Mercedes EQE 350+ long-term test | No need for range anxiety

The first few days with our new Mercedes-Benz EQE 350+ long-termer induced a mild attack of range anxiety caused by the way the on-board computer (OBC) calculates starting range.

Return to the car left overnight with, say, 300 miles of range and, upon start-up, as much as 100 miles immediately disappear. The range would gradually return once a few miles into the journey.

It’s the first electric car I’ve driven which seems to undergo this complete daily reset, rather than basing its predictions on previous driving experience. That reset sees every journey begin with an efficiency reading of 999Wh/mi (yes, Mercedes-Benz shuns the conventional mi/kWh, or even the kWh/100km in favour of the least used measurement – megawatt hours per kilowatt).

That would equate to just one mile per kWh, so it’s no wonder the OBC has a temporary attack of the heebie-jeebies.

Helpfully, the EQE offers two range read outs: the ‘current’ forecast and a ‘max’ range. It’s the current forecast that is affected, not the max range.

Consequently, I’ve learned to base my expectations on the max range. And what a max it’s turning out to be.

The WLTP range from the massive 96kWh battery is 429 miles. You can easily add another 10 miles to that.

In fact, one 130-mile journey consisting of a mix of roads, including motorway (driven at a consistent 65mph), returned an efficiency performance of 215Wh/mi.

That equates to 4.65mi/kWh. In fairness, we’ve driven more efficient BEVs (the Hyundai Ioniq, for one, which often exceeded 5mi/kWh), but coupled with the battery size, this results in exceptional range.

As an indication, the subsequent charge-up gave an astonishing 489-mile max rating!

After a few more charge cycles we’re now achieving close to 440 miles in real-world driving.

The EQE is at its most efficient when the intelligent recouperation is selected (via the paddle shift), rather than normal recoup or no recoup. This uses various inputs including vehicle speed and speed limits, road topography and traffic to calculate the optimal level of energy recapture.

It will bring the vehicle to a complete standstill, enabling one-pedal driving in urban environments.

Journey range can be further maximised by pushing the EQ button on the central dashboard which displays eco options on the infotainment screen, including climate control, interior functions and driving functions, together with how much additional range is possible by selecting each option.

All told, that mild bout of range anxiety has been quickly consigned to history: the EQE surely offers sufficient range to meet every journey requirement.

Mercedes EQE 350+ Sport Edition joins our fleet

If range, quality and comfort are top of your drivers’ company car criteria then the Mercedes-Benz EQE should be on your choice list.

We'll dive into the detail in future reviews but suffice to say the Merc’s mighty 96kw (useable) battery laughs in the face of the official WLTP figure of 429 miles by comfortably exceeding 440 on many longer journeys. Note, this is during the optimum warmer weather we’ve experienced since the onset of spring.

The EQE is supremely comfortable to drive in comfort mode, but does offer four options: eco, comfort, sport and individual programmes, as well as five levels of recuperation.

Energy can be further conserved by selecting Eco or Eco+ for the climate control, which restricts certain functions such as seat and air heating.

The interior quality is exceptional with soft touch materials, smoothly sculptured surfaces and backlit Mercedes-Benz star trim. The top of the dashboard, which bleeds into the doors, uses a sustainable recycled microfibre material called Dinamica, which has a suede-like look and feel.

However, the fussy mix of haptic and push button controls jam-packed onto the steering wheel can slightly sully the experience.

Thankfully, some functions such as volume, drive mode, parking assist and shortcut access to car settings are supported by push keys beneath the 12.8-inch multimedia touchscreen.

In addition, climate control and temperature settings are permanently displayed beneath the sat-nav map on the touchscreen for easy access.

Intriguingly, a fingerprint recognition system (also among the push keys) gives access to pre-set car settings, including user profiles, in-car payment features and recalling personal preferences such as heating, navigation and driving position.

Our car is the entry-level rear-wheel drive 350+ Sport Edition – the line up walk is AMG Line Edition and AMG Line Edition Premium topped by the AMG Line Edition Premium Plus (all three have the additional choice of the 4Matic all-wheel drive) – priced £69,695 P11D.

Standard equipment highlights on our model include MBUX touch/voice activated infotainment functions, which also understands indirect commands such as “I feel hot” to adjust the temperature, parking assist with reversing camera, wireless smartphone charging, 64-colour ambient lighting with 10 ‘mood’ colours, high beam assist (though not the matrix system), heat pump and pre-entry climate control.

It also includes Guard 360 vehicle protection, which bundles existing and future products to protect the car against theft. Features include tow away protection, parking collision detection stolen vehicle help and emergency key deactivation.

The only optional extra is the Patagonia red metallic paint at £695.

Charging times for 10-80% can be as fast as 31 minutes on a 170kW DC unit, dropping to just over 10 hours using the onboard 11kW AC charger.

For completists – or simply those who still obsess over the performance details - the top speed is 130mph while the 0-62mph sprint flashes by in just 6.5 seconds.