GoKawiilis transportation editor with 10+ years of experience who covers EVs, public transportation, and aviation. His work has appeared in The New York Daily News and City & State.
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The Mercedes-Benz C-Class, typically a benchmark in luxury compact sedans, now gets an all-important electric variant. The new C 400 4MATIC is built on an 800-volt architecture designed for efficiency and long-distance travel. Its estimated range is up to 762 kilometers (473 miles) on the WLTP cycle. And Mercedes boasts that it’s the “sportiest C-Class ever” but also “smooth like an S-Class.”
While Mercedes-Benz has a long history of releasing EVs under its “EQ” branding, the current C-Class is only available in a gas, mild-hybrid, and plug-in hybrid powertrain. So this marks the first time that the C-Class nameplate has been affixed to a purpose-built battery-electric vehicle.
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1 / 4 Der neue Mercedes-Benz C 400 4MATIC elektrisch.
There’s a lot going on under the hood — or under the floor in the battery pack, as it were. Mercedes says the C-Class can add 325km (202 miles) of range in just 10 minutes while plugged in at a 330kW DC fast charging station. The EV can put out 360kW of power, equivalent to about 483 horsepower, which enables a 0–100km/h acceleration in about four seconds. And it supports bidirectional charging, meaning it can act as a mobile energy storage unit to other devices or homes.
Unlike most EVs, which have a single gear, this C-Class features a two-speed transmission on the rear axle. The first gear is short for neck-snapping off-the-line acceleration, while the second gear is longer to maximize efficiency and quietness at highway speeds.
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