it is certainly an improvement over its previous electric Smart, it is not a revolution. Mercedes is taking a page from Chevrolet and BMW by showing a concept electric car with a range extending generator.

The electric motor in the B-Class E-cell concept makes the equivalent of 95hp continuously with a maximum output of 136hp. Just the car's batteries have a range of 100km, but the range extender adds a further 600km. The range extender is a turbocharged 1.0 liter, three-cylinder engine that powers the generator to charge the batteries. It emits just 32g/km of CO2 and can accelerate to 100km/h in 11 seconds with a top speed of 150km/h.

The drive train layout is not really purely a range extender. At speeds above 60km/h, the petrol engine and electric motor work in concert, whereas below 60km/h the engine just works keep the batteries charged.

The B-Class E-cell is based on the new generation B-Class. Its exterior and interior are basically identical to the production car with the exception of the plug-in to charge the batteries.

The B-Class E-cell is just a concept being shown at Frankfurt, but the technology is all already available and realistic for production. Chevrolet has the Volt in production, and it uses this range extender technology. We could see a car like this from Mercedes in the future.