GoKawiilMercedes-Benz is still shaking out exactly what trims and specifications we'll see in the US market, but initially there will only be one powertrain to choose from: the dual-motor, all-wheel-drive C 400 4Matic.
This uses a pair of permanent magnet electric motors, one at the front and one at the rear, to deliver 483 horsepower and 590 pound-feet of torque. While middling in the premium EV space, it's pretty remarkable for a C-Class. That's well more than the current, performance-oriented AMG C43, which makes 416 horsepower and 369 pound-feet of torque, second only to the top-shelf C63 E Performance.
Mercedes says that's good enough for the new, electric C-Class to get from zero to 60 mph in 3.9 seconds. It'll then carry on up to a top speed of 130 miles per hour. You won't want to be testing either of those figures if range is your priority, though, and by all accounts the new C-Class should be a standout in that regard.
Like the new electric GLC, the C-Class has a 94-kilowatt-hour battery pack down in the floor that charges at a maximum rate of 330 kilowatts. Mercedes says that's enough to get from 10 to 80 percent in 22 minutes.
Total range is estimated to be 474 miles on the European WLTP score. The American EPA range test is a bit harsher, so expect something closer to 425 miles on a charge once the new C-Class gets certified for US roads.
That, too, is an impressive figure compared to what came before. Mercedes' closest EV is the EQE sedan, which has up to a 96 kWh battery pack and does 308 miles on a charge in its single-motor configuration.