2015 Mercedes-Benz B-Class ED Features Range Extender Option

The Mercedes-Benz B-Class actually has a larger battery than the German automaker is advertising.

According to the car’s online configurator, a Temporary Range Extender option is available for $600 and according to the website is “A suite of options to further increase your driving range.” Those options include added insulation of the doors and roof to increase climate-control efficiency as well as an electrically heated windshield and a range-extending charge function. The most notable of those details is the range-extending charge function, which increases the maximum charge level for the next charge cycle resulting in 17 additional miles of range.

The big question is, how is the additional range achieved and why is it temporary instead of permanent? According to the German automaker, the B-Class ED actually has a 36-kWh battery even though it’s being advertised with a 28-kWh battery. Reason being, on a day-to-day basis, the 28-kWh energy capacity is how much the vehicle needs to provide its EPA-certified 87-mile range. The temporary range extender actually taps into the additional eight kWh of reserve to provide the extra 17 miles.

The reason why the extender is optional is that the company feels that most owners won’t need it and will find the 87-mile range more than adequate. In addition, taking advantage of the range extender frequently can deplete the battery’s overall life. Mercedes is advising that the range extender be used on a limited basis.