New GLE 350de Owner having problems

[Glephev]

clearly the contributors above didn’t realise that the car is a hybrid. It has a total range of 600 miles. The electric range allows all local journeys to be made emmission free and the long term mpg is about 75 which includes towing a 3 ton trailer and some off road work. The car gets real world use.

 

[Blobcat]

clearly the contributors above didn’t realise that the car is a hybrid. It has a total range of 600 miles. The electric range allows all local journeys to be made emmission free and the long term mpg is about 75 which includes towing a 3 ton trailer and some off road work. The car gets real world use.

Please don’t take this as a negative

How are you calculating the fuel economy?

Only emissions free at point of use (which is good for city centres) it’s not “emissions free” as the electricity generation has emissions

I had a range of over 925 miles in my E220d and regularly had >80mpg. Less weight as not carrying either batteries it didn’t need or an engine it didn’t need.

 

[Sheppard]

I thought I'd give you an update. Basically my GLE350de charged at 7.4kw on a single phase wall charger until some 12 months after I had acquired the vehicle when MB did one of their 'software updates'. This then limited the charge rate to 3.7kw and doubled charge time. In all literature now, they specify the difference between single and 3 phase wall chargers but didn't at the time of acquisition, merely stating the 7.4kw wall box charge time. After raising this and sending MB the original literature, I received the final response below. In view of this, I would be reluctant to believe anything MB publish as they are able to change specifications post-sale through software updates on new vehicles. I wonder if they would get away with this if they decided to disable a 4 wheel drive system or limit the top speed to 50mph through post-sale software updates?

In practical terms, because of my driving/charging cycles, this has halved my electric driving miles; the whole point of this vehicle for me.

If I were a sceptical individual, It may be my opinion that they discovered premature battery life/faults resulting in warranty claims when charging at 7.4kw through single phase and they made a post-production decision to limit it. Of course, I understand MB have far too much integrity to go down that route.

Thank you for contacting Mercedes-Benz Customer Service in relation to your complaint regarding the charging rate on your car, detailed above.

As requested, I am following up in writing to confirm what was discussed with my colleague Mark during your phone call on 26th September 2022.

Mercedes-Benz identified a group of affected vehicles that did not match the intended factory configuration, which meant that they could be incorrectly charged at 7.4KW with a single phase supply. According to the brochure material for your car, it is advertised that the GLE 350 de should be capable of charging at 7.4KW with a three-phase power supply, however they would charge at 3.7KW with a single-phase supply. I understand a copy of this brochure has been sent to you by email.

The ability for the car to charge at 7.4KW with a single-phase supply should not have been possible from the beginning, and in light of this, the recall was completed and the car is now operating as it should be.

While I appreciate this is not the outcome you had hoped for, please be advised that your complaint has been fully investigated with our Customer Service department, and we have liaised with our Technical Department and Mercedes-Benz UK to confirm the above. Unfortunately, further communication with our Customer Service department will not change the outcome of this complaint, and should you wish to escalate the matter further, I have outlined your next point of escalation below. I hope this helps.

If you are unhappy with this final decision or feel this matter is unresolved, you can seek advice with a CTSI Certified Alternative Dispute Resolution provider, including The Motor Ombudsman who may be able to resolve your complaint in appropriate circumstances. Details can be found at www.themotorombudsman.org, or alternatively their telephone number is 0345 241 3008 selecting option 1.

 

[mattkh]

I thought I'd give you an update. Basically my GLE350de charged at 7.4kw on a single phase wall charger until some 12 months after I had acquired the vehicle

Excuse my ignorance, as I do not have a fully electric car yet.
How did you know that your GLE350de was charging at 7.4 Kw..?

 

[Sheppard]

Excuse my ignorance, as I do not have a fully electric car yet.
How did you know that your GLE350de was charging at 7.4 Kw..?

Hi, mine isn't fully electric, it's a plug-in hybrid but when it charges, it displays the rate of charge on the dashboard and also within the Mercedes Me phone app. Additionally, it used to take half the time it does now to charge fully.

In all honesty what has upset me is MB's arrogance in refusing to acknowledge that they have made a significant change to operating specification. As a manufacturer myself, I believe you have to be honest with your customer.

 

[Gazdic_D]

Hi All,
I can share my issue and the finding regarding the charging of my GLE350de purchased new in August 2021.

Since I received my GLE I have charged on public chargers (single phase) at 7.0 - 7.4KWH and DC public chargers p and a bit over 50kwh. I had Zappi charger installed on a 32AMP fuse (single phase) at my office giving me a 7.4kwh charge. Happy Days.......

Well, this happy day's bit did not last long. Had a car recall (electrical safety harness) in September 2022. Since I collected my car back from this recall I was devastated. My GLE 350 de WOULD NOT CHARGE ON 7.4KWH instead I'm only getting 3.7KWH.

I had my Zappi EV charger replaced thinking its something to do with my charger,
I had my GLE back to MB for further checks - they said all fine.
I checked my GLE on a public charger knowing I was getting 7.4kwh before this recall to find only 3.7kwh.
I checked my GLE on a public DC charger and all good - 50KWH

After many hours on the www I discovered that many owners of GLE de have the same issues but no change or single comment from Mercedes BENZ.

What I have learned is:

GLE350de will only charge on single-phase electricity at the rate of 3.7kwh and up to 22kwh on 3-phase electricity in the UK. in Europe they have 2-phase eclectic in every hose (unlike UK where that can cost up to £10,000 installation).
A charging rate of 7.4kwh can only be archived on 2-phase and 3-phase electricity.

So my Dear All, we have been misled and stitched up by MB in the UK. It is done by a new software update we all had, unfortunately. Doing this prolongs the life of the batteries at least to last while the warranty is in place.

 

[ajlsl600]

This is an easy one, but I went through a lot of pain and research to find the answers. Very simply, Mercedes only provide you with a 20A cable. This restricts your home charging to 3.6kw. You need to purchase a 32A Mennekes charging lead. This will solve your problem. Hundreds of us have found this out. Please check our Mercedes 350de FB page which I co-admin.

Got to ask, why wud this info NOT Be in owners handbook.?

 

[Sheppard]

Hi All,
I can share my issue and the finding regarding the charging of my GLE350de purchased new in August 2021.

Since I received my GLE I have charged on public chargers (single phase) at 7.0 - 7.4KWH and DC public chargers p and a bit over 50kwh. I had Zappi charger installed on a 32AMP fuse (single phase) at my office giving me a 7.4kwh charge. Happy Days.......

Well, this happy day's bit did not last long. Had a car recall (electrical safety harness) in September 2022. Since I collected my car back from this recall I was devastated. My GLE 350 de WOULD NOT CHARGE ON 7.4KWH instead I'm only getting 3.7KWH.

I had my Zappi EV charger replaced thinking its something to do with my charger,
I had my GLE back to MB for further checks - they said all fine.
I checked my GLE on a public charger knowing I was getting 7.4kwh before this recall to find only 3.7kwh.
I checked my GLE on a public DC charger and all good - 50KWH

After many hours on the www I discovered that many owners of GLE de have the same issues but no change or single comment from Mercedes BENZ.

What I have learned is:

GLE350de will only charge on single-phase electricity at the rate of 3.7kwh and up to 22kwh on 3-phase electricity in the UK. in Europe they have 2-phase eclectic in every hose (unlike UK where that can cost up to £10,000 installation).
A charging rate of 7.4kwh can only be archived on 2-phase and 3-phase electricity.

So my Dear All, we have been misled and stitched up by MB in the UK. It is done by a new software update we all had, unfortunately. Doing this prolongs the life of the batteries at least to last while the warranty is in place.

Hi,
I'm sure you've seen the copy of MB response to me in relation to this issue, a software update limiting the charge rate. The brochure material they refer to is current and clearly states the different charge rates between single and 3-phase wall chargers but the literature at the time of acquisition (March 2021 but ordered March 2020) did not distinguish between them, merely giving the shorter 3 hours or so charge time on a 7kwh wall charger. This was sent to MBCS but they have chosen to ignore this completely.
To be honest, I've lost the will to continue this fight although a complaint to the Motor Ombudsman from multiple people might force MB's hand. I suspect however with the arrogance shown, they would simply disregard this also.
Just as a 'ps', I am one month into failed engine mounts with an expected delivery for the parts probably in December. The failed windscreen camera that all safety and driving assist features rely upon has been faulty since new causing periodic shut down was finally ordered a month ago for replacement with an expected delivery sometime in January.
On top of the general reliability issues with this car and others together with the dishonesty displayed with this issue, after staying loyal to MB with my last 4 vehicles I don't imagine my next car will be one (or any other car acquired within the companies).
Best regards
Ian.

 

[mattkh]

(unlike UK where that can cost up to £10,000 installation).

Really.!!!
All it involves is digging about one meter at the footpath and running a thick cable to a separate consumer unit at the property.

 

[Gazdic_D]

Really.!!!
All it involves is digging about one meter at the footpath and running a thick cable to a separate consumer unit at the property.

I quited price electricity board estimated for 3 phase electric installation to company solely for EV charger.

 

[alexanderfoti]

For clarification

KW is a measurement of rate, like MPH
KWh or KW-h is a unit like miles

If you pull 10 KW for 1 hour, you have used 10kwh

If you draw 10kw for 2 hours, you have used 20kwh

Etc.

Reading through this thread, it's clear that a software update has broken 7kw charging.

The EVSE that your plugged into, tells the car what power level is available, then the car pulls that amount.

The type 2 connector is wired for 3 phase, but that's not available at lots of homes, I wonder if any of the cars having issues here are all on a 3 phase EVSE or a single phase EVSE

 

[NJS5]

I have to say that my experience matches Gazdic D's in so far as the cost of installing 3 phase - except the figure I was given was in excess of £10k.

It would be interesting to know where mattkh lives and more particularly which is his distribution network operator ("DNO").

“It almost entirely depends on how far away the 3-phase supply is. If you’re a few miles away from a 3-phase supply then the project won’t be cheap. However, if we are talking up to 25m then we’re in business.”

“£4,000 including VAT for a standard conversion with up to 20m of trenching sounds reasonable,” says Paul.

“It isn’t unheard of for electricians to quote £7,000 to £15,000 for some projects, with higher price brackets for farms and larger buildings.”

Source: https://topcharger.co.uk/can-i-get-three-phase-power-at-home/

 

[mattkh]

It would be interesting to know where mattkh lives and more particularly which is his distribution network operator ("DNO").

I live in London SW20 and am ignorant about my DNO and
totally out of touch with installation charges.

 

[NJS5]

Thanks mattkh

 

[Sheppard]

For clarification

KW is a measurement of rate, like MPH
KWh or KW-h is a unit like miles

If you pull 10 KW for 1 hour, you have used 10kwh

If you draw 10kw for 2 hours, you have used 20kwh

Etc.

Reading through this thread, it's clear that a software update has broken 7kw charging.

The EVSE that your plugged into, tells the car what power level is available, then the car pulls that amount.

The type 2 connector is wired for 3 phase, but that's not available at lots of homes, I wonder if any of the cars having issues here are all on a 3 phase EVSE or a single phase EVSE

Thank you for the clarification regarding kw/kwh. I believe the problem is quite clear; MB have now limited charge rate on new vehicles and on older ones through an enforced software update from a single phase EVSE (electric vehicle supply equipment) to 3.7kw when some vehicles had previously allowed a 7.4kw charge from both single and three phase EVSE. This limitation is noted in specifications advertised now but was not specified back in 2020/2021 when these vehicles were ordered/acquired.
Although 7.4kw is available from the EVSE, the vehicle recognises the EVSE is single phase and now limits rate to 3.7kw
I believe it's relatively easy to install a three-phase supply but as with most things related to the Utility companies, they certainly know how to charge for it and I believe that the domestic EVSE would also have to be changed in most cases.
I'm sure everyone can draw their own conclusions as to why this change has been made even though it impairs the practicality of the vehicles.
This could be one of the many problems in adopting EV usage before all issues are fully understood by both manufacturers and consumers. When we talk about EV's generally, most people do not know a lot about them (myself included) and this leads to a lot of confusion and unknowns about the charging infrastructure in particular.

 

[alexanderfoti]

3kw is pretty rubbish, but at least its not a 40kwh + pack.

At least you can still do a full charge overnight @3kw. It's not the first time MB have done something like this. I can only assume this change was to protect the onboard charger, as the probably had a large number of failures at the higher charge rates.

 

[Nojvak]

Hi, I currently have the same issue with my GLE 350de where mb have reduced the charge rate on single phase to 3kw via a software update at a dealership. Does anyone have a copy of the original charging specifications that they could post? I intend to return my car as this is clearly miss selling in my opinion.
Thanks

 

[Sheppard]

Hi, I currently have the same issue with my GLE 350de where mb have reduced the charge rate on single phase to 3kw via a software update at a dealership. Does anyone have a copy of the original charging specifications that they could post? I intend to return my car as this is clearly miss selling in my opinion.
Thanks

Hi Nojvak, The only spec I have from the time is a MY 20.5 brochure where it states that the homecharger will charge at 7kw and charge the vehicle in four hours. I don't believe MB made any reference to single or three phase chargers until well after I took delivery in March 2021. Even then, the vehicle charged at 7kw quite happily until MB enforced a software change in Aug. 22
I am unable to attach the brochure file as it is too large but if you want a copy, drop me an e-mail (ian.sheppard@westin.co.uk) and we'll work out a way to send it through.
To be honest, the only thing stopping me rejecting the vehicle is the current supply issues with new cars. This issue together with other problems with this car and my previous 3 MB's has put me off the brand completely, my next car won't be a MB.
regards, Ian.

 

[malcolm E53 AMG]

Seems to me that National Grid may be intervening with electric car manufacturers the supply to some villages won’t take multi-household charging of cars at 7kW

 

[Nojvak]

Hi Nojvak, The only spec I have from the time is a MY 20.5 brochure where it states that the homecharger will charge at 7kw and charge the vehicle in four hours. I don't believe MB made any reference to single or three phase chargers until well after I took delivery in March 2021. Even then, the vehicle charged at 7kw quite happily until MB enforced a software change in Aug. 22
I am unable to attach the brochure file as it is too large but if you want a copy, drop me an e-mail (ian.sheppard@westin.co.uk) and we'll work out a way to send it through.
To be honest, the only thing stopping me rejecting the vehicle is the current supply issues with new cars. This issue together with other problems with this car and my previous 3 MB's has put me off the brand completely, my next car won't be a MB.
regards, Ian.

Thanks Ian, I’ve emailed you.