I've worked for Tesla for 14 years and I remember building the drive units specifically for the B class w242 electric drive Mercedes back in the day. I think the drive units were flashed to the 70kw battery pack I believe. We also built the electric Toyota Rav4 115kw motor with the 40kw battery as well limited to about 100 miles.
LOL when you gave a hint the Mercedes Charging Hub interview. I instantly knew it would be the ancient B250e. Exactly the kind of weird car Kyle would like. It has a sister car the Rav4 EV 2nd gen.
My first EV was a used Mercedes B250e EV. It was a great car that wasn't problematic as long as you didn't need to drive long distances quickly. The lack of DC charging was the only really issue I had with it.
I had a Volt and then got a Bolt. The Bolt is a faster car overall, but the Volt was WAAAAY faster off the line. The Volt would spin the tires as long as you wanted (traction control off obviously) but the Bolt doesnt even get a chirp. The Volt also cornered a lot better. The Volt was like a puppy that always wanted to play. The Bolt has higher top speed and is better at 2-lane highway passing; I have to concentrate on letting off the gas as I pass the car in question to keep from getting well into "mandatory court appearance" speeds. Plus its such a gut punch to have to slow back down to ~the speed limit its like withdrawal. Especially since passing people whove been going 5mph below the limit for the previous 9 miles suddenly makes them speed up.
For all those people that say EVs are too expensive, this is a great around town errand runner! MB in your garage for less than the majority of cars available!
@@carholic-sz3qvThat's literally everything a lot of people want for their second car, something to get them to and from work and school and get groceries in.
I nearly bought one of these last year from a used car dealer but noticed a noise while on the test drive. I pulled over to investigate and after some googling found out about the bearing issue. When I brought it back to the dealer and told him about the noise he denied it was even there, tried gaslighting me by telling me that noise is what EVs sound like. Then I showed him the forums saying that it was a common issue and the motor assembly needed to be replaced (or rebuilt) and he said there was nothing wrong with it. Then I called a friend who works for a Mercedes dealer and had him talk to the dealer who admitted they knew about the issue, had reached out to get it replaced but since it was outside of the warranty window they would need to pay several thousand dollars and he didn't want to do that. He was just hoping some sucker would buy it and get it off his lot. I considered negotiating the price down based on the motor issues but ultimately decided that if they were shady enough to lie about this then what else were they hiding. This is just to warn used EV buyers to google common issues with the car you are looking at before you go to buy it and don't back down when you know something isn't right.
I leased a B class electric in 2015 for 3 years. Drove it daily from 2015 thru 2018. Normal charge 82 miles and 94 when you pushed the range extend button. That range extender option also included an electrically heated windshield. They were RARE on the east coast where we live. Nobody had a clue what it was and Mercedes gave them away on leases for compliance. $300mo, no money down.
Damn, that really is a nice looking car. With a Tesla battery pack and drive train, no less! You already convinced me to get an old Leaf, now you're gonna get me wanting one of these.
I just this weekend had my (late) father's car shipped down from Livermore (CA) to San Diego. This was his last car before he passed away in July. He was an Electrical Engineer at Lawrence Livermore Laboratory, so an electric car was always on his want list. He bought it used (2015 model in 2018) and put a good 20k miles on it. It now has about 35k and works fantastically. I am now certainly going to contact QC charge to have the check it out preventatively. I have been driving it quite a bit in the Bay Area the past few months when I'd been going to up to work on the house. I could easily drive from Livermore to the Oakland Airport and back with plenty of range left over. The long term MPKWH is 2.7. The interior is fantastic, the drive is great. I see no reason to spend $40k plus on a car which will do the same weekly commutes. I have plenty of other IC cars that will make cross country trips. I ordered some new tires for the OZ rims on it and hope to add a new pop up head unit to add touch screen Carplay. Thanks, Kyle, for another long but valuable video. I can't wait to hear what happens on the next episode!
We have one of these and until it needed a repair, we loved it. It's a fantastic city car with all of the MB comfort and safety qualities. We installed a 7KW charge unit at our house and were putting about 12k miles per year commuting and just running around town and charging at home. We could get about 85 miles on a full charge, plus a bit more when we occasionally hit the extra charge button. Then, the seal issue with the motor (which apparently Tesla recalled on their own cars, but not on the MB cars) came up and we had to take it in for service. So, a little more than a year later we still don't have the car back as a result of an overloaded repair shop, poor quality parts that had to get rejected, and complete abandonment by MB which apparently just wants these cars to go away. We'll have a decision to make once the car comes back as we really like it but when we bought it in 2019 we were just trying to find a cheap EV until more EVs hit the market. I thought that by now there would be more small, less expensive EVs on the market.
Your story sounds just like mine except instead of MB I went through this hell with ford. Dealer had no idea how to fix it and I had to trade it in. I think every non-tesla EV is like this. Dealers have no clue how to fix them so you are good until you have a problem
@@joetz1The number of cars sold does matter: Ford Focus EV and this MB B class EV are rare beasts. On the other end Nissan LEAF and Chevrolet Bolt were best selling ones thus more parts are available and dealerships are accustomed with them. VW eGolf and FIAT e500 are in between. Most California only cars are rare anyway.
Automaker attitudes toward compliance cars is alarming, and just a sign of their laziness. The solution is easy, install the updated version of the Tesla motor. But Mercedes can’t even be bothered to lift a finger because of automakers lazy compliance attitude.
@@nevco8774 my car was the mustang Mach-e not a compliance car like the focus. It started at 43,000 miles with the high voltage junction box. Then after a nearly a month of waiting for them to get the right parts they call me and tell me the car is ready. I drive to work and the MME starts overheating with the dash lighting up like a Christmas tree. I take it back to the dealer and they tell me air bubbles were in the coolant line and they figured it out. I pick up the car and drive to work and plug it into a charger at my job. Five minutes later I get an every on my phone that charging stopped. I try five different chargers and get the same result. I go home and have the same result at home. Back to the ford dealer. They try to tell me that there is something wrong with the chargers at work. They take the car in anyway. Then they call me and tell me it’s fixed. What was the problem? The port was overheating (that’s what they said). I go back to work and it’s the same problem. At this point I feel like the situation is a complete shit-show. I brought the car back in and while it was on the life I told the service department to move my plates to a new car in the showroom. I left the old car on the lift and hopefully they can figure it out. There was also a clunking problem coming from the front end that they never were able to figure out. This is a sharp contrast compared to what I deal with if I need service from Tesla. They are all cross trained and know exactly what to do and often can fix the car in hours. I have a model y I bought in 12/2020 and I had an AC problem the first week. The service guy approached me with a printout he had downloaded from “the cloud” and knew exactly what the problem was. Since then for three years and 1/2 a dozen road trips the car has been flawless. I have absolutely beaten the shit out of it and it has never seen the inside of a garage. Just 70,000 miles of flawless performance. I have no doubt it will go another 200,000 miles without an issue. It just keeps taking whatever I throw at it and coming back for more
@@joetz1 No wonder there were 2 best seller among EVs in the USA Tesla Model Y as all around one and Chevrolet Bolt as dedicated commuter due to their reliability. At the moment Tesla has no competition until NACS is implemented by others. All other competitors are known for their "gremlins" in hardware and software. Meanwhile my wife needed a dedicated commuter fitting into tight garage and easy to park at work. So we chose a Chevrolet Bolt EUV since being charged at home and never road tripped it is OK with CCS1. Everybody wishes Tesla launches its Model 2, a presumably smaller hatch, and a killer commuter but it is only a rumor for now. Volvo EX30 might be an unobtanium for that reason.
Can't wait for the follow up video with all the details. I'm in Canada and have a regular gas powered B250 2014 here so it's nice to hear all about the e version.
Had one of these for a few years. Picked it up for under half price just off a lease. Great car. We had the navigation (it is a module you have to plug into a slot in the top of the glove box) and the range extender, though we never used it. Only negative to the B Class was the lack of DC charging, but there are CHAdeMO conversion kits out there.
I was interested in getting one of these a couple of years ago, but had the same concern. Sadly, I learned those CHAdeMO conversion kits have been impossible to get for years, and after spending a few months looking for a B class that already had the conversion, I gave up and got an eGolf.
@@samesource Doesn't surprise me - has been 4+ years since I looked for them. I wonder whether the right move today would be to replace that J1772 with a NACS connector (which would fit in the hole - I was told it didn't have CCS because that wouldn't fit and they didn't want different metalwork for the EV variant) and perhaps even add an extra battery tray in the trunk space to double the capacity. It was a really nice car to drive around, and we did do some ~80 mile trips in it (when we knew we could leave it for a few hours to charge before we drove back). Having 150-200 mile range and DC charging would make it very practical.
im in the UK. few days ago i just bought a Renault Fluence Z.E. for £2500, all electric sedan with the same J1772 plug. similar issue, wont reveive charge but it's intermittent. Then i accidentally found out that if i plug the cable in, turn key all the way to try to start up the car, put the car in drive, shut off the car but leave key in, put it in park, then turn to ON position, then erase drivetrain unit fault codes via obd2, it magically will begin to charge 😅 nice save
I had the same year and color B-class ED as this one. Mine had a black interior and was more optioned out (regen paddles, nav, DVD, HK sound, etc..) except the range extending option. Max EPA range was 85 miles, but with good weather and the right terrain you could easily get 100 miles. I'd still own it, except I live on the east coast and I started hearing the motor whine from the bearings and couldn't justify shipping it out to QC for fixes.
can’t believe so many had one of these. Same here! 2014 B-Class Electric Drive before they changed the name to B250. Mine had the Range Extender option. Silly though, I had to pay for this $600 option to unlock what’s already on the car. when It was new with Extended range turned on to 100% charge, 105mi range. I could drive from Walnut to Irvine, round trip, on a good day. (single driver, no AC, no heat, 70F day). Mine had 2 major issues. First was unable to charge just like this one. Second one was the car detected thr charger being connected even though 1772 was not plugged in. Unable to start or drive the vehicle. MB mobile service came, tried to reload the firmware, didn’t work. Towed on a flat bed to the dealer. My first EV and my first Mercedes. As Kyle said on the video, I got the 2017 Clarity BEV after this B-Class. $199/mo lease on the Clarity. Can’t beat it! Then I got a 2021 Model Y. Just returned Model Y today. Picked up a Mercedes EQE500 SUV today! That was my EV journey in a nutshell.
I owned this exact model-year for four years. Motor failed on the last day of the Extended Warranty. Six months later AC compressor had to be replaced... $5120. At that point I bought a Chevy Bolt EUV. I still miss the Merc, the prettiest car I ever had (blue like yours) and wonderful seats. Local dealer here in Cary, NC took great care of it, just so expensive!
Great review and will be waiting for the update. Bought my 2015 as a lease return for $25K six years ago with only 13K miles on the clock. The new price was about $55K. I have every option save the sun roof. I drive it every day and a 60+ mile trip once a week. I have had on issue, the heater for the main battery, $2500. The buttons on the left hand side of the steering wheel control the screen between the speedo and the power. Here you can reset the mileage for trips and when you recharge the main battery. This also resets the range and miles per KW. This is a Guess-O-Meter and often about 10% higher than your actual mileage. Does not have MB Distronic but will go into emergency braking if it get too close to an object. This has saved me from an accident a couple times. I have found the brake transition not noticeable. Get the ignition button for Keyless Start and just carry the key in your pocket. With key in your pocket you can lock and unlock the doors by touching the door handle. Lots of other neat features, read the owners manual.
Its funny seeing this EV again. I remember when I was in high school in 2014 I saw a black one of these dropping off another student and look back at that now thinking how special was that! Great video Kyle and awesome project car!
MB indeed sold the B class in Canada. My wife has owned two, a B200 from 2011 and her current car a B250 from 2014. The B200 was used and luckily had a extended warranty. It was traded at the MB dealer for a new 2014 B250 after having; new gearbox, new timing chain,tensioner , water pump , driver shaft bearings, replacement engine after the timing chain failed at 110 kph on the 407 forcing her to cross three lanes. Now out of warranty the dealer told her there was a new engine in Germany for $20,000. Put a used engine from LKQ and two months later traded it for B250. The B250 has been faultless. Just maintenance.
I test drove a B Class EV in 2013(?) at Mercedes in Calabasas but was too much money. Bought a 2012 RAV4 Electric instead. Incredible power in Sport Mode. Sold a year later at a $10k profit. Three years ago bought a 2013 RAV4 Electric and brought to Tony at QC Charge for service from Malibu. Traded in the RAV4 for a Ford Lightning. The trade in was the same price as what I bought it for so drove for three years for free. If there is a next time for you, rather than renting a gas pickup truck, I would have been happy to loan you my Lightning😊
My first ever car at 17 in the UK was a 2013 b class 1.8 diesel. Honestly one of the best cars I’d ever owned. I had it for 2 years from 71k miles to 98k miles and never skipped a beat! I’d happily go back to one after currently owning a c class coupe 2014
I leased the very similar car 2015 and kept it for 42 months, in OC California… it was my best car ever. I leased it for $263 per month which is less than gas cost for any other car. Have fun with this one.
My wife leased a new Mercedes B200 in 2007 in Ontario Canada. I believe the car listed around $37,000.00 back then. It had the 2.0 litre turbocharged engine rated at 193 h.p. I believe. Lots of zip and it was well optioned. The big surprise came when the first service was required. It cost about $600.00. We just about had a heart attack. I asked the service rep if Mercedes was flying a mechanic in on Lufthansa just for our car. He never even cracked a smile. Nice car but to have Mercedes take care of it was ridiculous.
All luxury car segments have expensive cost in relation to maintenance. Beside the service tech is payed $160 per hours, you also pay for oil change, filters, wash blades, top up, and measurements and testing. Even the Japaneses manufactures like Lexus and Infinity cost more in maintenance than their basic cars.
The W242 B class has proven to be a little wonder. My mom had a diesel B200 with a dual clutch auto. Turned out to be a super reliable car except for the glovebox nav module that kept dying. Interior quality was better than a lot of current gen A/B/C class.
Well, I'm thrilled to see the B-class electric become a subject for Out of Spec -- I own one myself and expect that some day I may have to send mine to QC for some work. So far my 2016 B250e has been a good commuter vehicle and my Mercedes dealer has been able to do the maintenance, but I know that won't last forever.
42:13 it is indeed the 12 volt. I'm in Canada and own a gas powered one and I know my Main 12v battery is getting weak. in the winter if I stop with the radio on, after a while, I'll get this message. The gas one also has an Aux battery in the passenger footwell towards the front.. you have to pull the carpet back. There is some "relics" from the electric model in my gas car.. per example on the instant gas consumption, if I let off the gas, it goes into "Recharge" Lolll and from that radio message, I suspect you might have relics from the gas powered one aswell. I truly enjoy mine! 2.0L 4cyl Turbo 4Matic! Yeehaaaa! Hope you enjoy yours!!!
We had a B-Class, we loved it. 5 seater, comfy, big boot, peppy, and enough range for our needs. Unfortunately it had the fatal coolant on the speed sensor issue, but drove for 2 years, and 30k miles w/o issue. We were going to QC fix it, but a dealer offered enough on a trade, in on a Bolt EUV. We missed some features from the Benz, like the 2nd row trays, the comfortable memory seats, and the bigger trunk. But the EUV Premier was a nice step up in range, and felt familiar to the B-Class.
As always the experience with German cars in the USA is: they drive wonderfully until the "gremlins" period starts. If the owner has enough money/patience to get everything sorted out the cars spring back to their former glory until next lost on the way "gremlin" shows up. I have no clue how collectible this car might become in the future. If it becomes as such then a full restomod in 15-18 years might be a thing with new battery and powertrain.
After lots of research I purchased a 2015 B250e from CarMax here in Oregon. I needed to replace my 13 MPG 05 Tahoe "Dog Car" with something. I was going to return the car (1500 mile / 30 day Carmax warranty) because the Tesla drive unit bearing were really noisy (i.e. shot). Carmax paid my local Mercedes dealer to replace the drive unit under the Carmax warranty. Basically, a brand-new car with the new drive unit! Can't say enough good things about Carmax and how they stood behind their warranty. It's a great car, but I'm sure the coolant seal will eventually fail, but while I'm waiting, it's perfect for around town and Level 2 charging. QC Charge guys were very helpful with advice prior to purchasing. With good snow tires, it's fine in central Oregon winter conditions. I'll miss it when it croaks!!
I am in Bend and considering buying a 2016 B250e. Have you had any other service done on yours locally? Based on your comment, it sounds like the local MB dealer is still doing service on them. Thanks!
@@markalbert8331 The replacement of the drive unit had to be done at Mercedes of Salem. I'm pretty sure the local Bend dealer can do everything short of something massive like the drive unit. Having said that, before you buy the car, have the local Mercedes guys verify that the two fatal flaws of this car aren't present on it: 1) Failing main bearing (google tesla large drive unit "Milling" - sounds like a jet turbine) and 2) leaking coolant seal (ruclips.net/video/txD7u2DKanE/видео.html). If either of these are present, the bill to fix them will exceed $14,000. I was super surprised CARMAX was willing to pay this large warranty bill. Google "Mercedes B-Class/B250e Drive Unit Coolant Leak Check" and a company called QC Charge has a video of the simple procedure. I gave the Mercedes guys the video and asked them to verify it was dry. In my case the seal was fine, but the main bearings were shot. Sounded kind of cool until it apparently will disintegrate. Good Luck!
@@ScotGraham Thanks so much for responding! I am familiar with the Tesla LDU seal leak issue and QC Charge, but I thought the fix was more like $5k. $14k is probably a deal breaker given the high risk. I am not familiar with the milling issue and will research. QC Charge just opening a new service center in Portland (!) so that is a much better option than San Diego and probably a better option than MB Salem going forward. I am looking at a used 2016 250e with 60k miles for $10k. I am comfortable with a certain level of risk and inconvenience, but I also don't want to make a huge mistake either just to satisfy my inner EV nerd.
@@ScotGraham For future reference - I found this from QC Charge comments (2021): The milling noise is a direct result of wear of the rotor and/or primary drive gear bearings. With excess wear, comes excess play, which can cause accelerated wear of other items, such as the rotor splines, and especially the rotor coolant seal. If the rotor coolant seal begins to leak, the coolant could permanently damage the motor and/or inverter beyond repair which is of course a much more expensive repair, and not to mention could leave you stranded with zero warning. At our shop, the most common reason for drive unit rebuilds these days is actually due to the coolant seals failing, and not nearly so much milling noise (in later motors, they switched over to ceramic bearings which mostly fixes the milling issue, but they also changed the coolant seal to an inferior design that does not last). A full rebuild is $4,000, assuming the drive unit is in "functional" condition and can be rebuilt. If we were to do a full overhaul at the shop where I work, we would: -Replace rotor bearings with upgraded hybrid ceramic bearings -Replace primary drive gear bearings -Replace rotor coolant seal with an upgraded triple lip PTFE seal -Inspect all parts of the drive unit for excess wear (splines, gears, etc.) It is possible to swap in another used drive unit for probably about the same amount of money, but by doing so you are swapping in a unknown part. If the replacement drive unit ends up with a failed coolant seal, or develops the same milling noise issue 10k mi down the road, then it could be a lot of money spent for nothing. That's why we rebuild every motor that comes through our shop, regardless of whether it "seems" good or not. I HIGHLY, HIGHLY recommend that ANYONE with a Large Drive Unit equipped Model S should check their drive unit for internal coolant leakage at least once per year, especially if you are out of warranty. For anyone who is near Vista California, we can perform the check free of charge at our shop (just make to call ahead first so we can make sure to have a lift open). We offer a 1 year warranty on all of our work. It's the same $4000 for the replacement of the bearings on the Tesla motor in a Mercedes B-class Electric Drive.
@@markalbert8331 There is quite a rabbit hole to investigate regarding the Tesla Large Drive Unit. @diyEVguy "DIYEVGuy" has an entire website dedicated to this. If QC is now in Portland, that would be terrific! SD was simply too far away and Mercedes will only replace the Drive unit. I will now sleep better knowing I can haul mine to Portland when it gives up. I love the car! Great safety features, great interior, and these were actually assembled in Germany. I'll look for a blue 250e around town (assuming it's the one at the VW dealership) Do have Mercedes do an inspection; it's less than $200.
You are wrong about the extra mileage option. Without it, it always charges to 100%. Not the opposite as you think to 85%. So your battery has probably always been charged to 100%. I know, because in Norway there are hundreds of this car.
Wow! Kyle, this is one project I would follow. This is a major marketing for Mercedes especially when it comes to how their EVs hold up after 10years. As a tesla owner of X and Y along with Solar, I have been looking to change from Teslas because of their mistreatment of loyal customers that have been with them for many years and I think this would give me an idea of the way Mercedes would hold up long term. Thanks again.
Rich rebuild said that people should stay away from older Telsa's unless many have to $15-20K for the battery and get the car at really cheap deal. He also said, Telsa knows their older cars will cost lots to fix so they have dropped the prices of all their cars so people who have $15-20K ready for a battery can purchase a new Tesla.
i currently have the 2015 model of this car. the interior is sooo nice, ice-cold A/C, with economic driving, the range of mine is averaging 100 miles. it also has a bomb sound system. it’s soon to be 3 years of having it and i’ve had no issues until last august. it randomly stopped turning on so i took it into the dealership and they said it was the a/c compressor. they work on it and was given it back 3 weeks later for it to have the same issue the following days. (i paid $6000ish) i bring it back and turns out they got a random used compressor from e-bay… while i paid for new?!? anyway it took over 2 months for me to get it back again (no charge) but it just doesn’t feel the same after these repairs. its more wobbly and shakes as i drive,and i’ve seen on forums that you go through tires quickly… i’m seeing that now. i have so much sentiment towards it since its my first ever car but repairs are too costly and not worth it considering its repair costs are worth more than the actual car value. also pretty low range with super slow charging is inconvenient. saw that out of spec doesn’t recommend it for the average person in the other video unless you have $10-15k extra sitting around for the inevitable repairs.
That looks really good with the Ash MB-Tex interior! Are you sure it doesn't have distronic? it has the flat emblem which is usually where they mount the radar for it.
Can't wait for the rest of the story on your 2014 B250e at qc. Got a feeling your girl is going to steal it from you, it's safer comfortable and has massive space for shopping.
My friend has one of these. The battery heater shorted to ground and stopped. He replaced it witha used one but now the battery heater doesn't work. I'm talking with him to measure things and figure out if the new heater is just blown. Nice car but not sure how easy it is to work on.
Hello Kyle, first off great deal, happy to see you do this vlog! The Mercedes B250e was Tesla's last Joint Venture. Your vehicle colors are called South Seas Blue Metallic (was an option) with either Sahara Beige or Crystal Grey both are M-B Tex material (not leather) and it seems to have a few individual options; heated seats, Harman Kardon sound system, Brown natural grain open pore Eucalyptus wood. The range extender (Range Plus) option was touted to go to 104 miles (but Mercedes warned not use it everyday). Unfortunately your vehicle does not have the radar based recuperation system with paddles. Also, Mercedes advertised the battery at 28kWh but it is actually a 35 kWh battery (Tesla). Top speed: 100mph. Weight: 3,924 pounds. Mercedes published the 0-60 as 7.9 seconds. Some nice option packages available were: Black fabric roof liner ($0.00 option), Multimedia Package with Smartphone integration (included an upgraded color 8" screen), Blind Spot Assist, Parktronic w/Park assist, Premium Package, Interior Package. The Navigation I think was from Garmin. Also some of the electric drive/battery related parts might be interchangeable with Tesla parts which can be found on eBay. Lastly, in 2017 the picnic tables disappeared.
Honestly with these electric cars the death always comes down to the BMS modules or the batteries. As someone who owns a first gen Kia soul ev, the battery management modules are not advanced enough for long periods of usage, cause both of the parts to become worn out over time
The on-board charger is a Tesla gen1 charger. these chargers can be fixed easily by replacing the fuses. Hopefully you install a Jdemo Chademo charger. Hopefully QC Charge can update the JDEMO and any other Chademo cars to work with CCS or NACS!
Excellent presentation. Thank you. A great way to turn $40k into $3k in less than 60,000 miles and 9 years. All of those folks saying EV's are maintenance and trouble free need to watch this video.
@@markmonroe7330 agreed, EV and battery tech is evolving rapidly, which makes it difficult to decide when to buy. Even 5 years will make a big difference in tech, much more than for typical gas cars
Isn't this B-Klasse the EV we are waiting for, IF it had range? Instead of learning from that and building a follow up version which could compete in the market, what did Mercedes do? Throw it all away just to realise shortly after that, that they lost contact with what the market wants and stop the production for A-Klasse and B-Klasse in general.
To bring costs down, I hope manufacturers standardize common EV components like the onboard charger and control systems. A common battery shape and configuration would be nice too, but because these vehicles come in so many different shapes and sizes, I don't see that happening.
in Europe, they are still asking 15k, for those cars. Not sure who is oblivious enough to pay that kind of money for a car that doesn't even have DC fast charging
I'm in Ireland and still see a few of these around occasionally but they are rare. Those that I've seen were white with blue accent parts on the bodywork but I see other colours (blue, and a black one) for sale on a local used site.
There were about 2500 of these built. New replacement battery might be available. Rebuilt drive units with improved seals and bearings are available. Suggest you get any items replaced/buy and hold in crate, now. After 10 years, manufacturers do not have to maintain parts availability. These may become like the Roadster, history of the modern EV. Will you be starting an EV museum? You have a Coda! Nice!
Amazong car! If you can a hold of the upgraded long range battery it would be absolutely perfect now. I forgot who bought the chassis from Mercedes but its awesome now
I bought a loaded 2017 Off lease during the pandemic. Great car powerful, but dealer support was non existent. Every year you are supposed to change a desiccant pack in the HV pack to keep batteries in warranty through 100K miles. Cost is 350-400. I became concerned about Gen 1 Model S motors being higher risk after 50 K so I sold it and stepped up to a Model Y Performance. Range is calculated based on previous drive information not EPA. Range 85 miles, Extended Charge 103 miles. When you can charge again you can use a Tesla Tap adapter to charge at 11kw on your home Tesla charger...Not a good car for long trips without Level 3 charging.
The TeslaTap adapter is wonderful for using Tesla Destination EVSEs out in the wild (hotels, wineries) but it's only NACS->J1772 and isn't magic. I use mine quite a bit. You don't need a TeslaTap at home to achieve the full 10kw capability of the Tesla OBC. I have an OpenEVSE 40A (240v) EVSE at three homes, and can charge my RAV4 EV at 40A (~10kw) at all of them -- no TeslaTap needed. Just buy the correct EVSE for your home :)
No. Adding DCFC is not straightforward, though it's possible. I own the RAV4 EV version of this (same drivetrain) and several RAV4 EV owners are working on a CCS/NACS retrofit . . . but it's not just changing the charge port, not by a long stretch.
I leased two different B-class EV's before the Model 3's came out. They are great commute and around town cars. I looked for used one a year ago, but didn't see any good deals so I got another Model 3. I was concerned about getting it serviced.
I've worked for Tesla for 14 years and I remember building the drive units specifically for the B class w242 electric drive Mercedes back in the day. I think the drive units were flashed to the 70kw battery pack I believe. We also built the electric Toyota Rav4 115kw motor with the 40kw battery as well limited to about 100 miles.
I have a Rav4 EV and love it!
did Tesla/MB know about the problem with the coolant leaking into the motor and eventually seizing it?
@@davidew98I love seeing these out and about!
Worked for Tesla for 14 years, yet still mixes up kW and kWh?
LOL when you gave a hint the Mercedes Charging Hub interview. I instantly knew it would be the ancient B250e. Exactly the kind of weird car Kyle would like. It has a sister car the Rav4 EV 2nd gen.
My first EV was a used Mercedes B250e EV. It was a great car that wasn't problematic as long as you didn't need to drive long distances quickly. The lack of DC charging was the only really issue I had with it.
They kept it going in Asia btw! It has DC and long range too I believe around 200-220 mi now.
@@roodick85 Denza 400 :)
"It feels faster than the bolt" and points to the bolt parked there. Magnificent production! Thanks Kyle, keep up the good work
I had a Volt and then got a Bolt. The Bolt is a faster car overall, but the Volt was WAAAAY faster off the line. The Volt would spin the tires as long as you wanted (traction control off obviously) but the Bolt doesnt even get a chirp. The Volt also cornered a lot better. The Volt was like a puppy that always wanted to play.
The Bolt has higher top speed and is better at 2-lane highway passing; I have to concentrate on letting off the gas as I pass the car in question to keep from getting well into "mandatory court appearance" speeds. Plus its such a gut punch to have to slow back down to ~the speed limit its like withdrawal. Especially since passing people whove been going 5mph below the limit for the previous 9 miles suddenly makes them speed up.
For all those people that say EVs are too expensive, this is a great around town errand runner! MB in your garage for less than the majority of cars available!
Lol!!!! It’s still way too limited! No one is going to buy that just because of town car! A cheap similar ICE will get you more range and capabilities
@@carholic-sz3qvThat's literally everything a lot of people want for their second car, something to get them to and from work and school and get groceries in.
Lol! I bought a 1998 Chevy Malibu, for $1,000.
Works, perfectly...and the gas tank didn't shrink, in 25 years. 😏
@@carholic-sz3qvyou don’t NEED more range for a local runaround car.
@@kennyfordham6208neither did gas prices
I nearly bought one of these last year from a used car dealer but noticed a noise while on the test drive. I pulled over to investigate and after some googling found out about the bearing issue. When I brought it back to the dealer and told him about the noise he denied it was even there, tried gaslighting me by telling me that noise is what EVs sound like. Then I showed him the forums saying that it was a common issue and the motor assembly needed to be replaced (or rebuilt) and he said there was nothing wrong with it. Then I called a friend who works for a Mercedes dealer and had him talk to the dealer who admitted they knew about the issue, had reached out to get it replaced but since it was outside of the warranty window they would need to pay several thousand dollars and he didn't want to do that. He was just hoping some sucker would buy it and get it off his lot.
I considered negotiating the price down based on the motor issues but ultimately decided that if they were shady enough to lie about this then what else were they hiding. This is just to warn used EV buyers to google common issues with the car you are looking at before you go to buy it and don't back down when you know something isn't right.
Should've bought it it's a free motor replacement from MB they just don't talk about it. Only takes 3 days
True of most used car dealers, regardless of diesel, petrol or electric power cars & trucks, not just EVs..
Think you dodge a bullet…. if the dealer lied about that issue what else might be wrong…
Free motor replacement? That’s news to me. Plenty of pissed off owners talking about a $20,000 replacement!
This video is the most Kyle thing ever.
I leased a B class electric in 2015 for 3 years. Drove it daily from 2015 thru 2018. Normal charge 82 miles and 94 when you pushed the range extend button. That range extender option also included an electrically heated windshield. They were RARE on the east coast where we live. Nobody had a clue what it was and Mercedes gave them away on leases for compliance. $300mo, no money down.
I still see them occasionally in the DC area
One was for sale in Towson a few years ago, north of Baltimore.
Damn, that really is a nice looking car. With a Tesla battery pack and drive train, no less! You already convinced me to get an old Leaf, now you're gonna get me wanting one of these.
I just this weekend had my (late) father's car shipped down from Livermore (CA) to San Diego. This was his last car before he passed away in July. He was an Electrical Engineer at Lawrence Livermore Laboratory, so an electric car was always on his want list. He bought it used (2015 model in 2018) and put a good 20k miles on it. It now has about 35k and works fantastically. I am now certainly going to contact QC charge to have the check it out preventatively. I have been driving it quite a bit in the Bay Area the past few months when I'd been going to up to work on the house. I could easily drive from Livermore to the Oakland Airport and back with plenty of range left over. The long term MPKWH is 2.7. The interior is fantastic, the drive is great. I see no reason to spend $40k plus on a car which will do the same weekly commutes. I have plenty of other IC cars that will make cross country trips. I ordered some new tires for the OZ rims on it and hope to add a new pop up head unit to add touch screen Carplay. Thanks, Kyle, for another long but valuable video. I can't wait to hear what happens on the next episode!
Oh, wow. Wasn’t expecting this to be up so quickly. I’m actually SO interested to see how this goes
It's not a mercedes car review without a problems section ❤
We have one of these and until it needed a repair, we loved it. It's a fantastic city car with all of the MB comfort and safety qualities. We installed a 7KW charge unit at our house and were putting about 12k miles per year commuting and just running around town and charging at home. We could get about 85 miles on a full charge, plus a bit more when we occasionally hit the extra charge button. Then, the seal issue with the motor (which apparently Tesla recalled on their own cars, but not on the MB cars) came up and we had to take it in for service. So, a little more than a year later we still don't have the car back as a result of an overloaded repair shop, poor quality parts that had to get rejected, and complete abandonment by MB which apparently just wants these cars to go away. We'll have a decision to make once the car comes back as we really like it but when we bought it in 2019 we were just trying to find a cheap EV until more EVs hit the market. I thought that by now there would be more small, less expensive EVs on the market.
Your story sounds just like mine except instead of MB I went through this hell with ford. Dealer had no idea how to fix it and I had to trade it in. I think every non-tesla EV is like this. Dealers have no clue how to fix them so you are good until you have a problem
@@joetz1The number of cars sold does matter: Ford Focus EV and this MB B class EV are rare beasts. On the other end Nissan LEAF and Chevrolet Bolt were best selling ones thus more parts are available and dealerships are accustomed with them. VW eGolf and FIAT e500 are in between.
Most California only cars are rare anyway.
Automaker attitudes toward compliance cars is alarming, and just a sign of their laziness. The solution is easy, install the updated version of the Tesla motor. But Mercedes can’t even be bothered to lift a finger because of automakers lazy compliance attitude.
@@nevco8774 my car was the mustang Mach-e not a compliance car like the focus. It started at 43,000 miles with the high voltage junction box. Then after a nearly a month of waiting for them to get the right parts they call me and tell me the car is ready. I drive to work and the MME starts overheating with the dash lighting up like a Christmas tree. I take it back to the dealer and they tell me air bubbles were in the coolant line and they figured it out. I pick up the car and drive to work and plug it into a charger at my job. Five minutes later I get an every on my phone that charging stopped. I try five different chargers and get the same result. I go home and have the same result at home. Back to the ford dealer. They try to tell me that there is something wrong with the chargers at work. They take the car in anyway. Then they call me and tell me it’s fixed. What was the problem? The port was overheating (that’s what they said). I go back to work and it’s the same problem. At this point I feel like the situation is a complete shit-show. I brought the car back in and while it was on the life I told the service department to move my plates to a new car in the showroom. I left the old car on the lift and hopefully they can figure it out. There was also a clunking problem coming from the front end that they never were able to figure out.
This is a sharp contrast compared to what I deal with if I need service from Tesla. They are all cross trained and know exactly what to do and often can fix the car in hours. I have a model y I bought in 12/2020 and I had an AC problem the first week. The service guy approached me with a printout he had downloaded from “the cloud” and knew exactly what the problem was. Since then for three years and 1/2 a dozen road trips the car has been flawless. I have absolutely beaten the shit out of it and it has never seen the inside of a garage. Just 70,000 miles of flawless performance. I have no doubt it will go another 200,000 miles without an issue. It just keeps taking whatever I throw at it and coming back for more
@@joetz1 No wonder there were 2 best seller among EVs in the USA Tesla Model Y as all around one and Chevrolet Bolt as dedicated commuter due to their reliability. At the moment Tesla has no competition until NACS is implemented by others. All other competitors are known for their "gremlins" in hardware and software.
Meanwhile my wife needed a dedicated commuter fitting into tight garage and easy to park at work. So we chose a Chevrolet Bolt EUV since being charged at home and never road tripped it is OK with CCS1.
Everybody wishes Tesla launches its Model 2, a presumably smaller hatch, and a killer commuter but it is only a rumor for now.
Volvo EX30 might be an unobtanium for that reason.
Thank you. I love these "cheap" used old ev videos. Thank you 😊
Can't wait for the follow up video with all the details.
I'm in Canada and have a regular gas powered B250 2014 here so it's nice to hear all about the e version.
props for Francie doing proper filming!
It was very popular in Norway , when it arrived in 2014/2015🇳🇴
One of my neighbors has one of these and a Model Y in their driveway. Pretty cool to see such a rare older EV around.
Had one of these for a few years. Picked it up for under half price just off a lease. Great car. We had the navigation (it is a module you have to plug into a slot in the top of the glove box) and the range extender, though we never used it. Only negative to the B Class was the lack of DC charging, but there are CHAdeMO conversion kits out there.
I was interested in getting one of these a couple of years ago, but had the same concern. Sadly, I learned those CHAdeMO conversion kits have been impossible to get for years, and after spending a few months looking for a B class that already had the conversion, I gave up and got an eGolf.
@@samesource Doesn't surprise me - has been 4+ years since I looked for them. I wonder whether the right move today would be to replace that J1772 with a NACS connector (which would fit in the hole - I was told it didn't have CCS because that wouldn't fit and they didn't want different metalwork for the EV variant) and perhaps even add an extra battery tray in the trunk space to double the capacity. It was a really nice car to drive around, and we did do some ~80 mile trips in it (when we knew we could leave it for a few hours to charge before we drove back). Having 150-200 mile range and DC charging would make it very practical.
im in the UK. few days ago i just bought a Renault Fluence Z.E. for £2500, all electric sedan with the same J1772 plug. similar issue, wont reveive charge but it's intermittent. Then i accidentally found out that if i plug the cable in, turn key all the way to try to start up the car, put the car in drive, shut off the car but leave key in, put it in park, then turn to ON position, then erase drivetrain unit fault codes via obd2, it magically will begin to charge 😅 nice save
I had the same year and color B-class ED as this one. Mine had a black interior and was more optioned out (regen paddles, nav, DVD, HK sound, etc..) except the range extending option. Max EPA range was 85 miles, but with good weather and the right terrain you could easily get 100 miles. I'd still own it, except I live on the east coast and I started hearing the motor whine from the bearings and couldn't justify shipping it out to QC for fixes.
can’t believe so many had one of these. Same here! 2014 B-Class Electric Drive before they changed the name to B250. Mine had the Range Extender option. Silly though, I had to pay for this $600 option to unlock what’s already on the car. when It was new with Extended range turned on to 100% charge, 105mi range. I could drive from Walnut to Irvine, round trip, on a good day. (single driver, no AC, no heat, 70F day).
Mine had 2 major issues. First was unable to charge just like this one. Second one was the car detected thr charger being connected even though 1772 was not plugged in. Unable to start or drive the vehicle. MB mobile service came, tried to reload the firmware, didn’t work. Towed on a flat bed to the dealer. My first EV and my first Mercedes.
As Kyle said on the video, I got the 2017 Clarity BEV after this B-Class. $199/mo lease on the Clarity. Can’t beat it!
Then I got a 2021 Model Y.
Just returned Model Y today. Picked up a Mercedes EQE500 SUV today!
That was my EV journey in a nutshell.
I owned this exact model-year for four years. Motor failed on the last day of the Extended Warranty. Six months later AC compressor had to be replaced... $5120. At that point I bought a Chevy Bolt EUV. I still miss the Merc, the prettiest car I ever had (blue like yours) and wonderful seats. Local dealer here in Cary, NC took great care of it, just so expensive!
Damn. $5120 for an AC compressor? The part in itself is like $500-600 max online on FCPEuro and stuff. $5120 though?
Great review and will be waiting for the update. Bought my 2015 as a lease return for $25K six years ago with only 13K miles on the clock. The new price was about $55K. I have every option save the sun roof. I drive it every day and a 60+ mile trip once a week. I have had on issue, the heater for the main battery, $2500.
The buttons on the left hand side of the steering wheel control the screen between the speedo and the power. Here you can reset the mileage for trips and when you recharge the main battery. This also resets the range and miles per KW. This is a Guess-O-Meter and often about 10% higher than your actual mileage.
Does not have MB Distronic but will go into emergency braking if it get too close to an object. This has saved me from an accident a couple times. I have found the brake transition not noticeable.
Get the ignition button for Keyless Start and just carry the key in your pocket. With key in your pocket you can lock and unlock the doors by touching the door handle.
Lots of other neat features, read the owners manual.
Great find!! MSRP in 2014/2015MY was $41,450
That M3 looks so sick!
Its funny seeing this EV again. I remember when I was in high school in 2014 I saw a black one of these dropping off another student and look back at that now thinking how special was that! Great video Kyle and awesome project car!
MB indeed sold the B class in Canada. My wife has owned two, a B200 from 2011 and her current car a B250 from 2014. The B200 was used and luckily had a extended warranty. It was traded at the MB dealer for a new 2014 B250 after having; new gearbox, new timing chain,tensioner , water pump , driver shaft bearings, replacement engine after the timing chain failed at 110 kph on the 407 forcing her to cross three lanes. Now out of warranty the dealer told her there was a new engine in Germany for $20,000. Put a used engine from LKQ and two months later traded it for B250. The B250 has been faultless. Just maintenance.
Kyle snatching up all the affordable EV's!
My sister bought one of these in 2019. Perfect for her use.
I test drove a B Class EV in 2013(?) at Mercedes in Calabasas but was too much money. Bought a 2012 RAV4 Electric instead. Incredible power in Sport Mode. Sold a year later at a $10k profit. Three years ago bought a 2013 RAV4 Electric and brought to Tony at QC Charge for service from Malibu. Traded in the RAV4 for a Ford Lightning. The trade in was the same price as what I bought it for so drove for three years for free. If there is a next time for you, rather than renting a gas pickup truck, I would have been happy to loan you my Lightning😊
Actually it was January 2015 when we test drove the B Class after looking back at a picture we took.
My first ever car at 17 in the UK was a 2013 b class 1.8 diesel. Honestly one of the best cars I’d ever owned. I had it for 2 years from 71k miles to 98k miles and never skipped a beat! I’d happily go back to one after currently owning a c class coupe 2014
MB supports it, but I shipped mine to QC Charge for the motor service. MB wanted $11k, and QC charged $6k
You got scammed
@@j3rmain3 he paid less than MB wanted, how did he get scammed?
@@RonRattiebecause you can get it for free
I leased the very similar car 2015 and kept it for 42 months, in OC California… it was my best car ever. I leased it for $263 per month which is less than gas cost for any other car. Have fun with this one.
My wife leased a new Mercedes B200 in 2007 in Ontario Canada. I believe the car listed around $37,000.00 back then. It had the 2.0 litre turbocharged engine rated at 193 h.p. I believe. Lots of zip and it was well optioned. The big surprise came when the first service was required. It cost about $600.00. We just about had a heart attack. I asked the service rep if Mercedes was flying a mechanic in on Lufthansa just for our car. He never even cracked a smile. Nice car but to have Mercedes take care of it was ridiculous.
All luxury car segments have expensive cost in relation to maintenance. Beside the service tech is payed $160 per hours, you also pay for oil change, filters, wash blades, top up, and measurements and testing. Even the Japaneses manufactures like Lexus and Infinity cost more in maintenance than their basic cars.
I knew it would be the B class
The W242 B class has proven to be a little wonder. My mom had a diesel B200 with a dual clutch auto. Turned out to be a super reliable car except for the glovebox nav module that kept dying. Interior quality was better than a lot of current gen A/B/C class.
you should team up Biz with QC Charge and open a 2nd shop in Colorado
Well, I'm thrilled to see the B-class electric become a subject for Out of Spec -- I own one myself and expect that some day I may have to send mine to QC for some work. So far my 2016 B250e has been a good commuter vehicle and my Mercedes dealer has been able to do the maintenance, but I know that won't last forever.
Your girlfriend has a voice like a video game character, like lara croft finding clues or something. :D So cool
“And I’m already noticing an issue with it that I did not know existed - it’s behind the camera” lol
I love mid 2010s MB products.
42:13 it is indeed the 12 volt.
I'm in Canada and own a gas powered one and I know my Main 12v battery is getting weak. in the winter if I stop with the radio on, after a while, I'll get this message. The gas one also has an Aux battery in the passenger footwell towards the front.. you have to pull the carpet back. There is some "relics" from the electric model in my gas car.. per example on the instant gas consumption, if I let off the gas, it goes into "Recharge" Lolll and from that radio message, I suspect you might have relics from the gas powered one aswell.
I truly enjoy mine! 2.0L 4cyl Turbo 4Matic! Yeehaaaa! Hope you enjoy yours!!!
We had a B-Class, we loved it. 5 seater, comfy, big boot, peppy, and enough range for our needs. Unfortunately it had the fatal coolant on the speed sensor issue, but drove for 2 years, and 30k miles w/o issue. We were going to QC fix it, but a dealer offered enough on a trade, in on a Bolt EUV. We missed some features from the Benz, like the 2nd row trays, the comfortable memory seats, and the bigger trunk. But the EUV Premier was a nice step up in range, and felt familiar to the B-Class.
Here in the UK a 16 plate with 85k miles is £7,500 at the moment.
As always the experience with
German cars in the USA is: they drive wonderfully until the "gremlins" period starts. If the owner has enough money/patience to get everything sorted out the cars spring back to their former glory until next lost on the way "gremlin" shows up.
I have no clue how collectible this car might become in the future. If it becomes as such then a full restomod in 15-18 years might be a thing with new battery and powertrain.
After lots of research I purchased a 2015 B250e from CarMax here in Oregon. I needed to replace my 13 MPG 05 Tahoe "Dog Car" with something. I was going to return the car (1500 mile / 30 day Carmax warranty) because the Tesla drive unit bearing were really noisy (i.e. shot). Carmax paid my local Mercedes dealer to replace the drive unit under the Carmax warranty. Basically, a brand-new car with the new drive unit! Can't say enough good things about Carmax and how they stood behind their warranty. It's a great car, but I'm sure the coolant seal will eventually fail, but while I'm waiting, it's perfect for around town and Level 2 charging. QC Charge guys were very helpful with advice prior to purchasing. With good snow tires, it's fine in central Oregon winter conditions. I'll miss it when it croaks!!
I am in Bend and considering buying a 2016 B250e. Have you had any other service done on yours locally? Based on your comment, it sounds like the local MB dealer is still doing service on them. Thanks!
@@markalbert8331 The replacement of the drive unit had to be done at Mercedes of Salem. I'm pretty sure the local Bend dealer can do everything short of something massive like the drive unit. Having said that, before you buy the car, have the local Mercedes guys verify that the two fatal flaws of this car aren't present on it: 1) Failing main bearing (google tesla large drive unit "Milling" - sounds like a jet turbine) and 2) leaking coolant seal (ruclips.net/video/txD7u2DKanE/видео.html). If either of these are present, the bill to fix them will exceed $14,000. I was super surprised CARMAX was willing to pay this large warranty bill.
Google "Mercedes B-Class/B250e Drive Unit Coolant Leak Check" and a company called QC Charge has a video of the simple procedure. I gave the Mercedes guys the video and asked them to verify it was dry. In my case the seal was fine, but the main bearings were shot. Sounded kind of cool until it apparently will disintegrate. Good Luck!
@@ScotGraham Thanks so much for responding! I am familiar with the Tesla LDU seal leak issue and QC Charge, but I thought the fix was more like $5k. $14k is probably a deal breaker given the high risk. I am not familiar with the milling issue and will research. QC Charge just opening a new service center in Portland (!) so that is a much better option than San Diego and probably a better option than MB Salem going forward. I am looking at a used 2016 250e with 60k miles for $10k. I am comfortable with a certain level of risk and inconvenience, but I also don't want to make a huge mistake either just to satisfy my inner EV nerd.
@@ScotGraham For future reference - I found this from QC Charge comments (2021):
The milling noise is a direct result of wear of the rotor and/or primary drive gear bearings. With excess wear, comes excess play, which can cause accelerated wear of other items, such as the rotor splines, and especially the rotor coolant seal. If the rotor coolant seal begins to leak, the coolant could permanently damage the motor and/or inverter beyond repair which is of course a much more expensive repair, and not to mention could leave you stranded with zero warning.
At our shop, the most common reason for drive unit rebuilds these days is actually due to the coolant seals failing, and not nearly so much milling noise (in later motors, they switched over to ceramic bearings which mostly fixes the milling issue, but they also changed the coolant seal to an inferior design that does not last). A full rebuild is $4,000, assuming the drive unit is in "functional" condition and can be rebuilt.
If we were to do a full overhaul at the shop where I work, we would:
-Replace rotor bearings with upgraded hybrid ceramic bearings
-Replace primary drive gear bearings
-Replace rotor coolant seal with an upgraded triple lip PTFE seal
-Inspect all parts of the drive unit for excess wear (splines, gears, etc.)
It is possible to swap in another used drive unit for probably about the same amount of money, but by doing so you are swapping in a unknown part. If the replacement drive unit ends up with a failed coolant seal, or develops the same milling noise issue 10k mi down the road, then it could be a lot of money spent for nothing. That's why we rebuild every motor that comes through our shop, regardless of whether it "seems" good or not.
I HIGHLY, HIGHLY recommend that ANYONE with a Large Drive Unit equipped Model S should check their drive unit for internal coolant leakage at least once per year, especially if you are out of warranty. For anyone who is near Vista California, we can perform the check free of charge at our shop (just make to call ahead first so we can make sure to have a lift open).
We offer a 1 year warranty on all of our work.
It's the same $4000 for the replacement of the bearings on the Tesla motor in a Mercedes B-class Electric Drive.
@@markalbert8331 There is quite a rabbit hole to investigate regarding the Tesla Large Drive Unit. @diyEVguy "DIYEVGuy" has an entire website dedicated to this. If QC is now in Portland, that would be terrific! SD was simply too far away and Mercedes will only replace the Drive unit. I will now sleep better knowing I can haul mine to Portland when it gives up. I love the car! Great safety features, great interior, and these were actually assembled in Germany. I'll look for a blue 250e around town (assuming it's the one at the VW dealership) Do have Mercedes do an inspection; it's less than $200.
Where’s Alyssa? Why isn’t she filming? 😢
I love the regen paddles on my Honda e. For the first year I barely used them, now I use them a lot, especially when coming off adaptive cruise.
Make sure you get that rapid charger retrofit from QC!
You are wrong about the extra mileage option. Without it, it always charges to 100%. Not the opposite as you think to 85%. So your battery has probably always been charged to 100%. I know, because in Norway there are hundreds of this car.
Wow! Kyle, this is one project I would follow. This is a major marketing for Mercedes especially when it comes to how their EVs hold up after 10years. As a tesla owner of X and Y along with Solar, I have been looking to change from Teslas because of their mistreatment of loyal customers that have been with them for many years and I think this would give me an idea of the way Mercedes would hold up long term. Thanks again.
Rich rebuild said that people should stay away from older Telsa's unless many have to $15-20K for the battery and get the car at really cheap deal. He also said, Telsa knows their older cars will cost lots to fix so they have dropped the prices of all their cars so people who have $15-20K ready for a battery can purchase a new Tesla.
I'm jelly and also called it. If you find one with the good stereo I want it ❤
sorry, sorry, sorry, Have you noticed that there are no sidewalks at all on the street where he's shooting? Drive or die LOL
Kyle ! We need an update on the B-Class ... what is going on?
nice to see Francie!
This with an lfp battery and model 3 motor would be perfect
there are a bunch of them driving around in jordan, as well as ford focus electric and rav4 evs
As a dun fact, the B-class with a disel is the standard issue Policecar in The Netherlands
I wish QC charge existed here in Toronto.
i currently have the 2015 model of this car. the interior is sooo nice, ice-cold A/C, with economic driving, the range of mine is averaging 100 miles. it also has a bomb sound system.
it’s soon to be 3 years of having it and i’ve had no issues until last august.
it randomly stopped turning on so i took it into the dealership and they said it was the a/c compressor. they work on it and was given it back 3 weeks later for it to have the same issue the following days. (i paid $6000ish)
i bring it back and turns out they got a random used compressor from e-bay… while i paid for new?!?
anyway it took over 2 months for me to get it back again (no charge) but it just doesn’t feel the same after these repairs. its more wobbly and shakes as i drive,and i’ve seen on forums that you go through tires quickly… i’m seeing that now.
i have so much sentiment towards it since its my first ever car but repairs are too costly and not worth it considering its repair costs are worth more than the actual car value. also pretty low range with super slow charging is inconvenient.
saw that out of spec doesn’t recommend it for the average person in the other video unless you have $10-15k extra sitting around for the inevitable repairs.
That looks really good with the Ash MB-Tex interior!
Are you sure it doesn't have distronic? it has the flat emblem which is usually where they mount the radar for it.
Can't wait for the rest of the story on your 2014 B250e at qc. Got a feeling your girl is going to steal it from you, it's safer comfortable and has massive space for shopping.
Having paddle shift regen is a godsend. I use it on my Niro and 310 miles on a charge is dead-easy if you coast at every possible opportunity.
My friend has one of these. The battery heater shorted to ground and stopped. He replaced it witha used one but now the battery heater doesn't work. I'm talking with him to measure things and figure out if the new heater is just blown. Nice car but not sure how easy it is to work on.
This would be the perfect size and shape for a new Tesla Model 2. It would be a fantastic city vehicle.
Hello Kyle, first off great deal, happy to see you do this vlog! The Mercedes B250e was Tesla's last Joint Venture. Your vehicle colors are called South Seas Blue Metallic (was an option) with either Sahara Beige or Crystal Grey both are M-B Tex material (not leather) and it seems to have a few individual options; heated seats, Harman Kardon sound system, Brown natural grain open pore Eucalyptus wood. The range extender (Range Plus) option was touted to go to 104 miles (but Mercedes warned not use it everyday). Unfortunately your vehicle does not have the radar based recuperation system with paddles. Also, Mercedes advertised the battery at 28kWh but it is actually a 35 kWh battery (Tesla). Top speed: 100mph. Weight: 3,924 pounds. Mercedes published the 0-60 as 7.9 seconds. Some nice option packages available were: Black fabric roof liner ($0.00 option), Multimedia Package with Smartphone integration (included an upgraded color 8" screen), Blind Spot Assist, Parktronic w/Park assist, Premium Package, Interior Package. The Navigation I think was from Garmin. Also some of the electric drive/battery related parts might be interchangeable with Tesla parts which can be found on eBay. Lastly, in 2017 the picnic tables disappeared.
My Leaf had a dented rear bumper, I used a heat gun and rubber mallet to pop it out. Give it a try.
i have used boiling water and some wooden handle with a a rag on it, push it from the inside and it'll pop out close to original form.
Honestly with these electric cars the death always comes down to the BMS modules or the batteries.
As someone who owns a first gen Kia soul ev, the battery management modules are not advanced enough for long periods of usage, cause both of the parts to become worn out over time
Great car, I’ve seen a lot of B class electrics where I live, but yours is in quite good state great purchase!
Still see these driving around in Norway
The on-board charger is a Tesla gen1 charger. these chargers can be fixed easily by replacing the fuses.
Hopefully you install a Jdemo Chademo charger.
Hopefully QC Charge can update the JDEMO and any other Chademo cars to work with CCS or NACS!
Excellent presentation. Thank you. A great way to turn $40k into $3k in less than 60,000 miles and 9 years. All of those folks saying EV's are maintenance and trouble free need to watch this video.
This vehicle is almost 10 years old, and not even remotely comparable to a newer EV
Lol!! Lets dont compare a garbagecan 10 year old benz to new evs with much newer tech
@@jamespaul2587 The EVs of today are going to seem just as antiquated in 10 years compared to the new ones at that time.
@@markmonroe7330 agreed, EV and battery tech is evolving rapidly, which makes it difficult to decide when to buy. Even 5 years will make a big difference in tech, much more than for typical gas cars
IF it gets you from A to B for 9 years who cares, it's a car.
Thank You for All that you are doing for our Planet Earth.... Peace.. Shalom.. Salam.. Namaste 🙏🏻 😊 🌈 ✌ ☮ ❤
Isn't this B-Klasse the EV we are waiting for, IF it had range?
Instead of learning from that and building a follow up version which could compete in the market, what did Mercedes do?
Throw it all away just to realise shortly after that, that they lost contact with what the market wants and stop the production for A-Klasse and B-Klasse in general.
To bring costs down, I hope manufacturers standardize common EV components like the onboard charger and control systems. A common battery shape and configuration would be nice too, but because these vehicles come in so many different shapes and sizes, I don't see that happening.
A hair dryer to heat up the plastic and paint for 5-10 min keep it constantly moving and then push from behind that will fix the bumper
Cool project, Kyle! Can't wait to see the follow up.
Haha he’s driving around 1 block from my house. I’ve seen this car around Whittier and didn’t realize it was for sale
13:44 made me laugh out loud
in Europe, they are still asking 15k, for those cars.
Not sure who is oblivious enough to pay that kind of money for a car that doesn't even have DC fast charging
lol most people would uh.. just call AAA or a tow company.. But this is so much more fun! haha
Nice B Class. Interesting! Put a new 12V in there and cycle reset the HV battery.
Just follow the advice of Click and Clack: tape some paper over the screen, and crank up the radio! See no evil, hear no evil. 😊
I'm in Ireland and still see a few of these around occasionally but they are rare. Those that I've seen were white with blue accent parts on the bodywork but I see other colours (blue, and a black one) for sale on a local used site.
You got to drag race a B Class vs the Rivian in FoCo! Now there will be TWO B Class in FoCo? Amazing.
You got a great deal there overseas. The cheapest one I found in Germany is 11000€
I see these all over the Orlando area. A good mix of EV and ICE options from Canada and I believe I’ve seen a few with Mexico plates.
You should get it replaced with the new North American Standard charger?
Cheapest is £9k in the UK, too much for a ticking timebomb of repairs. Still a cool car, and an interesting chapter in the story of EV adoption.
There were about 2500 of these built.
New replacement battery might be available.
Rebuilt drive units with improved seals and bearings are available.
Suggest you get any items replaced/buy and hold in crate, now.
After 10 years, manufacturers do not have to maintain parts availability.
These may become like the Roadster, history of the modern EV.
Will you be starting an EV museum?
You have a Coda! Nice!
Check the contactors for possible arc damage.
Amazong car! If you can a hold of the upgraded long range battery it would be absolutely perfect now. I forgot who bought the chassis from Mercedes but its awesome now
Just pop the dent out of the bumper and try to make it look a bit better and call it a day
I'm the 700th like and the 70th comment !! Go Kyle, way to drift buddy!
I bought a loaded 2017 Off lease during the pandemic. Great car powerful, but dealer support was non existent. Every year you are supposed to change a desiccant pack in the HV pack to keep batteries in warranty through 100K miles. Cost is 350-400. I became concerned about Gen 1 Model S motors being higher risk after 50 K so I sold it and stepped up to a Model Y Performance.
Range is calculated based on previous drive information not EPA. Range 85 miles, Extended Charge 103 miles. When you can charge again you can use a Tesla Tap adapter to charge at 11kw on your home Tesla charger...Not a good car for long trips without Level 3 charging.
The TeslaTap adapter is wonderful for using Tesla Destination EVSEs out in the wild (hotels, wineries) but it's only NACS->J1772 and isn't magic. I use mine quite a bit.
You don't need a TeslaTap at home to achieve the full 10kw capability of the Tesla OBC. I have an OpenEVSE 40A (240v) EVSE at three homes, and can charge my RAV4 EV at 40A (~10kw) at all of them -- no TeslaTap needed. Just buy the correct EVSE for your home :)
That range estimate makes me feel better about my ‘14 Ford Focus Electric
I'm looking forward to seeing how you get on with this one. Am I right in thinking you can add DC charging, as its basically a Tesla HV system?
+1 please
No. Adding DCFC is not straightforward, though it's possible. I own the RAV4 EV version of this (same drivetrain) and several RAV4 EV owners are working on a CCS/NACS retrofit . . . but it's not just changing the charge port, not by a long stretch.
I leased two different B-class EV's before the Model 3's came out. They are great commute and around town cars. I looked for used one a year ago, but didn't see any good deals so I got another Model 3. I was concerned about getting it serviced.
The guy on Flying Wheels says you can just heat up the back bumper and pop the dent out.