Noob member from Berkshire and owner of a brand new EQA 250+

[mercurialbenz]

Morning all

I have been a MB owner for a few years however new here

Recently purchased a brand new EQA 250+ which I love.

When I picked up the EQA 250+ from the dealership it was 100% charged & the actual driving range not total range was showing as 320 miles.

I have since charged it to 80% couple of times & it used to show an actual range of 280 miles. However since Sunday the actual range for 80% charge has dropped significantly & is only showing around 180 miles. So I ran a test this morning & charged it to 100%, the actual range is now showing as 234 miles which is a significant drop from 320 miles on the previous 100% charge.

It is not even biting cold yet so am not expecting 30% drop in battery range on a brand new car. Could anyone please advise what is causing this drop?

Cheers

 

[Blobcat]

Hello and welcome,

It's not that cold, however it's probably cold enough for heated seats, demisting screens, headlights, heaters and other systems that all sup power
You don't see it in an ICE car as the fuel level stays the same - you just get less miles per gallon in the winter

 

[Grey1955]

Hi,

Great car.

The weather is a factor and things like to a/c is a real drain on the battery, so even a few degrees reduction to the temperature can help. I did try switching it off as some suggest but that wasn’t practical as I wasn’t happy to be cold in the car! Best to lower the temperature a few degrees and use the heated seats as they aren’t such a drain on the battery.

A change in driving style helps the most, and that can take a few weeks to adjust. Use the regen mode, and with practice you can drive without using the brakes! Sounds dangerous, but you will adapt, and it will become second nature. Also, the range will change during a journey based on how you are drive, the conditions, and the usage of things like a/c, so a few more weeks driving the car I’m hopeful you will see the range improve.

The biggest thing to be honest is to stop worrying about range, so as long as you have a home charger, just plug the car in overnight and think of the savings you are making over an ICE, and more important, enjoy the car.

 

[Monday]

I'm finding a slightly different problem with a CLA 250e PHEV. The electric range is given as 44 miles and it charges (on a granny charger at the moment, wallbox ordered) to 42 miles. Fair enough. But there is a significant difference between 'electric miles' and 'geographical miles'. For example, Google maps tells me that my gym is exactly 5 miles away, so 10 miles round trip. That round trip takes 15-16 miles off the electric range.

Now when I first got the car, the outbound trip was in daylight and dark/headlights on the way home. Now it's dark both ways after the clocks changed but that has not made a difference to the electric mileage. The only other factor is heating but I can't see why that would add 50% to consumption.

Disappointing to see 42 miles turning into 28 miles and I just wonder why?

 

[grayb]

Disappointing to see 42 miles turning into 28 miles and I just wonder why?

Unfortunately, the quoted range figures (from nearly any manufacturer, not just Merc) are wildly unrealistic.

 

[mioba]

Unfortunately, the quoted range figures (from nearly any manufacturer, not just Merc) are wildly unrealistic.

Exactly and that for any power source, ICE or electric.
They use a flat track, no wind and just go round in circles.
No stop start, no slowing or accelerating to lug 2 tonnes and choose a nice warm day with probably every electric item switched off.

Enjoy the car and dont worry

 

[Grey1955]

After some years of driving a pure EV and now the CLA 250e, range is always going to be an issue, just like the stated MPG that as we all know is usually unobtainable, so as I’ve mentioned before, if you can plug it into a home charger and have a cheap tariff running on electric is still a lot cheaper than buying petrol. And to be honest, I really like my CLA and it was charged overnight that gives me 46 miles and cost £1.30. Nothing more to worry about.

 

[eman]

Sit in the car with the ignition on and all the accessories off. Look at the battery range then switch the fan on to the first speed and look how the mileage drops. I’ve got the EQC and whether the fan is on number 1 or 7 50 miles drop off the range until you turn it off. I use the windscreen de mister as it gets warm quickly then turn the seat on as that uses less power.

 

[Grey1955]

The a/c is a real drain on the battery, so I always set it to auto rather than mess about with it manually. In the winter I set a sensible temperature in the car and supplement this with the heated seats as they use less energy. If possible, pre heat the car before you get in it and I said before, stick with auto on the a/c settings. Using the fan manually has a massive affect on the battery, so I never use that.

In my early days of ownership of a pure EV, (now own a 250e) I lowered the temperature or even switched it off so struggled to get warm, in winter scrapped ice off the windscreen rather than defrost it, in summer opened the windows to stay cool, and even tried switching the radio off, but after a few weeks decided this was ridiculous as it brought back memories of driving in the 1960’s and that was no fun. Boiling in the summer and freezing in the winter.

 

[Monday]

All very true but I am beginning to wish I had just bought a CLA250 at about £5k less and no need for a £1,000+ wall charger! Offset a bit by interest free PCP but no hope of recovering the extra costs with (say) 8k miles pa over 4 years, even at 7p/kWh. For a weekend journey to family, I can do (say)14 miles to m/way on electric, switch to petrol for 50-60 miles and back to electric for 14 miles. Return journey all on petrol. It's not really worth the hassle!

 

[Stephano28]

Morning all

I have been a MB owner for a few years however new here

Recently purchased a brand new EQA 250+ which I love.

When I picked up the EQA 250+ from the dealership it was 100% charged & the actual driving range not total range was showing as 320 miles.

I have since charged it to 80% couple of times & it used to show an actual range of 280 miles. However since Sunday the actual range for 80% charge has dropped significantly & is only showing around 180 miles. So I ran a test this morning & charged it to 100%, the actual range is now showing as 234 miles which is a significant drop from 320 miles on the previous 100% charge.

It is not even biting cold yet so am not expecting 30% drop in battery range on a brand new car. Could anyone please advise what is causing this drop?

Cheers

Hi
I'm in very similar situation.
EQA 250+ 72 plate bought used from MB in September.
Its a really nice car, my first MB and we love it. Installed a home charger via OVO and Ohm which is also fantastic, super cheap rate at 7p/Kw.
BUT, the range is truly terrible. I decided to do a test this week, as I had a feeling I wasn't getting much out the battery.
Charged up last Saturday to 90%, range shows 250 miles; great. I'm happy with that. And that was the expectation when we bought it.
Driven this week to and from work (short journeys of 13 miles each way).
The car has managed to perform 110 miles total in reality, and now is showing<30 miles and time for a recharge.
I accept it's been cold this week and it sounds like that draws quite alot from the battery, I was expecting to lose 1/3, but the current range is not practical for us. And I can't rely on what the car tells me.

Anyone got advice about how to extend the range out please?

Cheers

 

[Grey1955]

Hi,

Range will always be an issue in the winter, but there are a few things that will help. Reduce the a/c a few degrees and set it to auto mode as this really does help. In manual mode it eats the battery, and fast. Avoid the heated windscreen, so try to pre heat the car before getting in or use the good old fashion ice scraper. Heated seats are less of a drain on the battery, so use these, but some days I found driving around in a cold car was stupid, so did take the hit on the battery rather than freeze. Regen mode will help, as will driving a little slower, but that easier said than done! You will be told by so called experts to switch off anything you don’t need such as the radio, or not using the lights and wipers, but that’s silly, so avoid doing that!

To be honest, 25% loss in winter is average but in the end I decided not to get too hung up as my daily mileage was never more than 100 and as I have a home charger at a good rate, I was still saving a fortune.

My previous car was a full EV so I understand your concerns, but even with the Plug in hybrid, following a few winter guidelines help the range on the CLA.