Mercedes B Class Electric Drive Spy Shots

Published on 11 Jan 2013 by Dan Read

While rivals Audi are cancelling development of their electric engine cars, Mercedes remain on course with the Electric Drive Mercedes B Class. Our spy shots show it being put to the ultimate test in northern Sweden.

As the Achilles heel of electric vehicles is cold weather, these tests close to the Arctic Circle show that the mini MPV is nearing the end of its planned testing schedule and should be ready for production soon.

The B-Class Electric Drive that was shown at the 2012 Bologna Motor Show produced 134hp and 310Nm of torque. It’s powered by a lithium-ion battery pack that is also used in the Tesla Model S. When fully charged after 12 hours it will offer a range of 124 miles, but for shorter trips owners will be able to use the fast charge function to recharge the battery to half capacity in less than an hour.

The new car will go on sale in 2014, at which time it will not only provide the latest electric technology from the German marque but also an updated look for the B-Class.

Mercedes B Class Electric Drive spy shots