‘More than 500 kilometers is easily possible at normal temperatures’
You can already tell from some cars that they are economical. The Mercedes-Benz EQE is one of those models where aerodynamics are more important than the traditional Mercedes lines. For many people this takes some getting used to, but the Germans put results before heritage. And with success, because with our endurance tester we covered no less than 736.6 kilometers on one charge. An interesting experiment, but what values do users achieve in practice?
Anyone who follows AuotWeek carefully knows that the endurance test EQE is the ‘entry-level’ EQE 300, not even the type with the largest range. It doesn’t mean that Mercedes-Benz is childish with kilowatt hours. This basic model already gives you 89 kWh of battery capacity, the top models can barely store more energy with 90.6 kWh. According to official figures, the EQE 300 has a range of up to 629 kilometers. The EQE 350+ should go the furthest, with a stated range of 659 kilometers.
Practical range EQE
To gain insight into this, we look at reviews from EQE drivers. What is first striking is that not all drivers closely monitor consumption and driving range. Would the EQE simply offer so much range that it does not pose any challenges in daily practice?
Anyone who does provide insight into consumption is positive, at least under favorable circumstances. “After three weeks I recorded what I consider to be a very good average of 15.1 kWh/100 km over a distance of 4,200 kilometers,” writes the driver of an EQE 300 AMG Line, which ‘always averages around 16 kWh/100 km’. . The driver of an EQE 350 AMG Line is also enthusiastic. “The car has an enormous range. More than 500 kilometers is easily possible at normal temperatures,” he writes without going into further detail.
The experiences with our endurance tester are in line with this. With normal Dutch use, we also achieved 560 kilometers on a charge in the first few weeks, normally driving with traffic. That was in excellent conditions in the summer, with temperatures around 20 degrees.
Cold is killing
The initial enthusiasm changes when the outside temperatures drop. “In terms of consumption, it is now decreasing,” writes an EQE 350 driver. “In the summer I was still below 15 kWh/100 km (more than 600 km actual range!). This was based on many highways in the Netherlands during the day, so cruise control at 105 km/h.” Fitting winter tires boosted his consumption to 18 kWh/100 km and when the mercury dropped further, it rose even further. “As temperatures dropped, consumption continued to increase. Today it was -3 degrees at departure and my total consumption was 25 kWh/100km for a journey of 45 km including warming up the car, heated seats and most of the highway.” His conclusion: “Actual range at a hundred percent charge has fallen from more than 600 km in the summer to approximately 370 km in freezing cold, a reduction of almost forty percent. That disappoints me.”
The EQE 300 rider comes in at a lower, but still significant percentage. “In the meantime, the nice weather is over, rain is the word of the day, it will be a maximum of about ten degrees and my EQE is on winter tires. Well, then things change quickly in terms of consumption. 21 kWh per 100 km is now the standard, and if you are not careful, 22-23 is a common number on the meter, for short distances 25 to 30. Just thirty percent more than this summer, so that means thirty percent less range. ”
And that average range?
When we calculate all the mentioned values together, an average range of 550 kilometers appears for the EQE 300 and EQE 350 together. Please note: under favorable conditions. Some users report that the driving range decreases sharply in winter to below 400 kilometers. We hope that soon more EQE riders will share their winter experiences, so that we can paint a more complete picture of the range under less favorable conditions.
Want to know more about electric driving in practice? Look at here an overview of more than twenty electric cars and their actual range.
– Thanks for information from Autoweek.nl