Mercedes offers a wide range of vehicle makes and models. On top of that, their vehicles can be powered in different ways with the most popular two ways being diesel and petrol. However, Mercedes also has hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and fully electric cars. But do Mercedes make self-charging hybrid vehicles?
Mercedes-Benz makes several self-charging hybrid cars. Note that a self-charging hybrid car is not a plug-in hybrid car, but a traditional hybrid car. Mercedes refers to normal hybrid cars as mild hybrid cars. Some of the popular Mercedes mild hybrid cars can be found in Mercedes C-Class, New E-Class, GLC-Class, GLE-Class, and GLS-Class.
Self-charging or mild hybrid Mercedes use the electric motor and combustion engine in parallel. This means that the electric motor doesn’t run separately from the combustion engine, but supports it by easing the torque curve; thus, bringing about efficiency and delivering more power when required.
What Mercedes models are fitted with a self-charging hybrid system?
As stated earlier, there are a variety of Mercedes models with a self-charging hybrid system. These include:
- New Mercedes-Benz E-Class – in this class, you will have to pick from the new E-Class saloon or Estate model range.
- Mercedes-Benz C-Class – the C-Class line has several mild hybrid cars as this system comes standard on almost every powertrain. The self-charging hybrid system can be found on exceptional model lines starting from the SE through to the AMG line Night edition.
- Mercedes-Benz GLC-Class – this class also boasts of several mild hybrid models. Every 300 variants of the GLC SUV and Coupe feature this standard. Besides, it can also be found on high-performance AMG Line, AMG Line Premium, and AMG Line Premium Plus.
- Mercedes-Benz GLE-Class – all the GLE SUV petrol engine variants are fitted with a mild hybrid system, including AMG Line models.
- Mercedes-Benz GLS-Class – only two of the Mercedes GLS SUV models come with a mild hybrid system. These are the Mercedes-AMG GLS 63 and Mercedes-Maybach GLS.
So, if you have been searching for a Mercedes model with a self-charging hybrid or mild hybrid system, you can select from the above models. Unlike traditional cars, hybrid cars help you to increase your fuel economy ratings.
What are the advantages of driving a self-charging hybrid?
- The main reason why you should switch to a hybrid car is that you will reduce CO2 emissions than traditional vehicles, which may qualify you for some incentives.
- Self-charging hybrid cars enable you to reduce your running costs as the technology can keep the diesel or petrol turned off for most of your journey.
- There are a wider variety of hybrid cars to choose from. So, you’re not just limited to a few types of cars.
- Most of the hybrid cars are fitted with an automatic gearbox and are made to be very silent and smooth to drive. Therefore, driving these cars is fun and stress-free.
- Unlike fully electric vehicles or ICE cars, hybrid cars offer a lot of conveniences as you can park or fuel them anywhere that you wish.
What are the setbacks of driving a self-charging hybrid?
- The main setback of a hybrid car is that they usually have a limited range. Most hybrid cars can only run up to 30 miles on the electric motor. This is quite lower considering most electric vehicles have a range of at least 150 miles.
- If you’re on the highway or in places without traffic, hybrid cars will fully switch to fuel, meaning you won’t have any advantage over ICE vehicles.
- Hybrid cars may not appeal to some drivers as they come with an automatic gearbox and eco tires that are designed to save fuel. So, if love sports cars, you will find such cars to be less appealing.
What is the difference between a self-charging hybrid and a plug-in hybrid?
Some people normally confuse between hybrid and plug-in hybrid. Even though both cars use both fuel and electricity to run a car, they work differently. Mercedes traditional hybrid cars or self-charging vehicles are referred to as a mild hybrid. Nonetheless, Mercedes has fuel only and fully electric vehicles.
A self-charging hybrid drive system is different from a plug-in hybrid system as it receives its energy simultaneously from a gasoline engine and an electric motor. On the contrary, a plug-in hybrid system utilizes a gasoline engine and an electric motor, but in varying ways.
In a traditional hybrid system, the engine and the motor work together to run the car, while a plug-in hybrid system runs using its electric motor, powered by the motor. On the same note, a plug-in hybrid system won’t use your car’s fuel until the battery runs out of power.
In short, the plug-in hybrid system uses the engine as a backup plan and not at the same time. On the other hand, the hybrid system uses both the engine and electric battery to save on fuel.
FAQ
What is the range of most self-charging hybrid vehicles?
Most self-charging or hybrid vehicles have a range of between 20 and 30. However, there are a few exceptional models with a range of up to 50 miles. Before selecting a hybrid car, find out the range as it will determine how much fuel you can save in high-traffic areas.
Why does plug-in hybrid have a better range than self-charging hybrid cars?
Hybrid cars travel a smaller distance than plug-in hybrid cars because of the battery size that they come with. Most hybrid cars have a small battery pack that won’t last several and that’s why they run parallel with combustion engines.
How does a Mercedes hybrid work?
The Mercedes hybrid works simply. As the car cruises down the road at a constant speed, it changes over automatically between the electric motor and diesel engine and a combination of both, depending on the battery charge, load, and gradient. To help improve fuel economy, the engine control unit can program the diesel engine to operate at its most efficient speeds.
Conclusion
If you have been wondering whether Mercedes makes self-charging hybrid vehicles or not – Yes they do. Mercedes self-charging hybrid cars are referred to as a mild hybrid. Self-charging is the term that’s usually used by Toyota and Lexus brands. Unlike a plug-in hybrid, mild hybrid/self-charging hybrid variants are fuel-efficient and don’t need plugging into a source of electricity.
